Jewish life is full of many traditions and celebrations.
- Shabbat
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Sukkot
- Shemini Atzeret
- Simchat Torah
- Chanukah
- Purim
- Passover
- Yom Hashoah
- Yom Ha'atzmaut
- Lag B'omer
- Tu Bishevat
- Shavuot
Shabbat
Peace, rest and relaxation characterize Shabbat, the seventh day of each week. In the Jewish tradition no work is allowed on this day and all regular activities come to a halt, providing a complete change-of-pace. One enjoys calmness and harmony rather than the tension and trouble of regular working days.
Shabbat begins on Friday afternoon as the sun sets and ends when the first stars shine on Saturday night. In many rituals Shabbat is regarded as a Queen that comes to dwell with the family for one day and, indeed, Shabbat is welcomed like royalty. The preparations start well in advance, with the house being cleaned and shopping and cooking planned to be completed before sunset. The table is nicely set and the family dresses with particular care for the occasion. The atmosphere in the Jewish traditional home is at once festive and serene.
The lady of the house greets Shabbat first by lighting candles. The father recites the Kiddush (wine benediction) and Hamotzi (bread benediction), then cuts the Shabbat Challah, and a full dinner is served. Following dinner, everyone joins in singing special songs that express the desire for peace that Shabbat, the Queen, inspires.
Traditional Shabbat foods have a very distinct personality: meals differ from those on week days in their lavishness and by the leisurely manner in which they are enjoyed. The dishes are prepared with special care and no expense or effort seems too big, as befits a very important occasion.
Rosh Hashanah
The Hebrew word Rosh means "head" or "beginning"; Hashanah means "the year". Together they say "Beginning of the New Year".
Rosh Hashanah is a one or two day observance in various traditions. At this time, the Jewish people listen to the Shofar (ram's horn), and wish friends Shanah Tovah (have a good year); a year of health, better understanding among people and, above all, peace in the world.
The Jewish New Year is the Holy Day marking the beginning of the Ten Days of Penitence which conclude on Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn of Holy Days. Yom Kippur is the day when the Jewish people strive to reaffirm their faith, so it may be a guiding force in daily life.
While the greetings exchanged on Rosh Hashanah express general wishes for a Happy New Year, those for Yom Kippur are more specific. During this holiday the wish is "may you be sealed in the book for a good life".
The day is devoted to fasting and prayer. Fasting is undertaken as a way of focusing oneself on the spiritual rather than the physical. At sunset, the day of fasting and prayer ends with the sounding of the shofar, (ram's horn) and a traditional "break the fast" meal is celebrated with family and friends.
Sukkot
Sukkot coincides with the end of the fruit harvest period. In ancient Israel, farmers went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem during this holiday to bring gifts of their crops to the Temple.
Through the centuries, Jews far from the Promised Land, have celebrated Sukkot to mark the happy harvest and thanksgiving days of their forefathers.
Literally, Sukkot means "booths". The holiday commemorates the journey from slavery in ancient Egypt to freedom in the Land of Israel that was made some four-thousand years ago by the Jewish ancestors. They wandered in the desert for forty years, living in temporary booths, and for generations it has been the custom to build a Sukkah "booth" outside the house, in the yard or on a balcony. The Sukkah is big enough so that the family may eat its meals and sleep in the Sukkah during the seven days of the holiday.
Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret, The Eighth Day of Assembly, is the Holy Day marking the conclusion of the Sukkot period.
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah means rejoicing of the Torah (Five books of Moses) and indicates the joyous spirit of this holiday. On Simchat Torah a full year of reading through the books of the Torah in the Synagogue comes to an end and a new one begins.
Most of the festivity occurs in the Synagogue. The scrolls of Torah are taken from the Ark and carried through the Congregation while participants sing and dance with them.
Chanukah
Chanukah is an eight-day holiday celebrated by candle lighting, eating latkes (potato pancakes), singing and having fun. Chanukah refers to the ceremony of sanctifying the Temple in ancient Jerusalem. At that time, the huge armies of the Greek Empire were defeated by Yehudah Ha-macabee and a small band of supporters. The Greeks were driven out of Jerusalem and the Temple was then cleansed of all foreign elements. The Menorah (candelabra) in the Temple was rekindled with pure oil. According to tradition, only a very small jug of oil, enough for one day, could be found, yet it lasted for eight days, which was considered a miracle. Thus, Chanukah is celebrated for eight days.
Purim
As with most Jewish holidays, Purim has ancient roots. It is a celebration commemorating events that occurred some twenty-four centuries ago when the Jews lived in Persia. The Persian king, Ahasuerus, had been convinced by his devious advisor Haman to eliminate all of the Jews in his kingdom.
Esther, a Jewish woman who had been chosen as the king's wife, learned of the plot from her wise uncle Mordecai. She petitioned the King on behalf of her people. She succeeded in persuading Ahasuerus to reverse his decision, thus saving the Jews from total disaster. This happy end came on Purim, the day the Jews were scheduled for extinction.
The entire story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther which is read on this holiday. This book of the Bible is inscribed on a long narrow scroll, called a Megilah. During the reading of the Megilah, children dressed in costumes and masks, shake the noisemaker (Ra'ashan) every time the name of Haman is mentioned.
