The Jewish Calendar

1. The Jewish Calendar

4. Nisan • Pesach • Yom HaShoah

5. Pesach Date: Nisan 15-22 (falls in March or April of Gregorian calendar) Pesach is the festival of freedom. It commemorates Moses freeing the Israelites from their enslavement under the Pharaoh in Egypt. The festival lasts for eight days and during that time no 'leavened' food may be consumed. Jews who come from the Middle East, known as Sephardi Jews, will eat rice and pulses, but European Jews (known as Ashkenazi Jews) won't.

6. Pesach Actions: On the first two nights of Pesach, a service known as a Seder is held - here the story of the Passover and the Jewish exodus from Egypt is told, using a book called the Haggadah. At a Seder, it is customary for those attending to lean to their left to show that they are no longer bound by the restrictions of slavery imposed by the Pharaoh of Egypt and may sit however they please. Four cups of wine are also drunk during the service, and a celebratory meal is eaten.

7. Pesach Home ritual/symbol: Preparation - The process of cleaning the home of all chametz in preparation for Pesach is an enormous task taking several weeks! After the cleaning is completed, the morning before the seder, a formal search of the house for chametz is undertaken, and any remaining chametz is burned. The day before Pesach is the Fast of the Firstborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague. When Pesach occurs immediately after Shabbat... This complicates the process of preparing for Pesach, because many of the preparations normally undertaken on the day before Pesach cannot be performed on Shabbat. The Fast of the Firstborn, normally observed on the day before Pesach, is observed on Thursday instead. The search for chametz, normally performed on the night before Pesach, is performed on Thursday night.

8. Pesach Symbol: • Chametz – or the avoidance of it! This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the "puffiness" (arrogance, pride) from our souls.We may not eat chametz during Pesach; we may not even own it or feed it to pets or cattle. All chametz, including utensils used to cook chametz, must either be disposed of or sold to a non-Jew (they can be repurchased after the holiday). Pets’ diets must be changed for the holiday, or the pets must be sold to a non-Jew (like the food and utensils, the pets can be repurchased after the holiday ends). • Seder plate – the seder plate holds at least six of the ritual items that are talked about during the seder: the shankbone, karpas, chazeret, charoset, maror, and egg.

9. Pesach

10. Pesach The Seder Plate explained: • A roasted lamb shankbone (zeroah) commemorates the paschal (lamb) sacrifice made the night the ancient Hebrews fled Egypt. Some people say it symbolizes the outstretched arm of God (the Hebrew word zeroah can mean “arm”). Instead of a bone, a roasted beet can be used. This isn’t a new idea; the great Biblical and Talmudic commentator Rashi suggested it back in the eleventh century. • A roasted egg (baytsah) is a symbol in many different cultures, usually signifying springtime and renewal. Here it stands in place of one of the sacrificial offerings which was performed in the days of the Second Temple. Another popular interpretation is that the egg is like the Jewish people: the hotter you make it for them, the tougher they get. This egg isn’t eaten during the meal; the shell just needs to look really roasted. • A bitter herb (maror) – horseradish is the most common. Bitter herbs bring tears to the eyes and recall the bitterness of slavery. The seder refers to the slavery in Egypt, but people are called to look at their own bitter enslavements, whether addiction or habit. • Charoset, which is the opposite of themaror. Charosetisa sweet mix of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon which represents the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks.

11. Pesach The Seder Plate explained: • Karpas – a green vegetable, usually parsley (though any spring green will do). While karpas may symbolise the freshness of spring, others say people eat it to make them feel like nobility or aristocracy. Some families still use boiled potatoes for karpas, continuing a tradition from Eastern Europe where it was difficult to obtain fresh green vegetables. • Chazeret – a second bitter herb, most often romaine lettuce, but people also use the leafy greens of a horseradish or carrot plant. The symbolism is the same as that of maror. • Salt water – this symbolizes the tears and sweat of enslavement. Paradoxically, it’s also a symbol for purity, springtime, and the sea – the mother of all life. Often a single bowl of salt water sits on the table into which each person dips their karpas during the seder. Then, it’s traditional to begin the actual seder meal with each person eating a hardboiled egg (not the roasted egg!) dipped in the bowl of salt water. • Matzah – perhaps the most important symbol on the seder table is a plate that has a stack of three pieces of matzah (unleavened bread) on it, covered with a cloth. There are numerous interpretations for the three matzot. Some say they represent the Kohen class (the Jewish priests in ancient times), the Levis (who supported the priests), and the Israelites (the rest of the Jews). What symbolism you attribute to this trinity isn't all that important, as long as you’re thinking about it. • An orange – the orange is a recent addition to the seder plate and not one that is used in every Jewish home. It is a symbol that represents including women and homosexuals in Jewish tradition as both groups have often been marginalised.

