Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur aren’t quite the entertainment industry’s idea of a made-for-TV-special kind of holiday. So finding an episode of something to get your family excited for the season, and perhaps even explain to your kids what the High Holy Days are all about, is a tough task.
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered!
These few but mighty shows offer stories of Rosh Hashanah-themed friendship and problem-solving, figuring out fasting for the first time and even a fun song or two. Read on for five kids TV shows or web series which feature the Jewish High Holidays.
“The Sticky Shofar”
Episode 8 of the 2011 “Shalom Sesame” series
This episode of “Shalom Sesame” has just about everything you could ever want from a High Holiday episode. It’s got a shofar, apples and honey, teshuvah and plenty of Muppets hilarity. When Muppet Avigail and Grover gets their honey-covered hands stuck to Muppet Brosh’s shofar, the pair must both figure out how to get unstuck and apologize to Brosh for touching his shofar without asking.
It’s the perfect episode to teach your kids about asking for forgiveness and something you’ll appreciate as a parent who no doubt is always dealing with sticky hands.
Watch “The Sticky Shofar” on YouTube.
“Rap Battle: Rosh Hashanah”
Part of “Lunchbox Rap Battles” on CBC
“Lunchbox Rap Battles” is a recurring segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s kid’s programming, featuring upbeat and educational songs. Their Rosh Hashanah rap nods to the holiday with a fun earworm that’ll have you repeating, “It’s Rosh Hashanah, enjoy it how you wanna! It’s Rosh Hashanah, shana tova!”
If you’re looking for a more nuanced exploration of the holiday, this isn’t quite it. But it’s definitely a fun jam to get your kids excited whether you’re going to the kid’s Rosh Hashanah service at shul or noshing on apples and honey.
Watch “Rap Battle: Rosh Hashanah” above or on YouTube.
“An UnBEElievable Rosh Hashanah”
Season 2, episode 27 of “Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends”
Did you know The Thing from “The Fantastic Four” is canonically Jewish in the comics? The people at Disney seem to, as they wrote this Rosh Hashanah-themed episode in 2023.
“In the episode, Gobby (as they call Green Goblin) steals all the bees and The Thing has to help Team Spidey get the bees back and save Rosh Hashanah,” Linda Buchwald wrote for Kveller ahead of the episode’s premiere. She adds, “In one scene, The Thing wears a yarmulke as he eats Rosh Hashanah dinner, including apples and honey, of course, at the friendly neighborhood community center where people from different backgrounds celebrate each other. Ari and his dad, Mr. Rosenberg, were invited by The Thing to spend Rosh Hashanah with him, and they tell him that he made the community proud.”
Watch “An UnBEElievable Rosh Hashanah” on Fandango.
“The Rosh Hashanah Shaboom! Special: Be the Best Me”
Holy honey cakes! This colorful and engaging animation really gets into the deeper meaning of the High Holidays. When the Plony family seems to be missing their opportunity to become better people for Rosh Hashanah, magical “sparks” (fairy-like creatures) Gaby and Rafi come to help teach them all about teshuvah.
Plus, this episode also features a Rosh Hashanah seder!
Watch “The Rosh Hashanah Shaboom! Special: Be the Best Me” above or on YouTube.
“Is That Kosher?”
Season 12, episode 1 of “Arthur”
Let’s end with my personal favorite. In this episode, Arthur’s Jewish pal Francine Frensky attempts to fast on Yom Kippur for the very first time. What makes this episode so wonderful is that it perfectly encapsulates the emotions of that experience: the nerves, discomfort (especially when you’re around people who are eating that day) and even guilt and disappointment if you’re unable to keep the fast. The episode ends with Francine learning from her Bubbe (played by Joan Rivers) about the rules around fasting for Yom Kippur. Amazingly, this includes the rule against fasting if it negatively impacts your health. But then again, I wouldn’t expect anything different from PBS.
Watch “Is That Kosher?” on YouTube.
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