The Holiday: Sukkot is an agricultural and historical holiday that celebrates the autumn harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years spent wandering in the desert before entering the Promised Land. The last of the three biblical pilgrimage festivals (which also include Passover and Shavuot), Sukkot is a seven-day celebration that provides a marked contrast to Read More

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuvah. For many it is also considered the Shabbat of Returning, repentance, and focused prayer.  It is a special Shabbat because Jews are instructed to examine their deeds and focus their attention on how their behavior affects themselves and others. In light of the season, Read More

The Holiday: Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. Taking place on the 10th of Tishrei (the seventh month) in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year.  During Yom Kippur, we face God – and ourselves – as we are called to account for our sins during the Read More

The Holiday: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Known collectively as the High Holy Days or Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) are the most solemn days of the Jewish year.  Rosh Hashanah (“head of the year” in Hebrew) commemorates the creation of the world.  On Read More