12. Pesach Other symbols at Pesach: During the struggles of Soviet Jewry, a fourth piece of matzah was added to the seder plate to symbolize the struggles of Jews who were not yet free enough to celebrate the Passover. Today, some families still use that fourth matzah as a way of remembering all people who are not yet free to celebrate as they wish. Wine cups and wine (or grape juice): Everyone at the seder has a (usually very small) cup or glass from which they drink four cups of wine. Traditionally, the four cups represent the four biblical promises of redemption: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people . . .” Others say the four cups represent the four letters in the unspeakable Name of God.

13. Pesach Colour: Although there is no traditional colour, some consider the colour of Pesach to be brown. This is indicated by the roasted meat, the matzah, and the barley and wheat whose harvests are beginning. Brown is the colour of the desert and of Israel's parched summer landscape. The brown of Pesach is contrasted with the green of Sukkot six months later.

14. Yom HaShoah Date: Nisan 27 (falls in April or May of Gregorian calendar) A day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who were killed in the Shoah (Holocaust). In Israel, it is a national memorial day. It was inaugurated in 1953. Yom HaShoahis held on the 27th of Nisan, unless the 27th would be adjacent to Shabbat, in which case the date is shifted back or forward by a day.

15. Yom HaShoah Actions: Conservative and Reform communities have incorporated Yom HaShoah liturgies into their siddurim (prayerbooks). These liturgies typically include the lighting of a candle (often each member of the congregation lights one), modern poems, El MaleiRahamim(which is a funeral prayer from the Ashkenazi tradition) and the Mourner's Kaddish. Orthodox Judaism has taken an interesting, alternative stance. Orthodox Jews (as a general rule) do not mourn for victims of the Shoah on 27 Nisan because Judaism has specific laws prohibiting fasting and mourning in the month of Nisan, which is considered to be a month of happiness. Another view, is that contemporary Jews do not have the power to institute new days of mourning or commemoration for future generations. Orthodox Jews instead remember the Shoah on 10 Tevet, which is a fasting day.

16. Yom HaShoah Symbol: Although there are no particular symbols associated with the actual day of Yom HaShoah, symbols of remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust are used year-round. These include transcriptions of lists of names of the victims and eternal flames, such as one that burns in the Hall of Remembrance (OhelYizkor) in YadVashem, Israel.

17. Iyar • Yom Ha’atzmaut • Lag Ba’Omer

18. Yom Ha’atzmaut Date: Generally 5 Iyar (falls in April or May of Gregorian calendar) Yom Ha’atzmautis the national day of Israel, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. The original ‘Western’ date was the 14th of May, 1948.

19. Yom Ha’atzmaut Actions: Conservative Judaism instituted the reading of a Torah portion for the day, Deuteronomy 7:12–8:18, as well as the inclusion of a version of Al Hanisim(a prayer for miracles, similar to those recited on Chanukah and Purim). Some Conservative synagogues also read the haftarah(reading from a prophet) of Isaiah 10:32–12:6, which is also read on the last day of Pesach in the Diaspora (the Jewish community outside of Israel). The Reform Movement usually includes Ya'alehV'yavo, a prayer which is also included on Rosh Chodesh (the New Month), ShaloshRegalim (the Pilgrimage Festivals), Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

20. Yom Ha’atzmaut Home ritual/symbol: There is not yet an accepted "tradition" of how to celebrate this holiday. Over time, no doubt, certain customs, foods, prayers, and melodies will be linked in the Jewish mind with Yom Ha'atzmaut. However, for Jews around the world, joining with Israelis celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut has become a concrete link in the Jewish connection to the land of Israel.

