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…
Customs & Holidays
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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…