A A A
Arts Image

Jewish Holiday Celebrations

A List of Descriptions of Jewish Holiday Celebrations


Shabbat (Every Friday evening at sunset through Saturday night)
On the seventh day of creation, G-d rested from a strenuous week of activity, thereby creating the Shabbat. This holiest day of the week is celebrated from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sunset.

Rosh Hashanah, September 28-30, 2011 (Begins September 28 at sundown)
1 & 2 Tishri
This Jewish New Year comes in the seventh Jewish month! Originally known as Yom Teruah, or the day of the Shofar blasts, it was meant as a day of personal reflection and has come to represent the new year for Jews world-wide. It is a holiday for repentance and reviewing the past year's behavior. Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah begins the "Ten Days of Penitence", when G-d inscribes us into the Book of Life for the year to come.

Yom Kippur,October 7-8, 2011 (Begins October 7 at sundown)
10 Tishri
Yom Kippur ends the period of the "Ten Days of Penitence" when G-d puts the seal on the Book of Life. This holiest day of the Jewish year is spent in prayer and fasting, asking forgiveness for the sins we have commited between ourselves and G-d. Yom Kippur prayers do not absolve us from sins committed toward other people and it is our obligation to ask each other for forgiveness.

Sukkot, October 13-14, 2011 (Begins October 12 at sundown)
15 & 16 Tishri
Sukkot, one of the three ancient Israelite pilgrimage holidays, marks the fall harvest when farmers brought offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. The farmers lived in temproary dwellings known as Sukkot. We celebrate this joyous holiday by building Sukkot of our own and shaking the Lulav (palm tree branch) and Etrog (citron).

Shemini Atzeret, October 20, 2011 (Begins October 19 at sundown)
22 Tishri
Hoshanah Rabbah is one last chance to repent for one's sins. Since the Israelites were at the Temple for the harvest holiday of Sukkot, they would make seven circuits around the altar. Additionally, the people would beat willow twigs on the ground, the falling leaves symbolizing the removed sins. Sh'mini Atzeret was formulated as a chance to savor the closing moment of Sukkot and a chance for Jews to pray for plentiful rain in the land of Israel.

Simchat Torah, October 21, 2011 (Begins October 20 at sundown)
23 Tishri
Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from the American Jewish Historical Society's American Jewish Desk Reference.

Simchat Torah is a joyous festival celebrated when the yearly cycle of reading the Torah (first five books of the Bible) in the synagogue is completed and a new one begins. The holiday is celebrated on the 23rd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.
Although this festival is not traced to a specific Biblical or Talmudic source, the holiday celebrates the process of Torah reading. In the evening service at many synagogues, congregants remove all the Torah scrolls from the Ark and display them around the synagogue in a special procession. Singing and dancing accompany the procession in jubilant spirit. Children are an integral part of the promenade, carrying Simchat Torah flags or miniature scrolls. In some synagogues, a reading of part of the next to the last chapter of the Torah concludes the evening ritual. During the next day's morning service, the congregation reads the final chapters of the Torah (Deuteronomy 33-34), and individuals are called to the bimah for the Reading of the Law. In some communities, several Torah readings occur simultaneously, while in others entire groups ascend to the bimah (altar) and recite the benedictions together.
A particularly honored congregant traditionally reads the last section of Deuteronomy. Immediately after this reading, a second Torah scroll is taken out and the continuation of annual reading from the Torah begins again. The congregation reads the first section of the Bible, and the Prophetical reading for the day is the first chapter of the book of Joshua.

Hanukah, December 21-28, 2011 (Begins December 20 at sundown)
When Judah Maccabee and his band of fighters entered the Temple in Jerusalem after a hard fought war, they were met by a sad sight. Three years of Syrian occupation had turned the holy place into a pagan site. The Judeans spent many hours cleansing the Temple, which they rededicated (in Hebrew, Hanukkat HaBayit) on the 25th day of the month of Kislev 165 BCE. Although the war to free the land of Judea from Syrian/Greek rule would last many more years, we joyously commemorate Hanukah based on the regaining of our Temple. Years later, the Rabbis in the Talmud revealed the famous miracle story about the small jug of oil that provided the Temple menorah enough fuel for eight days. Hanukah is celebrated by lighting the Hanukiyah (Hanukah Menorah), playing dreidle, eating latkes and giving children Hanukah gelt.

