JEWISH FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS LunarSolar Calendar Adjustments 3

JEWISH FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

Lunar/Solar Calendar Adjustments

3 Types of Holidays/Festivals • High Holy Days • Pilgrimage Festivals • Minor Festivals • Feasts and Celebrations • Fast Days

SHABBAT The Holiest of Holy Days

Shabbat • Day of Rest • Occurs weekly, Friday sundown to Saturday sundown • Biblical Significance: Why the Holiest day? • Commanded in 10 Commandments • Exodus 20: 8 -11 • Deuteronomy 5: 12 • A day rooted in both Remembrance and Observance • Remembrance – celebrate the spiritual character • Observe through social action

Traditional Shabbat Observance • Friday Preparations • Lighting the Candles • Work Prohibitions • Friday Shabbat Meal • Friday Worship • Shabbat Day • End of Shabbat: Havdalah

HIGH HOLY DAYS/ DAYS OF AWE Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah: Description & Time of Year • Jewish New Year • Day of Remembrance, • Day of Judgment, • Day of the blowing of the Shofar (ram’s horn) • Preparations beginning in month of Elul • Begins with worship the evening before & lasts two days • 10 days of Repentence

Rosh Hashanah: Observance • L’Shanah Tova [Tikasevu] “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for the next year” • Teshuvah “return” • Tashlich: prayers said near body of running water, symbolically throw away sins of the year past • Selichoth – midnight service of prayers forgiveness • Special Foods: round Challah, honey, new fruits

Rosh Hashanah: Torah Readings Rosh Hashanah I: • Story of the Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21) • Story of the Birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 1) • Samuel’s training with the Priest Eli (1 Samuel 3) Rosh Hashanah II: • Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22)

Yom Kippur • Day of Atonement/Day of Forgiveness • 24 hour fast, engaging in teshuvah (‘return/repent’) • Evening service called Kol Nidre (All Vows)

Yom Kippur Day Observance • Full Day of Communal Worship • Kol Nidre, night Maariv service, morning Shacharith service, Torah reading, Musaf service, Mincha service, closing Neilah service. • Yom Kippur at the ancient temple: High priest entered the Holy of Holies • Torah Readings • Service ends with the Sh’ma/Shema • “Hear O’ Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One, the glory of God’s Kingdom is forever. ” From Deuteronomy 6: 4

PILGRIMAGE FESTIVALS Pesah, Shavuot, Sukkot & Simchat Torah

Pesach/Pesah • 7 day long festival • Springtime, renewal of nature/rebirth of community • Commemorate Israelites freedom from Slavery in Egypt • Biblical/Historical Significance in Passover • Exodus 12 • Festival of Unleavened Bread (matzah) • Symbolizes slavery and freedom • Under slavery little time to bake bread, matzah bread of affliction • Preparing to leave, no time to let bread rise, bread of freedom • Observance through Seder Meal

Seder Meal – in 1. 5 minutes

Shavuot • The Feast of Weeks • Biblical Significance: Celebrates the Giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20) • Agricultural Significance: Celebrates wonders of nature, spring harvest in progress • Observance • Temple: Farmers would offer their first fruits at the altar • Today: Synagogues decorated with flowers and greens • Reading from the book of Ruth • Story takes place at time of summer harvest • Story of a person’s decision to choose Judaism as way of life

Sukkot • Feast of Booths, celebrates Fall harvest • Huts used during the harvest & when the Israelites camped in the Wilderness • Commemorates God’s Protection thus future Redemption

Sukkot 101

Simchat Torah • The last day of Sukkot, means “Joy of Torah” • Annual cycle of Torah reading is completed and begun again. • Torah scrolls taken out of ark and carried in joyful procession • Young person reads the first verses of new cycle • “Bereshit…” • “In the beginning…”

MINOR FESTIVALS

Chanukkah/Hanukkah • Festival of Lights • 8 days • Biblical/Historical Significance • 160 B. C. E. : Maccabean Jewish revolt against Greek King • Miraculous oil for menorah lasts eight days • Observance • Light one candle per day to commemorate each day of the miracle • Dreidels • Latkes (oil based) • Gift giving

Tu Bishevat/Tu B’Shvat • Jewish Arbor Day • “New Year’s Day of Trees” • Agricultural Holiday: winter season ends in Israel • Observance: • Eat fruits from Israel • Plant trees

Purim • Joyous Holiday • Commemorates the story Of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people • Children shake rattles during reading of Esther, whenever Haman’s name is mentioned. • Re-enactment of the story • Gifts to the poor and to friends • Masquerade and spirit of Carnival • Excess drinking permitted

Tishah b’Av • 24 Fast day commemorating destruction of the two temples • Sit on low stools • Lights are dimmed • Recite Book of Lamentations • 1 st Temple Destroyed? • 586 B. C. E. • 2 nd Temple Destroyed? • 70 C. E.

MODERN DAYS OF COMMEMORATION

Yom Hashoah • Meaning “Day of Catastrophe” • Holocaust Memorial Day • Also Commemorates fighters in Israel’s war of liberation

Yom Ha’atzmaut • Independence Day for State of Israel • 5 th day of Iyar • May 15, 1948

Yom Yerushalayim • Jerusalem Day • Celebrates re- unification of Jerusalem and designation as Israel’s capital • Results from Six-Day War in 1967