Over 1,500 teens attended Jewish Student Union of Atlanta (JSU) High Holiday programs this year. Rabbi Chaim Neiditch led educational sessions at a dozen local public high schools, where the main topics of focus were Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and uniquely Jewish concepts such as tshuva (repentance). Rabbi Neiditch engaged the participants in rousing discussions during which the excitement of learning the deeper meanings of the High Holidays was palpable.

Over and above the spiritual pleasures, the teens attending each JSU club event got a sweet taste of the New Year in the form of a “dipping apple in honey” activity. Sweet as honey may be, participants also got their thrills on from dipping apples into melted caramel and then rolling them in candied toppings like M&Ms and Rolos. It served as an especially tasty (and tasteful) way to have participants associate the High Holidays, which many of them were learning about for the first time, with something positive and enjoyable.