Jewish Holidays

Learn about the Jewish holidays, their meanings, history, and rituals. 

Explore Upcoming Jewish Holidays

Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Hazikaron celebrations

Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut

- 3 Iyar 5786 to 5 Iyar 5786

Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, four new holidays have been added to the Jewish calendar – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day), and Yom Y’rushalayim (Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification…

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Why Does the Jewish Calendar Change Every Year?

People often say: "The Jewish holidays are late this year" or "The Jewish holidays are early this year." In fact, the holidays never are early or late; they are always on time, according to the Jewish calendar. Unlike the Gregorian (civil) calendar, which is based on the sun (solar), the Jewish calendar is based primarily on the moon (lunar), with periodic adjustments made to account for the differences between the solar and lunar cycles.

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Why do Jewish holidays move around on the calendar? Why do we sometimes have Hanukkah on Thanksgiving? Find some answers and learn more about how the Jewish calendar works in this video featuring Joshua Mallett from BimBam.

Jewish Holidays Calendar

Jewish holidays begin at sunset. Dates specified are for evenings, so the holiday extends from sunset on the noted date until dusk on the last day of the holiday.

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Photo of a yellow jude star on a coat

A Man at the Door

This poem imagines a child experiencing the Holocaust and urges us to stand against injustice.
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