| Event | Description | Date |
Jewish/Secular Holiday Calendar [Go to Jewish Event List] |
| Asarah B’Tevet | Asarah B’Tevet is a fast day that commemorates the day on which the siege of Yerushalayim began, thus was the beginning of the whole chain of calamities which finally ended with the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash (temple). | 12-22-2004 |
Chanukah
[Send Jew Card] | Chanukah (also spelled Hanukah), the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days. | 12-08-2004 |
Jewish High Holidays
[Send Jew Card] | The Jewish High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah and concludes with Yom Kippur. | 09-16-2004 |
July 4th
[Send Jew Card] | US independance Day | 07-04-2004 |
Labor Day
[Send Jew Card] | | 09-06-2004 |
| Lag baOmer | "Lag BaOmer" is the thirty third day of counting the Omer. The word "Lag" means 33 because it is comprised of the letters "lamud" and "gimmel," corresponding to the numerical values of "30" and "3." | 05-27-2005 |
New Years
[Send Jew Card] | The Gregorian Calendar New Year. | 01-01-2005 |
Passover
[Send Jew Card] | Passover (Pesach) celebrates the Jewish exodus from Egypt. The Seder is a focal point. Special foods include matzoh (unleaven bread) and maror (bitter herbs). The holiday lasts 7 days in israel, 8 days externally. | 04-24-2005 |
Purim
[Send Jew Card] | Purim commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. | 03-25-2005 |
Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year)
[Send Jew Card] | Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. | 09-16-2004 |
| Shavuot | Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, has both historical and agricultural significance. Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple. Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai | 06-13-2005 |
| Shiva Asar B’Tammuz | The 17th day in the Jewish month of Tammuz, Jews the world over fast and lament to commemorate the many calamities that have befallen our people on this ominous day. | 07-24-2004 |
| Sukkot | The Festival of Sukkot (also pronounced Sukkos) commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Sukkot is also a harvest festival. Jews dwell in temporary shelters (Sukka). | 09-30-2004 |
Ta’anit Esther
[Send Jew Card] | The "Fast of Esther" is the day before Purim. This commemorates the fast that Esther and the Jews performed during the purim story (in the megilla). | 03-24-2005 |
Thanksgiving
[Send Jew Card] | | 11-25-2004 |
| Tisha B’Av | Tisha B'Av, the Fast of the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, many of which coincidentally have occurred on the ninth of Av. This includes the destruction of both Temples. | 08-14-2005 |
| Tu B’Shevat | Tu B'Shvat is New Year for Trees. The word Tu stands for the hebrew letters tes and vav- to commomate 15- the 15th day of shevat. | 01-25-2005 |
| Tzom Gedalia | Tzom Gedalia is a fast day commemorates the assassination of Gedalia ben (son of) Achikam by a fellow Jew. | 09-19-2004 |
Yom haAtzma’ut
[Send Jew Card] | Israel's Independence Day is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Iyar, which is the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the state. The original date corresponded to May 14, 1948. | 05-14-2005 |
| Yom haShoah | Yom Hashoah is Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is a special day set aside for all of us to remember and learn about the horrors of the Holocaust. | 05-06-2005 |
Yom Kippur
[Send Jew Card] | Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. The fast day is a day of prayer and asking for forgiveness for wrongdoing to friends and g-d. | 09-25-2004 |
Yom Yerushalayim
[Send Jew Card] | Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) commemorates the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967. | 06-06-2005 |
Jewish Events [Go to Jewish Holiday Calendar] |
Anniversary
[Send Jew Card] | There is no specific Jewish traditions for Wedding anniversaries. |
Auf ruf
[Send Jew Card] | The groom-to-be (chason) is called to the torah for an aliyah. The aufruf takes place on the saturday the week before (or two weeks before) the wedding. |
Baby
[Send Jew Card] | Each new child is celebrated. Baby boys recsive a bris (circumsiion) on the eigth day. Girls typically have a festive feast on the sabath (Kiddush). |
Bar Mitzva
[Send Jew Card] | A 13 year old jewish boy celebrates his BarMitzva by being called to the torah for an aliyah. Typically this is usually followed by a lavish feast. |
Birthday
[Send Jew Card] | There is no specific Jewish ceremonies that surrond a Jewish birthday. (Yom Huledet) |
Birthday-Kids
[Send Jew Card] | A child's birthday is a festive time. Other than age 3 for boys (aufruf), 12 for girls (bat mitzva), and 13 for boys (bar mitzva) there are no special ceremonies to celebrate the birthday. |
Bridal Shower
[Send Jew Card] | (This doesn't necessarily have Jewish origins.) |
Bris
[Send Jew Card] | A circumcision (bris) is performed on Jewish males on their eight day. |
Engagement
[Send Jew Card] | The Jewish engagement is often celebrated with a big feast. Some communities also the signing of "Tena'im" (a document) which creates the Jewish legal status of "engaged." The mothers of the bride and groom break a china to commemorate the Tena'im. |
Get Well
[Send Jew Card] | Wishes of Refua Shelayma ("a complete recovery") is typically said to the sick. |
Jewish Wedding
[Send Jew Card] | A Jewish Wedding (chasona) takes place under a canopy (chupa). The bride (kallah) circles the groom 7 times. Various prayers are read. The ceremony ends with the groom (chason) stepping on a glass. |
Shabbat
[Send Jew Card] | From sundown on Friday night till sundown on Saturday night Jews have a day of rest. |
Upsherin
[Send Jew Card] | Some Jews have a tradition not to cut a boy's hair until his third birthday. |
