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Ask a Jew: Can you tell me more about Jewish holidays?

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SPO_Ask-a-Jew-ad_042114By Neal Schindler and Hyphen Huffmanparent

What questions do you have about Judaism? Submit them online, or fill out the form below. 

I would love to learn more about Jewish holidays, their significance and what traditions/rituals go with them.

Response by Reconstructionist Jewish Writer, Neal Schindler

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler

One of my go-to online references, Judaism 101, offers a handy summary page on Jewish holidays. As a rule, Jewish holidays begin at sunset the night before the first full day of the holiday. Traditionally, Jews aren’t allowed to work on major holidays. What they aren’t allowed to do is mostly the same as what isn’t permitted on the Jewish Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset each week). However, “cooking, baking, transferring fire and carrying, all of which are forbidden on Shabbat, are permitted on holidays.”

As you may be aware, the Jewish calendar is quite different from the Gregorian calendar. For one thing, the new year begins around the start of autumn. (This year, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begian at sunset Sept. 24.) Because the two calendars are way out of sync, Jewish holidays are on different Gregorian dates each year, though they generally fall during one of two months (e.g., Rosh Hashanah in September or October). Below I’ll provide a brief guide to the major Jewish holidays, what their significance is, and what traditions accompany them:

  • Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year (Sept./Oct.): full days in synagogue, the shofar blast (whose exact purpose is unknown, though some see it as a call to repentance), apples and honey to wish each other a sweet new year, and hearty dinners with friends and family
  • Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement (Sept./Oct.): approximately 24 hours of fasting, a full day in synagogue, atonement for sins, and a meal after sundown to break the fast
  • Sukkot, Festival of Booths (Sept./Oct.): Jews build sukkahs (temporary dwelling places) in which to have meals and even sleep, if the climate permits; Leviticus 23:33-44 provides a biblical basis for the holiday
  • Simchat Torah, Rejoicing in the Torah (Sept./Oct.): a joyous celebration perhaps best known for the practice of dancing while holding the Torah
  • Chanukah, Festival of Lights (Nov./Dec.): one of the best-known Jewish holidays, though a minor one religiously speaking; celebrates the fact that after the Jews won back the Temple after its desecration by oppressors, one night’s worth of oil burned for eight nights in the menorah, a festive candleholder
  • Tu B’Shevat, New Year for Trees (Jan./Feb.): Jews often celebrate by eating a new fruit on this day, or by eating from the seven species described in Deuteronomy as abounding in Israel (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and honey or dates)
  • Purim (Feb./March): a celebration of the story of Esther that may include hamentaschen (triangular cookies), a Purim shpiel (broad comic theatrical rendition of the Purim story), and, for some revelers, serious inebriation (you’re supposed to drink until you can’t tell the story’s villains from its heroes)
  • Passover (March/April): I call this the Jewish Thanksgiving; it commemorates the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt and includes many symbolic foods; during its eight days, traditionally minded Jews do not consumed leavened products (e.g., bread or pasta)
  • Lag B’Omer, Counting of the Omer (April/May): connects Passover and Shavu’ot (see below)
  • Shavu’ot, Festival of Weeks (May/June): “celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai” as well as “the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple”
  • Tisha B’Av, Fast of the Ninth of Av (July/Aug.): “a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people,” most notably the destruction of the Temple; Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, is its own, separate day

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Response by Conservative Jewish Writer, Dorothy “Hyphen” Huffmanparent

HyphenHuffmanparent
HyphenHuffmanparent

One of the most well-known Rosh Hashanah traditions is eating apples and honey. Many RH cards contain images of it. Jewish kids sing catchy songs about apples dipped in honey (which will be firmly implanted in your head for months). Jewish magazines and websites share recipes for sweet apple desserts. This symbolizes our hopes for a sweet new year. Many of the foods we eat during Rosh Hashanah are sweet for that same reason. Traditionally, we avoid sour foods so as to not set the tone for the coming year.

While challah shapes vary around the world, round challah is a a Rosh Hashanah food tradition common in many Jewish communities, particularly in the United States. Traditionally, challah is a long braided loaf, but for the new year, it’s round and intricately braided. The round shape symbolizes the cycle of the year — no beginning and no end.

