Holidays

Purim is a joyous one-day holiday (begins the evening of Saturday, March 23, 2024) that celebrates Jewish survival. Customs include reading Megillat Esther, dressing up in costume, giving gifts of food, and giving to those in need.

Passover, the Festival of Freedom, begins tonight with the first seder.  Grandparents and families can enjoy a fun-filled and easy-to-follow Passover Discovery Kit available to download from the Jewish Grandparents Network website. This interactive guide is designed especially for grandparents and grandchildren (ages 3–8) to...

Shavuot commemorates the Israelites receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after leaving Egypt. An ancient pilgrimage holiday, Shavuot is also a celebration of the spring harvest. Traditional communities celebrate Shavuot for two days; liberal communities for one day.

Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday commemorating the official ending of slavery in the United States in 1865.

Independence Day (also called July 4) is a federal holiday commemorating the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a joyful and introspective occasion. It is the start of the High Holiday period — also known as the Days of Awe — ending with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.Among Rosh Hashanah traditions, we hear the sounding...

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar. We devote the day to introspection and repentance. Many people fast on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur ends with the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn).

The festive holiday of Sukkot is named for the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which, according to Jewish tradition, the Israelites dwelt during their forty years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.  Sukkot starts the evening of October 16 and...

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated together on one day by Reform Jews and over two days by traditional Jews. We celebrate the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The holiday begins the evening of October 23. Read more about Shemini...

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated together on one day (October 24) by Reform Jews and over two days (October 24–25) by traditional Jews. We celebrate the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The holiday begins the evening of October 24....