Jewish holidays

The Jewish holidays refer to the commemoration of one or more days observed by the Jewish people, both for religious and secular holidays, to commemorate an important event in Jewish history. Depending on their nature, these holidays can be called in Hebrew yom tov ('good day'; Yiddish: yontif) or jag (' feast'), as well as ta'anit ('fasting'). In general, the origins of the various Jewish holidays can be found in the Biblical mitzvot ('commandments'), in rabbinic injunctions, and in the history of the modern State of Israel.

High Holidays

The Yamim Noraim ("Terrible Days") are the high holidays:

• Rosh Hashana marks the beginning of the new Jewish year. It is the day when the Lord judges every person according to his facts, individually and without the need of intermediaries, to review his conduct and induce repentance and correction. The term "Rosh Hashana" (the beginning of the year) is rabbinical, as is the main themes of the commemoration: repentance, preparation for the day of the Divine Judgment and prayer for a fruitful year. The two-day festival falls on Tishrei Days 1 and 2 in the Jewish calendar.

• Yom Kipur is the Jewish commemoration of the Day of Atonement, forgiveness and repentance of heart or sincere repentance. It's ten days of repentance.

The three pilgrimage festivals

The three pilgrimage festivals are the Sheloshet Ha'regalim ("The Three Pilgrimages"):

• Sucot ("Feast of the huts, of the tents or of the tabernacles"), from 15 to 21 Tishrei.

Sukkot concludes with Shemini Atzeret ("The Eighth Day of the Assembly"; Tishrei 22) and Simchat Torah ("Rejoicing in the Torah"; 23 Tishrei). Shemini Atzeret is usually considered as an additional party to Sukkot, although in reality it is a totally different holiday, dedicated to the faithful manifesting his joy for sharing his life with the Lord; while the Simchat Torah would be a celebration with a much greater liturgical load, when the reading of the entire Torah scroll in the synagogues was concluded on that day, therefore having to start again from then on.

• Pésaj ("Pascua"), 15-22 Nisan.

In the 2010 Gregorian calendar, the beginning would correspond to the appearance of the first three stars seen at sunset on Monday, March 29.

• Shavuot ("Feast of Weeks"), 6 Siván.

Holidays that do not appear in the Torah

• Hanuka ("Fiesta de las Luminarias"), 25 from Kislev to 2 (or 3) from Tevet.
• Your Bishvat ("New Year of Trees"), Shevat's 15th.
• Purim ("Fiesta de las Suertes"), 14 Adar.
• Lag Ba'omer ("Thirtieth third day of the omer"), Iyar's 18th.
• Your Be'av ("Day of Love"), 15 Av.

Fasting days

• Tsom Guedaliá ("Guedaliá fast"), the 3rd of Tishrei.
• Tsom will roast betevet ("Tevet's 10th Fast"), Tevet's 10th.
• Ta'anit Ester ("Stear Fast"), the 13th of Adar.
• Tsom shiv'á asar betamuz ("A fast of the 17th of Tamuz"), the 17th of Tamuz.
• Tsom tish'á be'av ("Wait of 9 Av"), 9 Av.
• Ta'anit Bejor ("One of the Firstborn"), usually the 14th of Nisan.

Israeli/Jewish National Holidays and Commemoration Days

As a general rule, the Biblical Jewish holidays (Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, and Purim) are observed as holidays in Israel. Chanukah is a school holiday, but businesses remain open. On Tisha B'Av, restaurants and entertainment venues are closed. Other Jewish holidays listed above are observed in various ways and to varying degrees.

Between the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the aftermath of the Six-Day War, the Knesset, generally in consultation with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, established four national holidays, or days of commemoration:

• Yom Hashoáthe day of mourning for the victims of the Holocaust, the 27th Nisan.
• Yom HazikaronDay of mourning for the fallen in the wars, Iyar's 4th.
• Yom Ha'atzmautthe day of the independence of the State of Israel], the 5th of Iyar.
• Yom Yerushalayimthe day of the reunification of Jerusalem, the 28th of Iyar.

The status of these days as religious events is not uniform within the Jewish world. Non-Orthodox, Religious Zionist, and Modern Orthodox Jewish religious movements accept these days as religious and national in nature.

As a general rule, these four days are not accepted as religious observances by most Haredim Jews, including Hasidim. Some haredim oppose the existence of the State of Israel for religious reasons; others simply feel that there are insufficient grounds under Jewish law to justify the establishment of new religious holidays. For more details, see Haredim and Zionism.

The observance of these days in Jewish communities outside of Israel is often more muted than their observance in Israel. Events held in government and public places within Israel are often held in Jewish community settings (synagogues and community centers) abroad.

More recently, the Knesset established two additional holidays:

• Yom HaAliya: Day of Allah
• One day to commemorate the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands and Iran.

Finally, the Israeli government also recognizes various ethnic Jewish celebrations with the status of holidays.

