Mrs. Walsh describes the meaning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Yom Kippur aka the Day of Atonement falls on the 10th day of the month in Tishray. This is the holiest day of the year for Jews. Jewish people take part in a 25 hour fast (no food or drink at all). The reason for this is to concentrate on our spiritual needs rather than our physical ones. There are exceptions for pregnant women, sickness, medication, etc., for they are not supposed to cause physical or mental harm to themselves. Many people wear sneakers or soft slippers throughout the day rather than leather shoes.
On this day Jews are meant to repent and pray. We read the story of Jonah and the Whale to teach us of repentance. After the final shofar blast in the Ne'ila service the whole congregation says "Next year in Jerusalem!"
After coming home from the synagogue, we have a big feast with our family and friends to break the fast. This is where we get the word breakfast from!
Mrs. Walsh
[Image: google.images.com]
Stratford celebrated Wellbeing Week 2026 (5th - 8th May), a special week dedicated to promoting positive mental health, physical activity and cultural awareness. Students had the opportunity to take part in a variety of fun and engaging activities throughout the week, including walks, workshops, cultural events, sports, and wellbeing challenges.
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Congratulations to 1st Year Computer Studies students - Yair, Liam and Giorgi - who made it to the ECO-UNESCO 2026 Young Environmentalist Awards Finals held on 12th May with their Scratch coding project called "Giorgi the Litter Fighter". This is the first time that a Stratford project has made it to the finals - so very impressive work!
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Well done to the Stratford College Chess team who reached the Libermann Cup Finals to play against Coláiste Eanna on Monday 11th May. This is the first time that the Chess team has reached the finals. While it proved to be challenging with Coláiste Eanna showing great experience and ultimately winning out, the Stratford chess team are determined to be back next year!
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