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Celebrating Jewish Traditions: An Overview
Jewish celebrations are vibrant and deeply spiritual, marking key historical and religious events throughout the year. From the solemn reflection of Yom Kippur to the festive gatherings of Sukkot, these observances enrich the cultural and spiritual fabric of Jewish identity, connecting tradition with community values.
Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה): The Jewish New Year
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and is observed on the first day of Tishrei. This sacred day begins with the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) and is a time for repentance and reflection on the past year’s actions. Jews believe that on this day, a Divine court reviews everyone’s deeds. On both nights, candles are lit, and special meals are prepared following the Kiddush blessing.
Tzom Gedalia (צוֹם גְּדַלְיָה): Remembering Gedaliah
Also transliterated as Gedaliah or Gedalya, this fasting ceremony (ta’anit) is observed annually on the third of Tishrei. Tzom Gedalia commemorates the assassination of Gedaliah ben Ahikam, who was the last hope of the Jewish community for reconstructing the Holy Temple, known as Beit HaMikdash. The fast starts at midnight and lasts until the following nightfall.
Erev Yom Kippur (ערב יום הכפורים): Preparations for the Day of Atonement
The morning of Erev Yom Kippur starts after the Morning Prayer, Shacharit, and involves prayers and charity, or performing the Kapparot ritual, which involves sacrificing a chicken or rooster as atonement. The fast begins before sunset. Prior to this, candles are lit, and individuals seek to forgive one another for past violations before heading to the synagogue. The night begins with the well-known Kol Nidrei declaration.
Yom Kippur (יום הכפורים): The Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur, occurring on the tenth of Tishrei, is one of the holy Jewish holidays, known as the Day of Atonement. Jews are required to uphold one of the most important Jewish fasts and prayers in the synagogue, performing a total of five Tefillah services (prayer) and the Selichot ceremony. The Torah is read twice, and the fast concludes with the blowing of the shofar after nightfall, followed by the Arvit (Evening Prayer) and a Havdalah ceremony. The Havdala declares the end of Yom Kippur and introduces the new week.
Sukkot (חג הסוכות): The Festival of Booths
Sukkot begins on the fifteenth of Tishrei, celebrating the Divine blessings delivered to the Israelites during their journey through the desert after leaving Egypt. Jews construct temporary shelters (sukkahs) and dwell in them for a week and perform their religious rituals. The first two days are Yom Tov, during which Shabbat laws are observed. The key elements include a permanent residence and collecting lulav (a bundle of four plant species). The first two days are Yom Tov, during which Shabbat laws are observed. Candles are also lit on the first two nights and Kiddush is recited. Every day, believers perform special prayers and circle the Torah scroll once in a ceremony called Hakafot.
Hoshana Rabbah (הושענא רבה): The Great Supplication
Hoshanah Rabbah, observed on the seventh day of Sukkot, involves the traditional beating of willow branches. Jews stay up all night praying and seeking to cleanse their deeds in the little time left before the final judgment. An abbreviated Selichot is also recited.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (שמיני עצרת): Concluding Festivals
Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day of Sukkot, is a separate festival marked by special sacrifices and gifts for the community’s well-being. Simchat Torah, celebrated on the ninth day, marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. The Parashahs of the Torah are distributed between community members and recited. Additionally, a prayer for rain is also recited.
Hanukkah (חג הנכה): The Festival of Victory
Hanukkah, starting on the 25th of Kislev, commemorates the Jewish victory of the Hasmonean dynasty over the Greeks and the rededication of the Holy Temple. The campaign was led by Matitia Cohen Gadol. The celebration also commemorates the cleansing of the Holy Temple from Greek idols, its re-opening, and the miracle of the candles that stayed lit for eight days.
Tenth of Tevet (עשרה בטבת): A Day of Mourning
Tenth of Tevet commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, leading to the city’s destruction. The fast starts at midnight and lasts until the nightfall of the next day.
Tu B’Shevat or Ilanot (ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט): The New Year for Trees
Taking place on the fifteenth of Shevat, Ilanot is like the New Year for trees and fruits, symbolizing the renewal of plants and the budding of trees.