21. Yom Ha’atzmaut Symbol: Synagogues, Jewish schools or community centres will sometimes host an Israel fair or concert. The traditional food on Yom Ha'atzmaut is Israeli food, such as pitta, fallafel and hummus.

22. Yom Ha’atzmaut Colour: Blue and white – like the Israeli flag. In Israel, flags are hung from every available window and lamp-post.

23. Lag Ba’Omer Date: 18 Iyar (falls in April or May of Gregorian calendar) Lag Ba'Omer is a joyous holiday but no one is quite sure exactly what it celebrates! Some suggest that Lag Ba'Omer is connected to Rabbi Akiva's support of Simon Bar Kokhba, a Jewish rebel leader against Rome. The Romans responded to Bar Kokhba's revolt with incredible brutality, but perhaps Lag Ba'Omer was a day when either the Jews won a victory or there was a brief respite from the violence. (Ultimately, Bar Kokbha's rebellion failed.) The Talmud also mentions a plague that is thought to have killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students during this time, and some have suggested that Lag Ba'Omer is celebratory because the plague abated on the 33rd day. It also celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar.

24. Lag Ba’Omer Actions: Although the Counting of the Omer (the days between Pesach and Shavuot) is a semi-mourning period, this is lifted for Lag Ba’Omer. Tachanun, the prayer for special Divine mercy on one's behalf is not said, because when God is showing one a "smiling face," so to speak, as God does especially on the holidays, there is no need to ask for special mercy. Some synagogue schools have turned Lag B'Omer into a day for honouring their religious school teachers. Special assemblies and parties are held, and awards are often given to the teachers.

25. Lag Ba’Omer Home ritual/symbol: Because all restrictions of mourning are lifted on Lag Ba’Omer, weddings, parties, listening to music, and haircuts are commonly scheduled to coincide with this day. Families go on picnics and outings. Children go out to the fields with their teachers with bows and rubber-tipped arrows. People also often gather for large bonfires.

26. Lag Ba’Omer Symbol: Bonfires - On Lag Ba’Omer, people often gather for large bonfires. The fires represent the light of the Torah. Bow and arrows – Two differing theories! 1) The legend that rainbows did not appear during the lifetime of Shimon Bar Yochai because he was such a good person. The word for "bow" in Hebrew is the same as the word for "rainbow," therefore children play with bows and arrows to remember Bar Yochai. 2) That the students of Rabbi Akiba deceived the Romans by carrying bows and arrows to pretend that they were hunting, when in fact they were studying Torah, which the Romans had forbidden.

27. Sivan • Shavuot

28. Shavuot Date: 6 Sivan (falls in May or June of Gregorian calendar) Shavuot is a harvest festival which also marks the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Book of Ruth is recited as part of the program of study for Shavuot night. Additionally, in many synagogues it is read publicly on the second day of Shavuot.

29. Shavuot Actions: At synagogue services on Shavuot morning, the biblical book of Ruth is read. On the night of Shavuot, it is customary to study all night in TikkunLeil Shavuot, which means “an act of self-perfection on the night of Shavuot”.

30. Shavuot Actions: Why Ruth? Ruth was a non-Jewish woman whose love for God and Torah led her to convert to Judaism. The Torah intimates that the souls of eventual converts were also present at Sinai, as it says: “I am making [the covenant] both with those here today before the Lord our God, and also with those not here today.” (Deut. 29:13) Ruth also became the ancestor of King David. Tradition tells that King David was born on Shavuot and died on Shavuot. Finally, the scenes of harvesting described in the book of Ruth are appropriate to the Festival of Harvest.

