Tisha B’Av or the Ninth of Av is a Jewish holiday commemorating a number of catastrophes in Jewish history. Tisha B’Av is the saddest date on the Jewish calendar and is observed through fasting. Many aspects of mourning are observed by the entire Jewish community – no parties, listening to any kind of music, shaving [...]

The freshest holiday to be added to the Hebrew calendar is Jerusalem Day. This day is to celebrate the city of Jerusalem, which is an important geographical area for all Jewish people. Even though this city has always played an essential role in Jewish history, it was not until 1967 that the Jewish people had [...]

To many Jewish people, Yom Kippur is the most important Jewish holiday. It occurs at the end of Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the ten days after Rosh Hashanah, and is known as a day of atonement. As a matter of fact, the name literally means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew. As with Rosh Hashanah and Aseret [...]

Some days, such as Yom HaShoah, are Jewish holidays that pertain to the Jewish culture, but not to the Jewish religion. Yom HaShoah, of course, is the Holocaust Memorial Day that was declared by the Knesset, which is the Israeli Parliament. Another holiday declared by the Knesset is Yom Hazikaron, which is a Memorial Day [...]

Not all Jewish holidays are days of religious observance. One very important day is meaningful to all Jewish people. This day is Yom HaShoah and it occurs in either April or May. In the Hebrew calendar, this day is in the month of Nisan. It occurs one week after the seventh day of Passover and [...]

Like many countries, Israel has an Independence Day. This is a day when the first government of Israel signed a declaration of independence in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. This originally happened on May 14, 1948. This day is commemorated as Yom Ha’atzmaut, which is a day of celebration with many parades and festivities [...]

Rosh Hashanah is what people normally think of when they call to mind the Jewish New Year. In truth, however, there are four Jewish new years, and Rosh Hashanah is the one that marks the beginning of a new calendar year. There is also a new year for trees. This holiday is called Tu Bishvat. [...]

Tisha B’av is a Jewish day of both fasting and mourning. This day occurs on the ninth day of Av. Av is the fifth month of the Jewish calendar. In the western calendar that you are more familiar with, this day usually occurs in either late July or early August. The purpose of this day [...]

One of the more solemn of the Jewish holidays is the Tenth of Tevet. This holiday is a day of fasting and also a day of introspection. Like other important Jewish holidays, this is a day of repentance and of coming to terms with the sins of the past so as to move cleanly into [...]

One of the most uplifting of the Jewish holidays is a festival called Sukkot. This holiday lasts for seven days and occurs after Yom Kippur. The purpose of the holiday is to rejoice. Jews observing this special festival are not allowed to work on the first and second day, though they are allowed to work [...]

After Yom Kippur, Jewish people celebrate a seven-day festival and holiday that is called Sukkot. Sukkot is a time of great rejoicing in which people build outside dwellings called “sukkahs,” which they festively decorate and eat meals in. After Sukkot, there is a two day festival. In Israel, this two-day festival is called Shemini Atzeret. [...]

There are forty-nine days or seven weeks between the Jewish holidays of Pesach, commonly known in English as Passover, and Shavuot. According to Jewish custom, these days are to be counted aloud. This counting is known as “counting of the Omer.” The seven weeks or forty-nine days is known as Sefirah. The exact beginning or [...]

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. The name of this holiday can be translated from Hebrew to mean “first of the year.” Just because this is a New Year, however, does not mean that this holiday has anything in common with the American New Year, which usually involves large celebrations and champagne. On the [...]

One of the most minor of the Jewish holidays is Rosh Chodesh, which in Hebrew means literally “First of the Month.” This is exactly what this holiday is, the first of each month on the Hebrew Calendar. In the Hebrew calendar, the first of each month is ushered in by the appearance of the New [...]

Of all the Jewish holidays, Purim is one of the most beloved by the Jewish people and also one of the most joyous. It is celebrated in the first part of the year, normally in the month of March. This holiday is marked by festivals, special meals, the giving of gifts, and even the wearing [...]