Rosh Hashanah is literally the “Head of the Year.” It’s the beginning of the ten days of awe leading to Yom Kippur. During that time, Jews focus on teshuvah, tefiliah, and tezedaka (often translated as repentance, prayer, and charity).  Jews reflect and ask others for forgiveness. The goal is to return (teshuvah literally translates to “Return”) to a holier true self (Jews don’t believe in Original Sin and instead believe the original authentic self is holy and good without sin). There are a number of different services and prayers leading up to and during the high holidays. The entire month of Elul, preceding Rosh Hashanah is used as a time of reflection. Selichot (which means forgiveness) prayers and discussions take place leading up to and all through the high holidays. 

Taschlit is where we symbolically cast the sins from the past year away. Bits of bread symbolize our sins and we toss them into a body of water.  It’s a ceremony which can take place any time during the days of awe, but is often observed in the early days. We reflect as we toss bread into the water and recite prayers. This is a hands-on form of tefilliah and teshuvah often greatly appreciated by adults, children, and ducks.

The shofar is another recognizable symbol of Rosh Hashanah. It’s a ram’s horn which is played like a trumpet during the high holidays and every day in Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah (but not on Shabbat). It’s a mitzvah (commandment) to hear the shofar. There are different blasts which are played. The shofar is like an alarm clock for the soul. It awakens our desires to be good people and return to G-d.  Ask a Jew about the shofar and you’re likely to hear happy stories of those who remember being small children standing on chairs to get a better view during the shofar blasts. Parents bring even the smallest children into services to hear the shofar and it’s something children and adults look forward to. It takes very talented musicians to play. The final blast, tekiah gedolah, is very long and often results not only in an awakening of the soul, but also a reddening of the face for the person blowing the shofar, but also exclamations of, “Yasher Koach (which very loosely translated means “Good Job”), and, “How is that physically possible,” from the congregation.

The traditional greeting for Rosh Hashanah is “L’shanah tova tikatev v’taihaten (or tikatevi v’taihatemi for a female)” and is often shortened to “L’shanah tova.” It means “May you be inscribed and sealed in the book of life for a good year.”

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. It’s considered the holiest day of the Jewish year.  In contrast to the sweetness of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur is a somber day of fasting, repentance, and prayer. Since Yom Kippur is a somber day, “Happy Yom Kippur” is generally not an appropriate greeting. A better idea is to wish your Jewish friends,  “A meaningful fast.”

Whereas some Christians go to confession, Jews fast and repent on Yom Kippur.  Young children are not required to fast. Older children are encouraged to eat less. Females 12 and over and Males 13 and older are expected to fast. There are exceptions for those who are pregnant, nursing, or ill.

The imagery of the book of life continues here. In services, we recite, “On Rosh Hashanah it is written. On Yom Kippur it is sealed.”  The traditional idea is that G-d records our fate in the Book of Life at this time. He waits for Yom Kippur, when we’ve had time to pray, repent, and make amends (both to G-d and directly to those around us) to seal our fate and close the Book of Life.

We fast for 25 hours during Yom Kippur. During that time, we don’t eat or drink. We don’t wear leather. We don’t bathe. We don’t use perfumes or lotion. We refrain from sex. We don’t wear gold. We deny ourselves luxuries so that we can better understand suffering. The lack of leather has a number of explanations, but one is that, particularly on Yom Kippur, when we strive to better understand suffering, we should not benefit from the suffering of others, including animals.  Some find the lack of gold to be related the sins of others. On Yom Kippur, we want to be as far away as sin as possible. Since the golden calf is associated with gold, we avoid that.

White clothing is traditionally associated with Yom Kippur. White is associating with purity. It’s not uncommon to see someone in a white suit and canvas sneakers (remember, no leather).

Kol Nidre is the opening prayer of Yom Kippur. Technically, it’s not a prayer at all. It’s a legal statement designed to release us from vows made unintentionally or by force. It’s chanted three times in varying volumes. While the words are a dry legal declaration, Kol Nidre is widely known for having a very well-known and emotionally stirring melody.

There are a few public confessions made during Yom Kippur.  Among them are Al Chet and Vidui. Al Chet is the longer formal confession. Vidui is a shorter alphabetical confession.  As we chant each of the sins, during Al Chet, we beat our fists against our chests for each one.

Traditionally, Jews are in services all day long. There are a number of different services that run throughout the day up until Break the Fast, a festive meal at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.


Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
A native of Detroit, Neal Schindler has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 2002. He has held staff positions at Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Times and was a freelance writer for Jew-ish.com from 2007 to 2011. Schindler was raised in a Reconstructionist Jewish congregation and is now a member of Spokane's Reform congregation, Emanu-El. He is the director of Spokane Area Jewish Family Services. His interests include movies, Scrabble, and indie rock. He lives with his wife, son, and two cats in West Central Spokane.

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