The Jewish Holidays can prove to be difficult to navigate, especially when you’re not used to being in Israel for them.
Here’s a breakdown of the “High Holidays” –
1. Rosh HaShanah
Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year. It generally entails most businesses being closed, family gatherings, and going to pray at the local synagogue. It’s a 2-day long holiday, which is unique, as most holidays are 1 day long.
2. The 10 Days
The 10 days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are serious days in which you’re supposed to check yourself and see how you can improve and better yourself. You’re also supposed to apologize to people for wrongs you may have done, intentionally or otherwise.
3. Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is a fast day. Of 25 hours. You have a huge meal in the early evening, and then a light break fast once the sun has set the following day. In between, people go to synagogue, sleep, ride bikes…but no one drives. It’s actually quite incredible.
4. Sukkot
Sukkot starts 3 days after Yom Kippur. In that time, you need to build yourself a sukkah!
A sukkah is a temporary hut/dwelling that symbolizes the way people lived after the exodus from Egypt, all of which leads up to the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Usually the city municipalities also put out large sukkahs for the general public to use, because a lot of people don’t have anywhere to build one of their own.
Strictly speaking, you’re supposed to LIVE in your sukkah for the week – it’s a 7 day holiday – but most people will just have meals in their sukkah.
5. Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah is the culmination of Sukkot, where we celebrate receiving the Torah, and begin to read from the beginning. It continues the theme of the new year started on Rosh HaShanah, and so we also start reading the Torah again from the beginning on this holiday.
So that’s it, a brief introduction to the upcoming Jewish Holiday Season!
Shana Tova! — Happy New Year 🙂