Passover
Pesach is celebrated in the spring. The holiday commemorates the Jewish escape from slavery in ancient Egypt to freedom in the Land of Israel. The Exodus occurred when the Israelites escaped the tyranny of the Pharaohs under the leadership of Moses.
During Pesach, bread and all other leaven products are not allowed. This custom is directly related to the Exodus. In the rush to leave Egypt there was no time for the bread to rise so a mixture of flour and water was baked. This created a new kind of bread, Matzah. This special thin, crisp cake, is eaten throughout the holiday instead of bread.
Springtime and nature's rebirth reinforce the main theme of Pesach; liberation from oppression and a return to a life of dignity. The origins of the holiday may be ancient, but the season and spirit of the holiday have never grown old. Both evoke cheerful feelings of renewal and optimism, thereby making Pesach a very special, very beautiful milestone on the Jewish calendar.
The Seder, which is the ritual meal held the first two nights of the holiday, marks the beginning of Pesach. Seder means "order" in Hebrew, and indeed the Seder proceeds in order according to details fixed by law and custom.
A special prayer book, the Haggadah, is read during the evening. The Haggadah contains instructions for carrying out the Seder, for benedictions to be said, for songs to be sung, for questions to be asked by youngsters, and for answers to be shared with the children by the adults.
Yom Hashoah
Yom Hashoah is dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut is celebrated the week following Yom Hashoah.
Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, was the realization of the dream for the Jewish people to return to their homeland, Israel, and live there as a free people. The Jewish state was established in May 1948.
Jews have always maintained close emotional ties with their homeland from which they were expelled by the Roman Legions. While wandering all over the world they yearned for their own land, expressing their longings through daily prayers and holiday celebrations.
After Israel achieved statehood, Jews from more than seventy countries settled in Israel to take part in the unique experience of rebuilding their own country.
Lag B'omer
Lag Ba'omer is a one-day holiday commemorating the bravery of Jewish soldiers and students. Its roots may be traced back in ancient Israel about eighteen centuries, to the time when a small army led by Bar Kochba dared to revolt against the legions of the Roman Empire. They sought to regain freedom and independence and were willing to sacrifice everything to achieve it. Bar Kochba (the son of a star, in Hebrew) was assisted by Rabbi Akiba, a great scholar of the time. The Rabbi's support was more than moral: he and his many students participated actively in the revolt, fighting side-by-side with the soldiers for their right to live in accordance with Jewish culture and heritage.
The holiday is celebrated as an outdoors day. In Israel, schools close and children join their teachers in parks and fields for sports, games and races. Some children arm themselves with primitive bows and arrows and have great fun. The Israeli army conducts sharp-shooting competitions and Israeli students have chosen Lag Ba'omer as the national students' day. With nightfall, big bonfires and small campfires are lit; youngsters and adults gather around them to dance and sing late into the night.
The bonfires on Lag Ba'omer mark the beginning of the outdoor cooking season. Cookouts can be spontaneous, or planned meticulously, but they have one thing in common: an easy-going informality. Rigid laws of etiquette disappear, along with ties and jackets; guests and hosts relax and enjoy themselves.
Tu Bishevat
Tu Bishevat salutes nature and is known as the New Year for Trees. It is celebrated for one day only and its name literally means The Fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which is also its date. This holiday marks the begining of spring in Israel. After the barren winter nature awakens: trees bud, the sun shines, birds sing; Meadows, orchards and vineyards begin to blossom. Mother Nature starts a new cycle, a new year and Tu Bishevat says 'Happy Birthday' to her.
The love and concern for nature, particularly trees, is expressed by planting saplings on Tu Bishevat. Adults and youngsters go to parks, fields and young forests to plant them with their own hands. For Jewish people who lived through many generations far away from their country Tu Bishevat has always been a reminder that once they had a land of their own and observing the customs was a symbol of hope that they would come back and live on their own soil once again.
Foods of the holiday are related to nature and trees as well. During Tu Bishevat it is traditional to serve fruits. Since few are available fresh at this time of year dried varieties are most often used: raisins, dates, carobs, prunes, nuts, dried figs and apricots, to name a few. The Tu Bishevat dried fruits are sometimes called Hamishah Asar (fifteen, in Hebrew), referring to the date of the holiday.
Shavuot
Literally, Shavuot means "Weeks", and denotes that this holiday is celebrated seven weeks after Pesach. It is a two-fold holiday that brings together culture and agriculture.
According to tradition, the Ten Commandments and the Torah were given to Moses on Mount Sinai, on Shavuot. This puts Shavuot in the first rank among Jewish holidays, since the Torah contains the essence of Jewish law, principles and history.
Shavuot is also an agricultural holiday celebrated in ancient Israel. The seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot was the grain harvesting season.
With the advent of Shavuot came the beginning of the early fruit harvesting. In those days, people would go to the Temple in Jerusalem for three pilgramages each year. They would bring offerings of new fruits from their orchards, vineyards and fields. These gifts were a selection of the "Seven Kinds" for which the Land of Israel is famed: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil, honey, wheat and barley.