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5 Ways to Celebrate Israel’s Independence Day with Young Children
Here are five activities to help young children connect with Israel -- on Yom HaAtzmaut and all year long.
9 Ways to Celebrate Lag BaOmer from Home
Among La BaOmer’s many facets are agricultural aspirations, a release from mourning, celebration of Torah learning, and mindfulness of religious suppression. Here are nine ways to celebrate safely in the time of coronavirus.
What Will It Take for Israel to Be Redeemed?
Israel Independence Day celebrates the oneness of the Jewish people in all its colorful diversity. What if we carried that spirit with us every day?
10 Ways to Celebrate Yom YaAtzmaut from Home
There are plenty of ways to observe Yom HaAtzmaut from home during this time of quarantine. Choose one or all of the following options to celebrate and demonstrate your love of Israel on the anniversary of her independence!
Yom HaAtzmaut History and Customs
Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, marks the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948. It is observed on or near the 5th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in April.
How to Make Israel Independence Day a Sacred Day
Intrinsically linked to Israel's war of independence against the countries that surround her, Yom HaAtzmaut symbolizes the belief that by standing strong, the state of Israel will persevere for all time.
Lag BaOmer: A Time of Celebration and Reflection
Many of our Jewish holidays are based on the agricultural calendar of our ancestors, including the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover (Pesach), Shavuot and Sukkot.
Tu BiShvat: Customs and Rituals
The Jewish mystics of the 17th century, the Kabbalists, created a special ritual—modeled after the Passover seder—to celebrate God's presence in nature. Today in modern Israel, Tu BiShvat has become a national holiday, a tree planting festivaTu BiShvat is not mentioned in the Torah. Scholars believe the holiday was originally an agricultural festival, corresponding to the beginning of spring in Israel. But a critical historical event helped Tu BiShvat evolve from a simple celebration of spring to a commemoration of our connection to the land of Israel. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and the exile that followed, many of the exiled Jews felt a need to bind themselves symbolically to their former homeland. Tu BiShvat served in part to fill that spiritual need. Jews used this time each year to eat a variety of fruits and nuts that could be obtained from Israel. The practice, a sort of physical association with the land, continued for many centuries.l for both Israelis and Jews throughout the world