Jewish Holiday Resource Guide - Spring 2026: UPDATE FOR EDUCATORS AND PARENTS
Updated on: February, 2026 JFNA
Field Resource
The Spring season includes two major Jewish holidays, with varied levels of observance. The Passover holiday spans a one-week period in early to mid spring, and is followed forty days later by the festival of Shavuot (Tabernacles), which commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments.
This document is designed as a guide to the Jewish festivals for public and independent schools, including background on each holiday, notes on observances, accommodations that may be necessary, and opportunities for introducing cultural diversity and ensuring Jewish students have appropriate opportunities to share their celebrations and feel seen in the classroom.
We ask that you share important information regarding accommodations with teachers in your schools and that you consider introducing some elements of Jewish culture at this time of year as you would for other cultures and religious observances, and thank you for taking the time to learn about these observances.
The Jewish calendar is semi-lunar, which means that, while the exact dates of any holiday are different year-to-year on the Gregorian calendar, the approximate time of year is consistent. Jewish Federations of North America distribute an annual five -year holiday guide where you may refer to the specific dates of these and other Jewish holidays in the coming years.
While not included in this guide, educators and school leadership should also be aware that May is Jewish American Heritage Month. This designation provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate books and lessons on the Jewish American story and the contributions of Jewish American individuals. For more information and resources regarding Jewish American Heritage Month, we encourage you to connect with your local Jewish Federation of NH.
Additional resources and lesson plans on the subject are available at https://jewishamericanstories.org/. We encourage you to contact your local Jewish Federation of NH with any additional questions or concerns about the items in this guide or any other matter related to ensuring Jewish students, educators, and families are seen and included in your school community.
Passover
Begins prior to sunset April 1 and concludes after sundown April 9
Description: Passover is one of the most widely observed holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates the Biblical story of Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt following 400 years of slavery, a foundational story of the Jewish people and religion. Depending on family tradition, the first night or the first two nights are marked by an extended ritual meal, known as a seder, during which participants recount the story of the Exodus. The seder is often attended by extended family and/or friends. Throughout the holiday, many Jewish families take on dietary restrictions that include prohibitions on any leavened or potentially leavened grain products such as bread
and cakes, substituting an unleavened, unprocessed food known as matzah instead.
Practice: Most Jewish families observe the Passover seder on the first night or the first two nights of the holiday. These meals involve extensive preparation, and some students may be absent to prepare or to travel the day prior. In addition, the first two and the last two days of the holiday are considered days of rest, where some Jewish people abstain from work, including writing, the use of electricity, money, and travel. Observance of Passover varies across Jewish communities; some observe full holiday restrictions, some use electronics but still attend prayer services and have meals with family, and some do not observe this holiday at all. After the first two days, the use of electricity, writing, and other activities are permitted for Jews of all observance levels as needed, but many Jewish people still use these days as a time to rest and enjoy the holiday. This period of time in between is called the intermediate days. Students can participate fully in academic activity during the intermediate days. Please note that the intermediate days often include a Shabbat (Saturday/Sabbath), which is also a day of rest and abstention from work.
Among the most noticeable aspects of the Passover holiday is its food restrictions. Because Jewish observance varies by family, Jewish students in your school may exhibit significant diversity in their level of restriction; some students will be careful to only eat food packed from home or certified strictly kosher for Passover; some will eat regular food products but substitute matzah for bread; and some do not observe the restrictions at all. Some students may begin observance of these food restrictions the day prior to Passover’s start.
What to expect:
Some Jewish students may be absent the first day of the holiday, the first two days, or the first two and the last two days. Some may also extend their absences in order to travel to family for their observances. In addition, some Jewish students may limit their consumption of various foods in accordance with their observance of the Passover dietary laws.
As noted above, extent of observance varies. This variance should be conveyed to ensure that differences in observance between families are understood.
How to support your Jewish students:
Please try to avoid scheduling tests or significant school events, including parent-teacher conferences and prom, during the holiday. Please also consider avoiding classroom parties or events involving food during the holiday, or informing parents in
advance of any such events so they can provide alternative foods for their children if necessary.
Resources
Read-aloud options:
Grades K-3:
● Schotter, Roni.
Passover! Mutli-grade lesson plans
● Basseri, Etan.
A Persian Passover. Activity Guide.
Grades 2-4:
● Hagai, Ben and Zahava Goshen.
Workitu’s Passover
● Polacco, Patricia.
Mrs Katz and Tush. Classroom discussion guide.
Grades 3-5
● Lehmen-Wilzig, Tami.
Passover around the World.
Additional resources:
● Video clip for grades 1-5 - an Ethiopian Israeli girl narrates her family’s celebration of
Passover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lOZrtivtTE
● Classroom activities and guide from the North American Montessori Center
● Video, discussion guide and classroom resources for middle and high school explaining Passover traditions.
The Omer Period
Begins April 2, the second day of Passover, and concludes with the start of the Shavuot holiday, May 21
Description: The period of the Omer lasts 49 days, from Passover until the holiday of Shavuot. During this time, some observant Jews may avoid activities considered festive by Jewish tradition, including listening to live music, haircuts, and wedding celebrations.
Practice: Some Jewish families will avoid certain forms of live entertainment during all or part of this time period. On the 33rd day of the Omer, some Jewish families observe a single celebratory day, known as Lag Ba’omer. All forms of work and school are permitted throughout this time period as usual.
What to expect:
A small number of observant students might abstain from concerts and other live performances during this time period.
How to support your Jewish students:
Minimal specific supports are needed in observance ofthis holiday; however, cultural awareness is helpful should there be flexibility around scheduling performances or field trips to events with live music.
Shavuot
Begins sunset May 21 and concludes sundown May 23
Description: Shavuot is one of the three traditional pilgrimage holidays that were observed in Jerusalem by the ancient Israelites. Jewish tradition teaches that this holiday is the anniversary of the giving of the Torah and Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai following the Exodus from Egypt; it also marks the time of the wheat harvest in Israel. Shavuot is traditionally observed by studying religious texts, sometimes with an all-night vigil, and eating dairy foods such as cheesecake and blintzes. In synagogues, the Book of Ruth is also read during this holiday, and so themes of friendship and inclusion are also associated with the observance.
Practice:
Practice of Shavuot varies across Jewish communities; students from Reform families
and some Israeli families celebrate the holiday for one day (May 22), while students from Conservative and Orthodox families are more likely to celebrate for two days. Shavuot is not as widely observed as Passover or Rosh Hashana, and some families do not actively observe this holiday at all. Those who do will likely attend prayer services and convene with their families. The two days of Shavuot are considered days of rest for traditionally observant Jewish families; therefore, some students will not do work, write, spend money, or travel.
What to expect:
Prepare educators to understand that there is variance in observance of this
holiday and students should not be expected to observe in a certain way because their peers do. For example, some Jewish students will request a one-day or a two-day absence, and others might not observe the holiday at all.
How to support your Jewish students:
Please try to avoid scheduling tests during or the day after the holiday.
Resources
Read-aloud options:
Grades K-3:
● Diamond Goldin, Barbara.
A Mountain of Blintzes. Discussion Guide.
● Marks, Alison and Wayne.
The Art Lesson: A Shavuot Story. Discussion Guide.
● Goldman, Judy.
Kopecks for Blintzes: A Jewish Folktale for Shavuot.
Additional resources:
● High school 45 minute lesson plan on Jewish holidays and culture
