Holidays 101

10th of Tevet is typically during December where Jews fast to remember the day when the Babylonians first laid siege to Jerusalem. This began the long history disasters for the Jewish people

Tu B'Shvat is typically during January is a holiday that celebrates the New Year for the Trees. We celebrate of connection to the environment and we are thankful to the Land of Israel for the fruits it gave us.

Purim is typically celebrated in March. It is the holiday of joy. Jews get dressed up and be merry as we recognize the Jews of Persia as they escaped abolishment.

Passover is typically celebrated during the month of April. Jews celebrate this holiday for personal liberation and fulfillment. It is a time when the family gets together and enjoys time as a family.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is celebrated on the first of May. It honors the memory of six million by learning about their heroism during an inhumane time and remembers the impact of anti-Semitism. Interesting fact: in Israel on this day there is a siren that is sounded for six minutes long. During this time everyone puts down what their doing pulls over in their cars even on the hwy and stands silent for six whole minutes in honor of those who were killed.

Israel Memorial Day is celebrated in May. It is celebrated to memorialize Israel and its strong soldiers who give their lives to protect the Jewish people in the highest order.

Israel Independence Day is celebrated during the month of May. On this holiday we celebrate the historic return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel as a modern and historical miracle.

Yom Yerushalayim is celebrated during the month of June. This holiday celebrates the anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification of the Holy City and the significance of a Jewish nation.

Shavuot is celebrated during the month of June. This is the holiday that celebrates the day the Torah was given to its Jewish people on Mount Sinai.

Tisha B'Av and the 3 Weeks is celebrated during the month of July and August. This is the first major fasting holiday where we remember the day the Temple was destroyed twice.

The High Holidays is celebrated during the month of September or October. This two High Holiday are the most important holidays on the entire Jewish calendar. All around the world those Jews who are not extremely religious go to synagogue on these two days. Rosh Hashana celebrates the New Year. It is a day of sweetness and ripening. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement when the Jewish people atone for a month long.

Sukkot is celebrated during the month of October. This is the celebration of the harvest. This Holiday is the festival of Booths. We use the Lulav and Etrog as key symbols and we camp under the stars for seven days and remember the twelve tribes of Israel and Gods protection.

Posted by: JK

Western Wall

The Western Wall is the only surviving wall of the five Holy Temples of Jerusalem. They were destroyed by Titus in 68CE. The Western Wall is the center of main connection to God. When the temple stood it was in honor of God and a house for Torah. The Temple Mount is on Mount Moriah. The Mount is a very holy spot where Abraham bound Isaac as told in the Torah. This spot serves to many other religions today. During the holiday of Sukkot many Jews made sacrifices that were made at the steps of the temple. According to the Talmud if the Romans had not destroyed the Temples the Romans would have realized how much benefit they had from keeping the Temple Mount intact. The Western Wall is a symbol to and of the Jewish People. It remains eternal Jews believe as long as it does the people will too. Many Jews go to the wall to pray three times a day, those who can not be physically in Israel at the Western Wall have the synagogue structured so the congregation faces towards the Western Wall. This site is also important to the heroism demonstrated there. After the First and Second temple was destroyed during the Bar Kochba revolt many Jews strove hard to keep the remains of the temple in tact.



Western Wall Video

Posted by: JK

Biblical Period Time Line

1750 BCE Patriarchs Period:
Time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rivka, Leah and Rachel
1580 BCE Israelites in Egypt Period
1250 BCE Exodus- Mt. Sinai Period:
Time of Moses
1200 BCE Wanderings Period:
Ttime of Joshua
1100 BCE Judges Period:
Time of Deborah, Gideon, Samuel
1050- 928BCE Monarchy Period:
Time of Saul, David and King Soloman: Prophet Nathan
900-722BCE Divided Monarchy:
Israel: Jereboam, Omri, Ahab, Jerhoram, Jehu, Jehoash, Jereboam II
Judah: Reheboam, Asa, Jehosaphat, Joash, Amatziah, Uzziah, Ahaz
Prophets: Elijah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah
700-586BCE Israel Falls/ Destruction of Judah:
Time of Hoshea, Hezekiah, Menasseh, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah
536- 515BCE Exlie Period:
Time of Zerubabbel
Prophets: Ezekiel and Isaiah II
500- 450BCE Return to Zion Period
Time of Joshua (Kohan Gadol), Nehamiah and Ezra
Propehts: Haggai and Zechariah

Posted by: JK

Death

As with all Jewish traditons, specifics of the ceremony of death vary by community, though there are many aspects observed by almost all the Jewish community.

