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Jewish Festivals, Rituals, Practices

Jewish Festivals, Rituals, Practices. Jewish Festivals. Nature is the key (not clocks and calendars) days begin at nightfall lunar month: 29 1/2 days solar year (365 1/4 days) festivals follow seasons. Jewish Calendar. Name Month Length Gregorian of Month Number of Month Equivalent

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Jewish Festivals, Rituals, Practices

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  1. Jewish Festivals, Rituals, Practices

  2. Jewish Festivals • Nature is the key (not clocks and calendars) • days begin at nightfall • lunar month: • 29 1/2 days • solar year (365 1/4 days) • festivals follow seasons

  3. Jewish Calendar Name Month Length Gregorian of Month Number of Month Equivalent Nissan 1 30 days March-April Iyar 2 29 days April-May Sivan 3 30 days May-June Tammuz 4 29 days June-July Av 5 30 days July-August Elul 6 29 days August-September Tishrei 7 30 days September-October Cheshvan 8 29 or 30 days October-November Kislev 9 29 or 30 days November-December Tevet 10 29 days December-January Shevat 11 30 days January-February Adar 12 29 or 30 days February-March Adar II 13 29 days March-April

  4. Jewish Festivals • Nature is the key (not clocks and calendars) • days begin at nightfall • lunar month: • 29 1/2 days • solar year (365 1/4 days) • festivals follow seasons • Sabbath (and New Moon) • Pilgrim Festivals • “Days of Awe” • Fast Days

  5. Pilgrim Festivals Source: Norman Solomon, Judaism.

  6. “Days of Awe” • Rosh Hoshana (New Year)-- September 9-10, 2010/5771 • New Year’s Eve: food symbolizing sweetness (e.g., bread dipped in honey); pray: “May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.” • Morning Service: four to six hours; focus on God as creator, king and judge; sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) periodically. • Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)—September 18, 2010/5771 • high attendance (strong cultural celebration) • various forms of fasting and restraint are practiced • emphasizes Teshuva (repentance) • Kol Nidrei (opens synagogue service Yom Kippur eve) • Ne’ilah (“closing of the gates”); chanting “Avinu Malkenu” (“Our Father, Our King”)

  7. Other Festivals • Chanukah (rededication of Temple by Hasmoneans in 165 BCE, [also the miracle of the oil, and thus victory of light over darkness]) • Purim (rescue of Jews from extermination under Ahasuerus, Esther, carnival atmosphere, distributing alms to the needy, merriment) • The New Year for Trees (mentioned in the Talmud but only popular after the “return to the land,” school holiday in Israel, tree planting) • Yom Ha-Atzma (Israel Independence Day, somewhat controversial)

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