Stories of the High Holidays

The Jewish high holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends to tell stories. There is a long tradition of storytelling in the Jewish faith, especially stories with morals or reminders of proper behavior. Spend the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, reflecting on the past year with some stories. Try one of these tales about reflection, repentance and charity with a few funny twists and turns that will make you laugh as you learn.

When the Chickens Went on Strike is the hilarious story of chickens refusing to be used in a centuries-old repentance ritual. Can the chickens make a change for the better?

There is another very important chicken in One Little Chicken. When Leora finds a chicken, she wants to keep it, but her mother reminds her that Jewish law says, "finders aren't keepers." Caring for one little chicken until its owner comes back is a lot more work than Leora imagined.

In Gershon's Monster, the monster is Gershon's bad behavior during the year. Every year, he repents for his sins on Rosh Hashanah by throwing his monsters into the sea, but is it enough?

The stories in Days of Awe are retellings of old stories about prayer, charity and repentance. These stories may not be funny, but they are full of family, love and wonder—all things we need during the holidays.

L'shana tova! And may you find some great Jewish stories to read this year.