The most serious and important holy day of the Jewish year is Yom Kippur. It is the day on which God determines each person’s fate for the coming year. The…
Customs & Holidays
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Each year, Jewish families remember their ancestors’ exodus from Egypt by living in temporary outdoor shelters for a week. These structures, sukkot (sukkah singular), are often made of fabric walls…
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The Jewish New Year falls on the first two days of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar, called Tishrei. This year, those dates correspond to September 25-26. The Biblical…
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Pentecost is the Greek name given to the 50th day after Passover, which in Christian tradition is commemorated as the day that the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to begin…
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“Kosher” is an adjective (“Kashrut” is the noun) used to describe food that is “fit” or “clean” or, in other words, prepared and served according to Judaism’s 3,000-year-old dietary laws.…
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For many Jews, Jerusalem Day is even more important than Israel’s Independence Day. Yom Yerushalayim, as it is called in Hebrew, commemorates the day that the entire city of Jerusalem,…
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On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion read Israel’s Declaration of Independence on a live national radio broadcast. That night, every Jewish man, woman, and child wept tears of joy,…
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On Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day, the nation of Israel comes to a somber standstill in remembrance of those who have sacrificed their lives for their country. From sundown to…
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Six million Jewish men, women, and children perished in the Holocaust. Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, a somber day of remembrance. In Hebrew it is Yom HaShoah, which means Day…
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Passover is the Jewish holiday also known as Pesach, which falls on Nissan 15-21 according to the Jewish calendar. This year it will be observed from sundown on April 14th…
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Tu B’Shvat is known as the New Year of the Trees. It is customary to celebrate with a special meal and giving thanks to God for the blessings of the…
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The practice of saying “Amen” at the end of a prayer originated in ancient Jewish custom when most formal prayers or blessings were said by priests and the congregation would…
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Every year thousands of people come to the Western Wall and leave little notes, with prayers and special requests, tucked in the crevices of the ancient stones. What happens to…