• Shabbat= Hebrew for Sabbath

• Origins: God rested on the 7th day of creation– 7 branch menorah

• Begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until sunset on Saturday

• Jews are required to refrain from many activities: driving, answering the phone, turning on an electric light etc.

• A day of worship and celebration

• A time to study Torah and provide services • Special foods are prepared before the onset of the

Sabbath• The traditional purpose of the Sabbath was a

compassionate one: it was to allow everyone, even slaves and animals, regular rest.

• Jewish New Year• Is observed for two days• A religious event involving both festivities and serious contemplation• Reflection on the deeds of the past year and on the need for

redemption• The shofar, ram’s horn, is blown

– It produces a solemn tone of warning to remind people that they stand before God

• An important symbol of Judaism

• A time to pay off debts

• Day of atonement= community ritual

– To atone means to make up for one’s faults

– This day has traditionally been kept by prayer and strict fasting, with no food or drink during the entire day

• a day deeply personal and solemn

• It emphasizes repentance through confession of sin

• Confessions are said as a group= Unity

• The Shofar is also blown during this day

• Reminder of the harvest• Festival of Booths (shelters)

– Succot means booth • In early days it was common for

families to sleep outdoors in the fields during the autumn harvest season- – which enabled them to begin work

in the fields early, to stay late, and to protect what they have harvested

• Eating or sleeping in the shelters came to symbolize the period of wandering in the desert, before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan

• A sukkah (Hebrew for shelter) is a shelter made of light wood – it is set up in or near the home– It is commonly decorated with

branches and fruits

Feast of Lights

•It mean

s

rededica

tion

• It re

fers to

the

rededica

tion of th

e

temple

•9 branch M

enorah-a

candela

brum

Commemorates the Jews (Macabees) overcoming the Syrians

Tradition says that oil that

should have lasted only one

day miraculously kept

burning for eight days

• Recalls the story of Ester– Ester becomes a queen– She finds out that Haman is turning the king

against the Jews • Haman wants the king to kill the Jews

– Ester risks her life when she goes to the king’s court without permission

– She saves the Jewish people from the destruction

• Aka Feast of Lots– Purim means lots

• As in lottery

• Customary to have carnivals and masquerade parties

• Aka Passover• Commemorates the Escape from Egypt• The blood of the lamb killed for the Passover meal was placed

over the doors of the Hebrews keeping the angel of death from entering their homes while the power of God “passed over” Egypt

• They have the Seder meal as part of the celebration for Passover

Shavuot = Pentecost

• Jewish Pentecost• Aka feast of weeks • Moses receives the 10

Commandments • Birthday of the Jewish

religion