Birth and Death of a Leader (מֹשֶׁה): Moshe Rabbeinu (Prophet Moses)
Moses was born on the seventh of Adar in the year 2368 in the Hebrew calendar and passed away on the same date 120 years later, in 2488.
Shabbat Zachor (שבת זכור): The Sabbath of Remembrance
Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath before Purim, recalls the revelation of biblical verses that represented God’s hostility and hatred of the Amalek tribe, who were considered the symbol of blasphemy.
Ta’anit of Purim (תַּעֲנִית אֶסְתֵּר): The Fast of Esther
The Fast of Esther is one of the obligatory fasts for Jews, commemorating the story of Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai. Their fasting and repentance helped thwart a plot to annihilate the Jews. The fast begins at midnight and continues until nightfall the following day, concluding after Arvit and the reading of the prayers.
Purim (הג פורים): The Festival of Lots
Purim, meaning “lots”, celebrates the Jews’ survival against Haman’s plot during Queen Esther’s time. The celebration also involves giving gifts and helping the poor.
Ta’anit of the Firstborn (תענית בכורית): Remembering the Plague
This fast is observed by the firstborn of each family to commemorate the Divine miracle of the final plague on the Egyptians. It starts at midnight and continues until nightfall the next day, before the Kiddush ceremony. Those who participate in one of the specific ceremonies on the morning of Erev Pesach are exempt from continuing the fast.
Pesach (חַג הַפֶּסַח): The Festival of Unleavened Bread
Pesach, starting on the fifteenth of Nisan, celebrates the glorious exodus of the Jews and other slaves of the Pharaoh from Egypt. This ceremony celebrates God’s might, which was realized through the leadership of Moses. During this entire period, the use of leavened products is prohibited. The first two days and the last two days are Yom Tov (similar to Shabbat), and candles are lit with a blessing (berakhah) on these nights. On the first and second nights of Pesach, after the Kiddush ceremony, the special Seder ritual is conducted according to the Haggadah.
Counting the Omer (סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר): A Period of Reflection
It refers to a measure of new produce that was offered in the Temple on the second day of Pesach (the Festival of Unleavened Bread). Starting from that day, Jews count 49 days, or seven weeks, leading up to the Festival of the Revelation of the Torah (Shaveuot), a period known as the Counting of the Omer. Traditionally, Jews refrain from celebrations and weddings until the 33rd day of the Omer.
Lag B’Umer (לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר): The 33rd Day of the Omer
Lag B’Umer, the 33rd day of the 49 Omer days, commemorates the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one of the greatest Jewish scholars and mystics. In his will, he asked that celebrations be held on this day.
Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֹת): The Festival of Weeks
Shavuot, which means “weeks”, is the Festival of the Giving of the Torah. It is celebrated seven weeks, or 49 days, after Pesach. During this time, Jews count each day in anticipation of receiving the Divine law and the Ten Commandments. The festival lasts for two days. On the first night, communities gather in synagogues and stay up all night reading the Torah and other religious texts.
Seventeenth of Tammuz (שבעה עשר בתמוז): A Time of Mourning
The Seventeenth of Tammuz commemorates the return of Moses with two tablets, and the breaking of those tablets when he became angry that the Jews had turned to calf-worshipping. This period of mourning lasts three weeks and ends on the ninth of Av, during which believers refrain from weddings, engagements, marriage, buying houses, and celebrations.
The Fast of the Ninth of Av (עים תשצת ביאב): Tisha B’Av
The ninth of Av is one of the obligatory fasting days and marks the destruction of the Holy Temple first by the Babylonians and later by the Romans. It also commemorates other disasters in Jewish history.
Days of Selichot (סליחות): A Time for Forgiveness
The period spanning from the first of Elul to the tenth of Tishrei (Yom Kippur) is known as the Days of Selichot. These forty days are the special days of repentance, during which a special ceremony of forgiveness, known as Shacharit, is held in the synagogues from midnight until the Morning Prayer, Shelichot. These days are also when Prophet Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the second set of the Ten Commandments tablet.
