Shabbat
Shabbat (Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, also known as "Shabbos" or the "Sabbath") is the Jewish day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday before sunset and ends on the following evening after nightfall. It is ushered in with (late afternoon) candlelighting, prayers, and feasting on braided bread and other delicacies. And its end is marked with a multisensory ceremony as well.
Rosh Hashanah
, the Jewish new year, is a fall holiday, taking place at the beginning of the month of , which is actually the seventh month of the Jewish year (counting from Nisan in the spring). It is both a time of rejoicing and of serious introspection, a time to celebrate the completion of another year while also taking stock of one’s life.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is known as the holiest day of the Jewish year. The "Days of Awe," also known as the "Ten Days of Repentance" or "Yamim Noraim," in Hebrew, are a ten-day period in the Jewish calendar that begins with Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and culminates with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). This time is dedicated to self-reflection, repentance, and seeking forgiveness from God and our fellow human beings for wrongs committed during the past year.
Sukkot
Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection G‑d provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. We celebrate Sukkot by dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a sukkah) and by taking the “Four Kinds” (arba minim), four special species of vegetation.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated as a single, two-day holiday, while in the Diaspora, they are observed as separate holidays on consecutive days. In Israel, Simchat Torah festivities, which include dancing and celebrating the completion of the yearly Torah reading cycle, take place on the same day as Shemini Atzeret. In the Diaspora, Simchat Torah is observed the day after Shemini Atzeret.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.
The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. Also spelled Hanukkah (or variations of that spelling), the Hebrew word is actually pronounced with a guttural, “kh” sound, kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah.
Tu BiShvat
Tu Bishvat is the Jewish holiday of the “new year for trees”. It has its own special set of meaningful and long-standing customs and traditions. Tu Bishvat is considered a ‘minor holiday’ and signifies a reminder of how the Sages make a comparison between humans and trees. It is also a day to show appreciation to the environment and the world.
Purim
The jolly Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). It commemorates the (Divinely orchestrated) salvation of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian empire from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.” Literally “lots” in ancient Persian, Purim was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme, as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther).
Pesach/Passover
The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, April 12 - 20, 2025. Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.
In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑d passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut is Israel's Independence Day, celebrating the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. It falls on the 5th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar (usually in April or May). The day follows Yom HaZikaron, a national memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, creating a poignant transition from mourning to celebration. Festivities include fireworks, barbecues, public ceremonies, music, and dancing. It's a deeply patriotic holiday, marking the rebirth of a Jewish homeland after nearly 2,000 years.
Shavuot
Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֹת in Hebrew, also pronounced Shavuos) is a two-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the date when G‑d gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago. Preceded by 49 days of counting in eager anticipation, Shavuot is celebrated through desisting from work, candle-lit dinners, staying up all night to study Torah, listening to the reading of the Ten Commandments in synagogue, enjoying dairy foods and other festivities.
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