Year 5770 (2009-2010)

February/Shevat-Adar

• February 28 Purim

  The Festival of Lots commemorates events that took place in the Book of Esther. Celebrated by children in costume, and by giving gifts of food and drink to the poor and the needy.

March/Adar-Nisan

• March 29 Erev Pesach

  First night seder begins at sundown on the 15th of Nisan.

• March 30 Pesach

  Commemorating the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt.  Second night seder is held on the night of the 16th of Nisan.

April/Nisan-Iyar

• April 11 Yom Ha'Shoah

  Also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, takes place on the 27th day of Nisan.

• April 20 Yom Ha'atzmaut

  Israel's Independence Day

May/Iyar-Sivan

• May 2 Lag Ba'omer

  Celebrating the 33rd Day of Omer, the period between Passover and Shavuot.

• May 19 Shavuot

  Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day G-d gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Also known as The Feast of Weeks, Shavuot is one of the three pilgrim festivals ordained in the Torah, and marks the end of the counting of the Omer.

• May 20 Shavuot

  Second Day Observance

July/Tammuz-Av

• July 20 Tisha B'Av

  A fast day commemorating the destruction in 586 BCE of the first Temple, originally built by King Solomon, and of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

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Year 5771 (2010-2011)

September/Elul-Tishrei 

• September 8 Erev Rosh HaShanah

  Eve of the Jewish New Year.

• September 9 Rosh HaShanah

  The Jewish New Year and Day of Judgment, in which G-d judges each person according to their deeds, and makes a decree for the following year.

• September 10 Rosh HaShanah

  Second Day Observance.

• September 17 Erev Yom Kippur - Kol Nidre

  Eve of the Day of Atonement.  Fasting begins at sundown. 

• September 18 Yom Kippur

  The Day of Atonement, the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year.  Fasting ends at nightfall.

• September 23-29 Sukkot

  The 7-day pilgrimage festival when, historically, the Jewish people traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. Named for the sukkah, a type of shelter used by ancient Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. 

• September 30 Shemini Atzeret

  This two-day holiday immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot.

October/Tishrei-Cheshvan

• October 1 Simchat Torah

  Which means “Rejoicing with the Torah.” A ceremonial reading of the last portion of the Torah, which takes place on the second day of Shemini Atzeret.

December/Kislev-Tevet

• December 1 First Night of Chanukah

  The Festival of Lights, commemorating the miracle of a one-day supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days, first described in the Talmud.

• December 2-8 Chanukah

  Nightly observance.

January 2011/Tevet-Shevat

• January 20 Tu B'Shevat

  New year, or birthday, of the trees. Customs observed include planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, especially figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds.

March/AdarI-AdarII

• March 20 Purim

  The Festival of Lots commemorates events that took place in the Book of Esther. Celebrated by children in costume, and by giving gifts of food and drink to the poor and the needy.  Because 5771 is a leap year, an extra month Adar is added and Purim falls in Adar II.