The Yom Kippur War broke out at 1:50 PM on Saturday, Yom Kippur, October 6, 1973. The war lasted 19 days and, by its conclusion, claimed the lives of approximately 2,600 IDF soldiers.

 

To this day, the Yom Kippur war is considered the worst national trauma experienced by Israeli society. However, the end result is still considered an incredible military achievement in the eyes of many armies throughout the world. This paradox contributes to the complexity of the war and its impact on Israel. The Yom Kippur War was a turning point in Israel history and deserves, 50 year later, to be studied to appreciate its significance on the Israel landscape.

 

El Ami - El Atzmi developed this curriculum in collaboration with Rabbi Dr. David Hertzberg, the director of the Yeshivah of Flatbush William S. Levine Family Shoah Institute and in partnership with UnitEd. UnitEd is an initiative of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs supporting the work of Jewish days schools throughout the world.  The objectives of UnitEd are to deepen Jewish identity, strengthen the connection with Israel, and help build local Jewish community.  

 

This Yom Kippur curriculum includes power point presentations, teachers guides, short videos, and engaging activities to help students grapple with the great challenges posed by a war that broke out on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

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Please watch a short video message from Yom Kippur War hero, Brigadier General (ret.) Avigdor Kahalani supporting this project.