Community Guide > Jewish Holidays

JEWISH HOLIDAYS

Shabbat

Celebrated Fridays at sundown to commemorate God's day of rest after seven days of creation. Click Here

Rosh Hashanah

The beginning of the Jewish calendar year, Rosh Hashanah is a festive celebration during which individuals contemplate past, present and future actions. Click Here

Yom Kippur

The holiest day of the Jewish year. Through fasting and prayer, Jews reflect upon their relationships, atoning for wrongdoings and failures. Click Here

Sukkot

Commemorates the fulfillment of God's promise to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. Click Here

Shemini Atzeret

Celebrated the day after Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret culminates the celebration of renewal and thanksgiving. Click Here

Simchat Torah

Celebrates the completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle. Click Here

Hanukkah

Also known as the "Festival of Lights", Chanukah is an eight-day holiday commemorating the Jewish victory over the Syrians and the rededication of the Temple. Click Here

Purim

A joyous holiday commemorating the rescue of the Jews by Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai from an evil man named Haman. Click Here

Passover

Celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. At the Seder, service and festive meal, the story of the Exodus is told, and symbolic foods are eaten. Click Here

Yom Hashoah

The day chosen by the Israeli Knesset, beginning in 1951, to mourn the millions killed in the Holocaust. Click Here

Yom Hazikaron

Day of remembrance for all who sacrificed themselves for the State of Israel. Click Here

Yom Ha'atzmaut

Israel's Independence Day celebrated with community-wide festivals. Click Here

Lag Ba'omer

A break in the weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. Traditionally it commemorates a halt in the plague that afflicted Rabbi Akiva's students in ancient Israel. Click Here