Jewish Holidays

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

Explore Upcoming Jewish Holidays

Tu BiShvat

- 14 Shevat 5786 to 15 Shevat 5786

Tu BiShvat is the "Jewish New Year of the Trees." The holiday is observed on the 15th (tu) of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Scholars believe that originally Tu BiShvat was an agricultural festival, marking the emergence of spring.

Learn More

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.

Learn More Printable Calendar

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.

What's New

Photo of the words "Proud Jews" written in chalk on the sidewalk

Proud JEWS

Right before Sukkot, I noticed the word "JEW" carved into my sidewalk. I began to grind out the word, but rather decided to replace the space by adding "Proud JEWs" to the sidewalk.
Photo of people standing in a Sukkah

Building a Sukkah That Stands for Justice

Our Jewish story teaches that our collective safety depends on society protecting the rights of every individual. As we gather in our synagogues, under the canopy of the sukkah, and in early childhood centers, immigrants across the country are facing the threat of their holy spaces and other
View More

Find a Congregation

Find connection, learning, and spirituality at a Reform community near you.

Browse the Full Directory
Congregation Beth Am photo at Pride March