Yom Hashoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day

A yellow candle from Yom Hashoa lit.

• Yom HaShoah: (natively) 27 of Nisan

Yom Hashoah (lit. "Holocaust Day") is a day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust. Its full name is Yom Hazikaron LaShoa v'LiGevura (lit. "Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day") (יום הזכרון לשואה ולגבורה) and reflects the desire to recognize the martyrs who died in active resistance to the Nazis alongside those who died as passive victims. Its date, Nisan 27, was chosen because it commemorates the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the best-known of the armed Jewish uprisings.

Public entertainment venues are closed across Israel in recognition of the day. The public observance of Yom HaShoah generally includes religious elements such as the recitation of Psalms, memorial prayers and kaddish, and the lighting of memorial candles. In Israel, the most notable celebrations are the state memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem and the sirens that mark a two-minute silence at 10:00 AM. m. Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox Jews generally participate in such public celebrations alongside secular Jews and Jews who adhere to more liberal religious movements. Outside of Israel, Jewish communities observe Yom HaShoa in addition to or instead of their countries' Holocaust Remembrance Days. Probably the most notable commemoration is the March of the Living, held at the Auschwitz-Birkenau site, to which Jews from all over the world attend.

Outside of orthodoxy, a liturgy for Yom HaShoa begins to develop. Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist prayer books include liturgical elements for Yom HaShoa, to be added to regular weekday prayers. Conservative Judaism has written a scroll, called Megilat HaShoa, destined to become a definitive liturgical reading for Yom Hashoa. The Orthodox world, including the segment that participates publicly on Yom HaShoa, has been reluctant to write a liturgy for the day, preferring to compose Kinnot (prayers of lamentation) to recite on Tisha B'Av.

To ensure that public Yom Hashoa ceremonies in Israel do not violate Shabbat prohibitions, the date of Yom HaShoa varies as follows:

• If the 27th of Nisan occurs on Friday, the observance of Yom Hashoa is ahead of the day before (Thursday, 26 of Nisan).
• If the 27th of Nisan occurs on Sunday, the observance of Yom Hashoa is delayed until the next day (Monday, 28 of Nisan).

Yom Hazikaron — Memorial Day

A Minute of Silence while the Mermaid in Tel Aviv, Yom Hazikaron 2007.

• Yom Hazikarón: (natively) 4 of Iyar

Yom Hazikaron (lit. "Remembrance Day") is a day of remembrance for those who died in Israel's wars. During the early years of Israel's independence, this remembrance was observed on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day). However, in 1951, the commemorative celebration was separated from the festive celebration of Independence Day and moved to its current date, the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut. Since 2000, the scope of the commemoration has been expanded to include civilians killed by acts of terrorism. Its full name is now יום הזכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה#34; the Battles of Israel and the Victims of Terror").

Public entertainment venues are closed across Israel in recognition of the day. Many schools, companies, and other institutions hold memorial services on this day, and it is customary to visit the graves of fallen soldiers and recite memorial prayers there. The main public celebrations are the evening opening ceremony at the Western Wall and the morning services of remembrance at military cemeteries across the country, each initiated by the sound of sirens. The public celebrations conclude with the service at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl which serves as a transition to Yom Ha'atzmaut.

Outside of Israel, Yom Hazikaron celebrations are often incorporated into Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations. Within Israel, Yom Hazikaron is always the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut, but that date is moved to prevent violation of Shabbat prohibitions during ceremonies on any day. See the next section for more details.

Yom Ha'atzmaut — Israel's Independence Day

The final round of the International Biblical Competition (here in 1985) is held in Yom Ha'atzmaut

Yom Yerushalayim Celebrations.

• Yom Ha'atzmaut: (natively) 5 Iyar

Yom Ha'atzmaut (יום העצמאות) is the Day of Israeli independence. Observance of this day by Jews inside and outside Israel is widespread, and varies in tone from secular (military parades and barbecues) to religious (Hallel recitation and new liturgies).

Although Israel's independence was declared on a Friday, the Chief Rabbinate has long been aware of the possibility that Yom Ha'atzmaut (and Yom Hazikaron) celebrations lead to violation of Shabbat prohibitions. To avoid such violations, the dates of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut vary as follows:

• If 4-5 Iyar occurs on a Sunday-Monday, the celebrations are delayed on Monday-Marchs, 5-6 Iyar.
• If 4-5 Iyar occurs from Tuesday to Wednesday, the celebrations do not move.
• If 4-5 of Iyar occur on a Thursday-Friday, the celebrations take place on Wednesday-Thursday, 3-4 of Iyar.
• If 4-5 of Iyar occur on a Friday-Shabat, the celebrations take place on Wednesday-Thursday, 2-3 of Iyar.

Almost all non-JJaredi Jewish religious communities have made changes or improvements to the liturgy in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut and have suspended the mourning practices of the Sefirat Ha&#39 period.;Omer. (See Yom Ha'atzmaut — Religious Customs for details.) Within modern Zionist and Orthodox religious communities, these changes are not without controversy, and customs continue to evolve.