31. Shavuot Home ritual/symbol: • Eating dairy foods (often cheesecake) on Shavuot. There are four potential reasons for this: • The Biblical book Song of Songs (4:11) refers to the sweet nourishing value of Torah by saying: "It drips from your lips, like honey and milk under your tongue." • The verse in Exodus 23:19 juxtaposes the holiday of Shavuot with the prohibition of mixing milk and meat. On Shavuot, we therefore eat separate meals – one of milk and one of meat. • Upon receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jews immediately became obligated in the laws of Sh'chita – slaughter of animals. Since they did not have time to prepare kosher meat, they ate dairy instead. • The numerical value of milk – chalav – is 40. This hints to the 40 days that Moses spent atop Mount Sinai, and the 40 years the Jews spent wandering the desert. • Pilgrimage to the Western Wall in Israel. Following the Six Day War in 1967, the Western Wall first became open to visitors on the day of Shavuot. Over 200,000 visitors travelled there on foot. This has become a recurring tradition. Biblically, this tradition also has precedence. Shavuot is one of Judaism's three main pilgrimage festivals, where the entire nation would gather in Jerusalem for celebration and study.

32. Shavuot Symbol: It is customary to decorate the synagogue with branches and flowers. This is because Mount Sinai blossomed with flowers on the day the Torah was given.

33. Tamuz No holidays!

34. Av • TishahBe’Av

35. TishaB’Av Date: Generally 9 Av (falls in July or August of Gregorian calendar) The 9th of Av, Tishab'Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes in Jewish history. Tradition holds that this day must therefore be a day specially cursed by God. TishaB'Av is never observed on Shabbat. If the 9th of Av falls on a Saturday, the fast is postponed until the 10th of Av.

36. TishaB’Av History: • In the year 1313 BCE, the Israelites are in the desert, recently having experienced the miraculous Exodus, and are now poised to enter the Promised Land. That night, the 9th of Av, the people cry out of worry that they will be slaughered by the Canaanites. God, displeased by this public demonstration of distrust in God’s power, keeps that generation of Israelites from entering the Holy Land. Only their children have that privilege, after wandering in the desert for another 38 years. • The First Temple was also destroyed on the 9th of Av (423 BCE). • Five centuries later (in 69 CE), the Second Temple was destroyed the same day as the first.

37. TishaB’Av History: • When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule in 133 CE, the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar on the 9th of Av. • One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, the nation's holiest site. • The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 CE on TishaB'Av. • In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered that the Jews be banished from the land. The Hebrew date on which no Jew was allowed any longer to remain in the land was the 9th of Av.

38. TishaB’Av History: • World War II and the Holocaust is often considered by historians to be the conclusion of World War I that began in 1914. Germany declared war on Russia, setting the First World War into motion, on the 9th of Av. • During the Shoah, the first trains to go east to Auschwitz in 1942 did so on the eve of Tishab’Av.

39. TishaB’Av Actions: Lights in the synagogue are dimmed, candles are lit, and the curtain is removed from the Ark. The cantor leads the prayers in a low, mournful voice. The Book of Eicha (Lamentations) is read both at night and during the day. In the morning, the Torah portion of Deuteronomy 4:25-40 is read, containing the prophecy regarding Israel's future iniquity and exile. This is followed by the Haftorah(reading from the Prophets) from Jeremiah (8:13, 9:1-23) describing the desolation of Zion. In the afternoon, Exodus 32:11-14 is read. This is followed by the Haftorah from Isaiah 55-56. Since Tallis and Tefillin represent glory and decoration, they are not worn at Shacharit. Rather, they are worn at Mincha, after certain mourning restrictions are lifted. Prayers for comforting Zion are recited. TishaB’Av is a fasting day.

40. TishaB’Av Home ritual/symbol: During the afternoon prior to TishaB'Av, it is customary to eat a full meal in preparation for the fast. At the end of the afternoon, Jews eat the SeudahHamaf-seket– a meal consisting only of bread, water, and a hard-boiled egg. The restrictions on TishaB'Av are similar to those on Yom Kippur: to refrain from eating and drinking (even water); washing, bathing, shaving or wearing cosmetics; wearing leather shoes; engaging in sexual relations; and studying Torah. Work in the ordinary sense of the word [rather than the Shabbat sense] is also restricted. Many of the traditional mourning practices are observed: people refrain from smiles, laughter and idle conversation, and sit on low stools.