The most well-known of all Jewish holidays is undoubtedly Passover. This holiday occurs in the spring, in either April or March, and runs over the course of eight days. Even Jews who do not celebrate other holidays or regularly attend a synagogue celebrate this holiday. Like some other Jewish holidays, such as Sukkot, Passover or [...]

During Passover and Shavuot, there are seven weeks or forty-nine days. Each of these days is to be counted with a blessing, according to Jewish custom, as part of an extended ritual called Sefirah or Counting of the Omer. On the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer is a minor Jewish holiday called [...]

When most people think of Jewish holidays, Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the first holiday that comes to mind. In reality, this holiday is not religious and is probably one of the least important Jewish celebrations. Its popularity, no doubt, comes from being so close to the Christian celebration of Christmas on the calendar. Regardless, many Jewish [...]

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur there are ten days that are commonly known as the Days of Awe. In Judaism, however, these days take on a special significance and are known by followers of the faith as Aseret Yemei Teshuva. These ten days continue the themes of repentance and starting anew that are honored [...]

Dreidel is a traditional Chanukah (Hannukah) game played mostly in Jewish homes around the world. Dreidel in Hebrew means sevivon, which in Yiddish is to turn around. The Dreidel is one of the most popular symbols of Chanukah. Dreidels are essentially tops with four sides having Hebrew letters embedded on each side. Dreidel is a [...]

The history of Chanukah, otherwise known as Hanukkah dates back more than 2,000 years ago, where the Jewish people were living under the oppressive regime of the Syrian ruler Antiochus Ephipanes IV. Antiochus IV was the successor of Seleucus one of the Generals of Alexander the Great. Antiochus IV was rather the opposite of Alexander [...]

Chanukah (Hanukkah) was founded in commemoration of the fight against assimilation that dates back 22 centuries ago. It is also in honour of the Jewish resistance against Antiochus IV, a Syrian-Greek monarchs who rein the Northern division of Alexander the Great’s fallen empire. Unlike Alexander the Great who had been respectful of the monotheistic religion [...]

by Rabbi Menachem Davis
An interlinear translation of the Yom Kippur viduy with overview commentary and insights based on Chazal & the classic commentators(32 Pages)
5.5′x8.5′
Publisher: ArtScroll, 2008

Understanding the Tefilof of the Yamim Noraimby Rabbi Chaim FriedlanderEdited by Rabbi Naftoli Elzas and Rabbi David KahnTranslated by: Rabbi Boruch Kalinsky
The mashgiach of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, left behind a precious legacy of writings and teachings, published in Hebrew as Sifsei Chaim. Now, for the first time in translation, the Mashgiachs [...]

Inspirational Readings for Yom KippurEdited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
Collection of readings, poems, prayers, and insights designed for the modern reader to enter the spirit of the Day of Atonement in a personal and relevant way. The readings embellish and elaborate on the central themes of the Yom Kippur liturgy and tradition: sin, forgiveness, repentence, [...]

Inspiration, Information, ContemplationEdited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
A powerful collection of writings about Rosh Hashanah that will add depth and holiness to your experience of the spiritual New Year.
This compelling companion to Yom Kippur Readings helps create a bridge between the words of our ancestors and the meanings, themes and ideas that are the [...]

by Moshe I Sorscher
This reader-friendly guide is designed to use alongside the Yom Kippur prayer book, the corresponding page numbers of four of the most popular traditional Hebrew/English machzors are indicated throughout this guide. Includes short descriptions as well as transliteration of the most important and well known prayers and hymns. Let this [...]

Insights on Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippurby Rabbi Yehudah AlterEdited by Rabbi Yosef SternPart of the ‘Sfas Emes Holidays’ series.
Rabbi Yosef Stern has distilled the incredibly rich discourses of the great Sfas Emes, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Alter of Ger, into enlightening English essays. Insights on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Publisher: Mesorah

Teshuvah, Tefillah, Divine Justice, Free Choiceby Rav Avigdor HaLevi Nebenzahl
The sichos compiled in this volume were given, over the years, by Rav Nebenzahl, Rav of the Old City of Jerusalem, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Ranging from in-depth analyses of Parashas Haazinu and its relevance to this period, to discussions of faith, the 13 [...]