The Hanukkah school holiday starts on 6 December 2026
Schools and kindergartens are off from Sunday 6 December to Saturday 12 December, and classes resume on Sunday 13 December.
34days to go
This is the break day by day in official schools.
- The first candle is lit on the evening of Friday 4 December, so the first day of the holiday is the Saturday before the break, and the break holds the other seven.
- The break takes out five school days, Sunday to Thursday, and a sixth in a school with a six-day week.
- The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet, on Sunday 20 December, is a school day that ends at 13:30 where teachers and pupils fast.
Not every kind of school keeps the same days.
Hanukkah
6 to 12 December
Back on Sunday 13 December
Official Jewish schools: Kindergartens and elementary schools, Middle schools, High schools
Recognized Jewish schools: Kindergartens and elementary schools
Haredi schools: Official Haredi kindergartens and elementary schools, Network kindergartens and elementary schools, Exempt institutions
Hanukkah
6 to 11 December
Back on Sunday 13 December
Haredi schools: Girls' seminaries, Recognized boys' high schools
Winter break
24 December to 8 January
Arab schools: Official kindergartens and elementary schools, Official middle and high schools, Recognized kindergartens and elementary schools, Recognized high schools
Winter break
23 December to 9 January
Druze schools: Official kindergartens and elementary schools, Official middle schools, Recognized kindergartens and elementary schools, High schools
On the unique cultural track, the Ministry's notice sets four study days of the school's choice instead of a fixed break.
These are the questions parents ask about this break.
When is the Hanukkah school holiday in 2026?
From Sunday 6 December to Saturday 12 December 2026 in official Jewish, recognized and most Haredi kindergartens and schools. Classes resume on Sunday 13 December.
Do high schools get the same Hanukkah break?
Yes. High schools in official Jewish education keep the same days. Haredi girls' seminaries and recognized boys' high schools count the break to Friday 11 December, and all of them go back on Sunday 13 December.
Is there school on the first day of Hanukkah in 2026?
The first day of Hanukkah is Saturday 5 December 2026, and the first candle is lit the evening before. Friday 4 December is a school day in a school with a six-day week.
Do Arab and Druze schools have a Hanukkah break?
No. Arab schools have a winter break from 24 December 2026 to 8 January 2027, and Druze schools from 23 December 2026 to 9 January 2027.
Every date on this page is from the Ministry of Education's notices for the 2026-27 school year, published on 30 March 2026 and checked on 2 November 2026. A school's own notice to parents comes first if it differs.