Jaredi religious observance of Yom Ha'atzmaut varies widely. Some Jaredim (especially Sephardic Haredim) celebrate the day in a manner reasonably similar to the way non-haredim do. charedim simply treat the day with indifference; that is, like a normal day. And finally, others (particularly Satmar Ḥasidim and Neturei Karta) mourn that day because of their opposition to the creation of the State of Israel.

Yom Yerushalayim — Jerusalem Day

• Yom Yerushalayim: 28 Iyar

Jerusalem Day (יום ירושלים) marks the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 under Israeli control during the War of the Six days. This marked the first time in 19 years that the Temple Mount was accessible to Jews, and the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple 1897 years earlier when the Temple Mount came under Jewish political control.

As with Yom Ha'atzmaut, Yom Yerushalayim celebrations range from entirely secular (including treks to Jerusalem and a grand parade through downtown Jerusalem) to religious (recitation of Hallel and new liturgies). Although the Haredim do not participate in the liturgical changes, they are somewhat more likely to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim than the other modern Israeli holidays due to the importance of the liberation of the Western Wall and the Old City of Jerusalem.

Outside of Israel, the observance of Yom Yerushalayim is widespread, especially in Orthodox circles. It has not gained as widespread acceptance as Yom Ha'atzmaut, especially among more politically liberal Jews, due to ongoing conflicts over the future of the city.

Yom Yerushalayim has not traditionally moved to prevent Shabbat desecration, although in 2012 the Chief Rabbinate began some efforts in that direction.

Yom Ha'aliyah — Aliyah Day

• Yom HaAliya: 10 of Nisan

Aliya Day (יום העלייה) is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of Nisan. The day was established to recognize Aliya, immigration to the Jewish state, as a core value of the State of Israel, and to honor the ongoing contributions of Olim (immigrants) to Israeli society.

Immigration to Israel is a recognized religious value of Judaism, sometimes referred to as the Gathering of Israel. The date chosen for Yom Ha'aliya, Nisan 10, has religious significance: it is the day when Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River at Gilgal into the Promised Land. Thus was the first "Mass Aliya" documented. The alternate date observed in the school system, Cheshvan 7, falls during the week of the part of the Torah in which Elohim instructs Abraham to leave his home and family and go up to the Land of Israel.

At present, the observance of this day appears to be secular in nature.

Day to commemorate the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands and Iran

• Day to commemorate the departure and expulsion of Jews from the Arab countries and Iran: November 30 (in the Gregorian calendar).

The Knesset established this observance in 2014. The purpose of this celebration is to recognize the collective trauma of Mizrahim Jews during the period around the establishment of the State of Israel. Many Mizrahim Jews felt that their own suffering was being ignored, much in comparison to the suffering of European Jews during the Holocaust. The Gregorian calendar date chosen is the day after the adoption of the United Nations Partition Plan, as that date marked the beginning of concentrated pressure and hostility against the community.

Ethnic festivals

The Israeli government officially recognizes three traditional holidays for ethnic Jewish communities in Israel. These days are also observed by their respective communities outside of Israel.

• Mimuna began as a feast among the Moroccan Jews, while there are also similar celebrations between the Turkish Jews and the Persian Jews. These festivals are observed on Pesach's later day, when regular food consumption ("jametz") is resumed. In Israel, the observance of Mimuna has spread widely in recent years; it has been estimated that up to two million Jews living in Israel now participate in the celebrations of Mimuna.

In the night Pesaj concludes, the celebration focuses on visiting the houses of friends and neighbors, Jews and non-Jews. A variety of traditional meals are served and symbols that represent good luck and prosperity are displayed prominently. The next day, the barbecues and picnics are among the most widespread activities of the celebration.

• The Seharane was celebrated by the Kurdish Jews as a natural festival of several days beginning the day after Pesach. Communities came out of their villages and camped for several days, celebrating eating and drinking, nature walks, singing and dancing.

Their observance was interrupted after the relocation of this community in Israel in the 1950s. In recent years it has been reactivated. But because of the widespread celebration of Mimuna in Israel, the celebration of the Seharane moved to Jol HaMoed Sucot.

• The Sigd began among the Beta Israel (Ethiopian) community as a variation in the observance of Yom Kipur. Currently this community now observes it in addition to Yom Kipur; its date is Heshvan 29, 49 days after Yom Kipur. Share some features of Yom Kipur, Shavuot and other festivities.

The Sigd follows the model of a fasting ceremony, study and prayer described in Nehemiah 8, when the Jews again dedicated themselves to religious observance when they returned to Israel after exile in Babylon. In Ethiopia, the community met on the top of a mountain and prayed for the return to Jerusalem. The modern Sigd focuses on a walk overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem. The observance of the day ends with a fast of celebration.

Explanatory notes