Tu B'Shevat, February 8, 2012
15 Shevat
Tu Bishvat, the "New Year for Trees,"should be celebrated by eating fruits and nuts from Israel. In addition, Tu Bishvat takes on new significance as a time to buy trees for Israel and to plant others in our home community.

Purim, March 8, 2012 (Begins March 7 at sundown)
4 Adar
After a drunken rage, King Ahashverosh of Persia finds himself without a wife. A beautiful woman named Esther, or Hadassah in Hebrew, enters and wins a beauty contest at the instruction of her uncle Mordecai. She becomes Queen of Persia, a position that enables her to thwart the vile Hamman, who planned to kill all the Jews in the Persian empire. The name Purim means "lots" or "dice," the device Hamman used to choose a date for the Jew's destruction. To find out more of this fascinating story of intrigue, read the Book of Esther on Purim and use your grogger (noise-maker) to its fullest extent when you hear Hamman's name and eat plenty of Hammantaschen. Be Happy, it's Adar!

The Jewish holiday of Purim is this Saturday night, March 19th and Sunday, March 20th. There’s a funny tongue-in cheek summary of this holiday: "They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat." Because of the survival of the Jews from near disaster, Purim is a festival associated with joy, feasting, drinking, costumes, performance and revelry. The biblical book of Esther is the basis for the Purim story. In short, the book describes an attempt by Haman, an evil advisor to the Persian King Ahasueros, to destroy the Jews. Angry with Mordechai, a leader of the Jews, Haman persuades the king to issue a decree that on a particular day, the Persians should go out and massacre Jews throughout the land. Esther, the Jewish queen, exposes the plot and saves the Jews. Haman and his sons then die on the gallows originally constructed for Mordechai.
In the Purim story everything is turned upside down. Those in power (the king and Haman) end up taking orders from those not (Esther and Mordechai). The Jews who were to be killed end up being saved, and Haman who was planning to annihilate all the Jews ends up being killed.

There are four specific traditions associated with Purim that are mitzvot or commandments. The first is listening to the reading of the story. "Megillat Esther" (Scroll of Esther) is chanted in the evening and then again on the morning of Purim. Whenever the name of the villain Haman (pronounced "Hah-mahn") is mentioned, the congregation makes a ruckus to drown out his name. The noise often comes from "groggers"(noisemakers).
The second is to attend a "seudah," festive meal.
A festive meal (with lots of eating and drinking) is held on Purim day. There is a statement in the Talmud that one should drink enough so that s/he cannot tell the difference between blessed be Mordechai (the hero of the story) and cursed be Haman (the villain). At this festive meal and during Purim people eat pastry filled cookies called Hamentashen. Hamentashen means "Haman's pockets." The Yiddish name is a pun on "mohn," the word for poppy, because a sweet paste of poppy seeds was the traditional filling. (Other common fillings include prunes, apricots, other jams and, of course, chocolate chips.) In Hebrew they are called "Oznei Haman," because they are said to look like "Haman's ears." The third tradition is that of "mishloach manot" (sometimes called by its Yiddish name, "shaloch mones")-sending of portions. It is customary to put together a food basket with at least two types of food and give it to at least one friend or family member.
Finally, the fourth custom is that of "matanot l'evyonim"-gifts for the poor. Giving charity is a key element of Judaism in general, and it is a specific requirement to give to two (since the command is in the plural) needy people (or charities) on Purim.
Purim allows us once a year to take the opportunity to poke fun at ourselves and make sure we don't take ourselves too seriously (perhaps hinting that we take ourselves too seriously all year long.) Our JCC has a long history of getting into the spirit. If you work this Sunday, March 20th please come dressed up in a costume and encourage other staff you work with to as well. Wishing everyone one a Happy Purim!

