Jewish Sabbath and Holidays
By Lisa Katz, About.com Guide to Judaism
"The holidays are the jewels on the crown of Judaism." (Karp, The Jewish Way of Life). Find basic, comprehensive and helpful information about the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat), festivals, and holidays. Jewish holiday calendars for upcoming years are also provided.
- Jewish Sabbath - Shabbat
- Elul
- Jewish High Holidays
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Sukkot
- Shemini Atzeret
- Simchat Torah
- Hanukkah
- Tu B'Shvat
- Purim
- Passover
- Counting the Omer, Lag B'Omer
- Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom HaShoah
- Israel Memorial Day - Yom HaZikaron
- Israel Independence Days - Yom HaAtzmaut
- Jerusalem Day - Yom Yerushalayim
- Shavuot
- Nine Days, Tisha B'Av
- Jewish Holiday Calendars
Jewish Sabbath - Shabbat
The Jewish Sabbath day of rest, called Shabbat in Hebrew, begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.
- Rituals in a Jewish Home: Friday Evening
- Blessing the Sabbath Candles
- Blessing the Children
- Blessing the Wife: Eshet Chayil
Elul
Elul, is the last month of the Hebrew year and the month preceding Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. Elul is a time of introspection, repentance, reconciliation, and heightened spirituality.
Jewish High Holidays
What are the Jewish High Holidays, or Judaism's High Holy Days? Are the Days of Awe and Ten Days of Repentance the same? Are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur part of Yamim Noraim?
Rosh Hashanah
An introduction to the Jewish High Holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Learn about the prayers, shofar, holiday food, and tashlich.
Yom Kippur
Learn about the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
Sukkot
Learn about the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.
Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret marks the beginning of the rainy season following the harvest in Israel. The prayer for rain, Tefilat Geshem, is the only ritual that is unique to Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah is celebrated on the second day of Shemini Atzeret in the Diaspora and on the only day of Shemini Atzeret in Israel.
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah focuses on the Torah - the Five Books of Moses. The annual cycle of weekly Torah readings is completed at this time. This completion of the Torah readings is a time of great celebration, with processions, singing and dancing.
Hanukkah
Read about Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Review the Hanukkah story, including the Maccabees' victory and the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem. Learn how to light the Hanukkah menorah (chanukiya), play dreidel (sivivon), and make potato pancakes (latkas).
Tu B'Shvat
Tu B'Shvat is the Jewish New Year for trees. In Israel, Jews plant trees on Tu B'Shvat. Outside of Israel, many Jews collect money for planting trees in Israel. The holiday is also celebrated by eating special fruits or having a Tu B'Shvat Seder.
Purim
On Purim Jews celebrate how Queen Esther saved the Jews of Persia from annihilation. With costumes (tachbosot), noisemakers (raashanim), food baskets (mishloach manot), hamantashen cookies (oznay haman), a festive meal (seudat purim), and carnivals, Purim is a favorite Jewish holiday for children and adults.
Passover
Passover (Pesach) celebrates the birth of the Jewish nation. Read the Passover story, learn about the Passover seder, refer to the Passover glossary, discover new Passover recipes, link to the best Passover Web sites.
Counting the Omer, Lag B'Omer
What is an Omer? Why do we count the Omer? What is Lag B'Omer? Find simple explanations of this confusing holiday.
Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Day (Yom HaShoah in Hebrew) commemorates the martyrs and heroes who died under the Nazis. There is a special ceremony at Yad VaShem, the Jerusalem Holocaust Museum. A siren is sounded in Israel and everyone stands for two minutes of silence in memory of those murdered. All Jewish places of entertainment are closed in Israel.
Israel Memorial Day - Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron), celebrated the day before Israel's Independence Day, is devoted to the memory of those who have given their lives so the State of Israel can exist today. Ceremonies are held throughout the country at schools, cemeteries, and memorial sites. A one-minute siren is blown on the eve of Memorial Day and a two-minute siren is blown on the morning of Memorial Day. During the siren, the whole country comes to a standstill - people stop working, children stop playing, and even drivers stop driving. Everyone stands at attention in silence as the siren wails in memory of the fallen.
Israel Independence Days - Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel's Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) begins the minute Israel's Memorial Day ends, and the switch from sorrow to joy is quite sudden and dramatic. Israel's Independence Day is celebrated each year on 5 Iyar, which corresponds to May 14, 1948, the day that the State of Israel was proclaimed. Days before the celebration, Israeli flags begin to wave from almost every house and car. On the eve of Israel Independence Day, there are parties, singing and dancing on the streets, and fireworks. On Independence Day, everyone enjoy outdoor picnic. The whole country is dotted with families outdoors enjoying "The Land."
Jerusalem Day - Yom Yerushalayim
Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. This day celebrates the continued historical connection of the Jewish People to Jerusalem and the freedom of faith of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Jerusalem.
Shavuot
Shavuot celebrates the harvest and commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish People on Mount Sinai. On Shavuot, Jews light candles, decorate with greenery, eat dairy food, study Torah, attend prayer services, and read the Book of Ruth.
Nine Days, Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av (the ninth day of the Jewish calendar month of Av) is a day of mourning and fasting in Judaism. On this days Jews remember the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem as well as other tragedies Jews experienced in their history.
Jewish Holiday Calendars
Get the Gregorian dates for each Jewish holiday, festival and day of mourning for upcoming years. Learn about the difference between the Gregorian (secular) calendar and the Hebrew calendar.