41. TishaB’Av Symbol: The egg in the SeudahHamaf-seketmealhas two symbols: The round shape reminds us of a sign of the cycle of life. Also, the egg is the only food which gets harder the more it is cooked – a symbol of the Jewish people's ability to withstand persecution. Food eaten at the SeudahHamaf-seket(the meal above) is dipped in ashes, symbolic of mourning. The meal should preferably be eaten alone, while seated on the ground in mourner's fashion.

42. TishaB’Av Colour: The ark (the special cabinet where the Torah is kept) is draped in black.

43. Elul No holidays!

44. Tishri • Rosh Hashanah • Yom Kippur • Sukkot • Simchat Torah

45. Rosh Hashanah Date: 1 Tishri (usually falls in September of Gregorian calendar) Rosh Hashanah is commonly referred to as the Jewish New Year. On Rosh Hashanah, God writes the fate of each person for the coming year into the “book of life”. God waits until Yom Kippur (10 days later) to ‘seal’ this fate.

46. Rosh Hashanah Actions: On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Genesis 21 is read – Isaac’s birth and his growth to manhood; Abraham’s banishment of Ishmael; and Abraham’s peace treaty with Abimelech. This portion is chosen for Rosh Hashanah because Isaac was born on Rosh Hashanah. The Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) on the first day of Rosh Hashanah is from the first part of the Book of Samuel. Genesis (22: 1-24) is read on the second day. It deals mainly with the binding of Isaac. Abraham obeys the voice of God and offers Isaac as a sacrifice; Isaac willingly complies. The second day’s Haftarah is from the Book of Jeremiah. Prayers at Rosh Hashanah are read from a special prayerbook called a Machzor. Hallel(joyful psalms of praise to God) are not said on Rosh Hashanah - it is felt inappropriate to say Hallel during the Days of Awe when we are very conscious that God is sitting in judgment over us.

47. Rosh Hashanah Home ritual/symbol: • Eating sweet foods! It is customary to eat apples dipped in honey. The apples remind Jews of the ‘roundness’ of the year and the hope that the coming year will be fruitful. The honey represents the wish for a sweet year. Sweet carrots, cooked with sugar, raisins or prunes are served with the Rosh Hashanah meal, again in the hope of a sweet year. • Eating pomegranate – a pomegranate is said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds with the number of mitzvot (commandments or good deeds) in the Torah. Eating pomegranate on Rosh Hashanah shows a hope that we will perform all the mitzvot of the Torah during the coming year. • Sending Rosh Hashanah cards to wish others a happy and sweet new year. A common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is: “L’shanahtovahtikateivu” – “May you be inscribed (in The Book of Life) for a good year”.

48. Rosh Hashanah Symbol: The shofar is the most important symbol of Rosh Hashanah. It is a horn or trumpet made from the horn of a kosher animal (but not from a cow – that would be associated with the sin of the Golden Calf). The shofar is sounded on both days of Rosh Hashanah, a minimum of 30 times (but commonly 100 times or 101 times). The Shofar is blown using four different calls: • Tekiah– one long sound • Shevarim– three shorter blasts • Teruah– nine fast toots • TekiahGedolah – a sustained blast, if possible 27 beats long The Shofar is NOT sounded if it is also Shabbat.

49. Rosh Hashanah Colour: On Rosh Hashanah, many Jews wear white as a symbol of purity. The curtain across the ark and the Torah covers are also white. They show that mistakes will be “whitened like snow”.

50. Yom Kippur Date: 10 Tishri (falls in September or October of Gregorian calendar) Yom Kippur (also known as the  ‘Day of Atonement’) marks the end of the Ten Days of Repentance. These days begin with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. On Rosh Hashanah, God writes the fate of each person for the coming year into the “book of life”. God waits until Yom Kippur to ‘seal’ the fate. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar – it is considered ‘Shabbat Shabbaton’ – the Sabbath of Sabbaths (Leviticus 23:32). Scripture link: "For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G-d" (Leviticus 16:30).