Pesach, April 7-8, April 13-14, 2011 (Begins April 6 & April 12 at sundown)
15-22 Nisan
Pesach, another of the three pilgrimage holidays in which the ancient Israelites trekked to the Temple of Jerusalem to bring offerings, is celebrated for several reasons. The explanation familiar to us is that Pesach commemorates the Israelite's exodus from centuries of slavery in Egypt. Moses, acting on G-d's command, led the Twelve Tribes of Israel from that harsh environment to freedom. Pesach also has roots in ancient agrarian Israelite society. Farmers would clean out their grain store houses and celebrate the first harvest after the winter. They would also bake flat bread called Matzot, to give thanks to G-d for the good season. Shepherds would sacrifice their first lamb thanking G-d for new sheep. All of these elements combined into the Pesach of today. We clean our houses of chametz, eat Matzah and have a Seder which tells the story of how G-d rescued us from slavery in the Land of Egypt.

Yom HaShoah, April 19, 2012
28 Iyar
The 28th day of Iyar commemorates the reunification of the city of Jerusalem in Israeli hands on this date in 1967. According to some views, the restrictions of the Omer period are lifted for this day.

Yom HaZikaron, April 25, 2012 (Day of Remembrance for Israeli soldiers killed in action).
Israeli Memorial Day remembers those who died in the War of Liberation and other wars in Israel.

Yom Ha'Atzmaut Observed, May 4, 2012
5 Iyar
As David Ben Gurion announced the birth of a new Jewish state to a worldwide audience, Israel was attacked by enemies who sought to destroy the fledgling country. Over five decades later, Israel still stands as the cultural and spiritual center of the Jewish people, as well as the refuge for oppressed Jews worldwide. The words of the Hatikvah, Israel's national anthem, says it all: We never lost our hope of two thousand years, to be a free nation, our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem. Israel became a State May 14, 1948.

Lag B'Omer, May 10, 2012
18 Iyar
The 33rd day of the Omer (the eighteenth of Iyar) is known as Lag b'Omer. The mourning practices of the omer period are lifted on that date. The word "Lag" is not really a word; it is the number 33 in Hebrew. It is a day of rejoicing that is celebrated with picnics and bonfires. Lag B'Omer was the day that the students of the great Rabbi Akiba stopped dying from a mysterious plague. It is also the date of a great Jewish military victory over Roman forces.

Yom Yerushalayim, May 20, 2012 (Jerusalem Day)
28 Iyar
The 28th day of Iyar commemorates the reunification of the city of Jerusalem in Israeli hands on this date in 1967. According to some views, the restrictions of the Omer period are lifted for this day.

Shavuot, May 28-29 (Begins May 27 at sundown), 2012
6 & 7 Sivan
Editor's Note: The following includes information from the Union for Reform Judaism's Web site www.urj.org.

Shavuot is celebrated exactly seven weeks after Passover; it commemorates the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) at Mt. Sinai and celebrates the late spring harvest. It occurs on the 6th and 7th days of the Hebrew month of Sivan. These three hallmarks of the holiday gave rise to its names: Shavuot means "weeks;" Z'man matan torateiun is the season of the giving of our Torah; and Chag Habikurim refers to the festival of first fruits, when the farmers of Israel would bring first fruits of the harvest to Jerusalem as a sign of thanksgiving.

Tisha B'Av, July 29, 2012
9 Av
A stone (2.43x1 meters) with Hebrew language inscription "To the Trumpeting Place" excavated by B. Mazar at the southern foot of the Temple Mount. It is believed that this was a part of the Second Temple.
The 9th of Av, Tisha B'Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe it's clearly a day specially cursed by G-d. The first Temple was destroyed on this day. Five centuries later, as the Romans drew closer to the Second Temple, ready to torch it, the Jews were shocked to realize that their Second Temple was destroyed the same day as the first.
When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, they believed that their leader. Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill their messianic longings. But their hopes were cruelly dashed in 135 CE as the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar. The date of the massacre? Of course-the 9th of Av!
The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 CE on, you guessed it, Tisha B'Av. In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and here husband Ferdinand ordered that the Jews be banished from the land. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492, and the Jews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country. The Hebrew date on which no Jew was allowed any longer to remain in the land where he had enjoyed welcome and prosperity? Oh by now you know it-the 9th of Av.