During what is thought to be the final hours of a persons life, the dying (or a Rabbi) will customarily recite a confession. Upon recieving news of the passing, a blessing is then offered to God, praising him as the true Judge.

The burial ritual is overseen by a Chevra Kadisha, which is a closely knit but loosely organized society of Jewish men and women who ensure the body is prepared according to Jewish law. It must be buried as soon as possible, as it is against protocol to embalm the body, though embalming will be done if required by civil law. The funeral is kept simple to reflect the idea that all people are equal in death, with simple linen clothes for the body and a wooden casket. The Kaddish, or 'Prayer of the Dead' is recited by the deceased's children, along with psalms, prayers and eulogies.

Following the burial is the Shiva, the seven days of mourning, where family and friends gather to comfort their bereaved, and expression of grief is encouraged. Every year therafter, on the anniversary of the death, the ceremony of Yahrtzeit is held. It is a single day of rememberance for the deceased, during which the Kaddish is recited (usually three times) and a ceremonial candle is burned.

by Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://torah.org/qanda/kbdmp.php?rootid=32

Marriage

Marriage customs vary widely from community to community, though several aspects do remain constant throughout. The union will traditionally take place underneath a chuppah, a cloth canopy that symbolizes the new couples' house. It is viewed as a central part of someones life, as a woman without a man is seen as incomplete, though the reverse is also true.

As far a the acutal rites of the marriage go, they are based heavily upon property transfer laws of antiquity. During the ceremony, the wife recieves an object of value (usually a ring) from the husband, referred to as the ketubah, or 'marriage contract'. They are then joined in the nissuin ritual under the chuppah.

Betrothal in the Jewish community can be symbolized in a number of ways. The most common is by the exchange of an object of value (usually a ring), though this method is seen in other religons (specifically, Judaism's offshoot, Christianity). Another method is via a written contract, though this form has fallen into disuse amongst all but the most adherently orthodox of sects. Traditionally, betrothal is overseen by a third party, usually a Rabbi, though this aspect is more prevalent in making the betrothal 'official', rather than at the actual moment. Additionally, 'Shadchan' (matchmakers) can be employed to find suitable partners, though these are more suggestions as nothing forces the two to act upon the Matchmakers recommendations.

by Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

A ceremony which celebrates a persons coming-of-age in the Jewish community. Translated, the names mean 'one to whom the commandments apply', with the 'one' being male (Bar) or female (Bat). The ceremony also demonstrates the child taking responsibility within the religious community, as prior to this, their parents would've handled their religious education.

Exactly what happens at the ceremony varies based upon the community or denomination of Judaism within which it is held. An aspect that is found in all sects is a reading of part of the Torah, and perhaps a leading of a discussion of the reading.

Traditionally a public ceremony, it is celebrated at the age of thirteen for boys and twelve for girls. In modern times, however, it is more often celebrated at the age of thirteen regardless. Also, under Jewish law, a boy becomes culpable upon turing thirteen and a girl at twelve, whether or not they underwent the ceremony. In the Sephardic sect of Judaism, boys wait until they are fourteen before performing the ceremony. The reasons for this are unknown.


By Alex Jeffrey

Facts from: http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is an annual Jewish holiday spanning over eight days. It begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev which may fall anywhere between late November to late December.

The holiday is meant to commemorate the re-dedication of the Temple after it was defaced by Antiochus IV. You've probably heard of the story of the miracle oil which was only expected to burn for one day, but lasted for eight.


The festival is practiced by lighting the candles of the Menorah on each night of the holiday; one candle on the first night, two on the second and so on. Each night, the candles are expected to burn for at least half an hour after it gets dark. Three blessings are recited just before lighting the candles the first night of Hanukkah, and only the first two of the three blessings for the remaining seven days. A prayer is then said after the candles have been lit.

Potato pancakes, or latkes, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah. It is customary to eat fried food or food cooked in oil (preferably olive oil) to honor the original miracle of the lighting of the Menorah using oil.


Another common association with Hanukkah is the dreidel, which is a four-sided spinning toy with a Hebrew letter imprinted on each side. After lighting the candles of the Menorah, it is customary to follow it up with the dreidel game. Each player starts with 10 or 15 markers, usually chocolate coins, nuts, raisins or other candies and place on in the "pot". Then, a player spins the dreidel and depending on which character it lands on, they carry out the appropriate action.

* Nun - nisht - "not" - nothing happens and the next player spins
* Gimel - gants - "all" - the player takes the entire pot
* Hey - halb - "half" - the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number
* Shin - shtel ayn - "put in" - the player puts one marker in the pot

Hanukkah gelt, or money, is often given to the children during Hanukkah to help them enjoy the holiday more.

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah