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The feasts and holidays are part of the larger mosaic of Jewish time that expresses the corporate life cycle of Jews the world over.

• Introduction to the Jewish Calendar (start here)
• A brief overview of the Seven Annual Feasts given to Israel
• The Holidays: Weekly, Monthly, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Fast Days

The Jewish Day

Since the Jewish day (yom) begins at sundown, you must remember that a Jewish holiday actually begins on the night before the day listed in a Jewish calendar. For example, Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) occurs on Nisan 27, which actually begins after sundown, Nisan 26:

In the example above, Yom HaShoah is observed both on Thursday the 5th (after sundown) and Friday the 6th (during daylight hours).

Note that if a Jewish holiday were to occur on a Sabbath, it would be moved to the previous Thursday on the calendar. For example, if Nisan 27 happened to begin on Friday at sundown, it would be moved to Nisan 26. Accessing a current Jewish calendar is essential to observing the mo'edim!

Weekly Mo'edim

The Jewish week (shavu'a) begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday (Shabbat). The Jewish sages have argued that Shabbat is the most important of the mo'edim, since it is explicitly commanded to be observed in the Aseret HaDiberot (Ten Commandments).

Monthly Mo'edim

The Hebrew calendar is a lunar one, and Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") symbolizes the renewal of the new moon (month), when the moon appears as a sliver in the sky. Rosh Chodesh is marked by special liturgy.

Spring Mo'edim

The Spring feasts clearly reveal the first coming of Yeshua our Mashiach:

• Rosh Chodashim - The Biblical New Year [Nisan 1]
• Preparing for Passover - Spring Cleaning
• Shabbat HaGadol - The Shabbat preceding Passover
• Ta'anit Bechorim - Fast of the firstborn son [Nisan 14]
• Bedikat Chametz - The Search for Chametz [Nisan 14]
1. Passover (Pesach) - Celebration of freedom (Major Holiday)
• The Passover Seder [Nisan 15 (evening of the 14th)]
• Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) - Messiah's Burial [Nisan 15-22]
• Sefirat HaOmer - Counting the Omer [Nisan 16- Sivan 5]; the countdown to Shavu'ot.
• Firstfruits (Reishit Katzir) - Messiah's Resurrection; [Nisan 17]
• Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Memorial Day [Nisan 27]
• Yom Hazikaron - Israel Memorial Day [Iyyar 4th]
• Yom Ha'atzma'ut - Israel Independence Day [Iyyar 5th]
• Lag B'Omer - 33rd day of the Omer [Iyyar 18]
• Mem B'Omer - Holiday of the Ascension [Iyyar 25]
• Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Reunification Day [Iyyar 28th]
2. Pentecost (Shavu'ot) - The giving of the Torah at Sinai and the giving of the Ruach HaKoddesh to the Church [Sivan 6-7] (Major Holiday)

Summer Mo'edim

In the summer there occurs a three week period of mourning that begins with the Fast of Tammuz and ends after Tish'ah B'Av (during July/August). However, after this sad time, the romantic day of Tu B'Av, the 15th of Av occurs. Originally a post-biblical day of joy, it served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.):

• Fast of the 17th of Tammuz - Start of the three weeks of sorrow [Tammuz 17]
• Tish'ah B'Av (Summer) Last day of the three weeks of sorrow [Av 9]
• Tu B'Av - Harvest and Romance [Av 15]

Fall Mo'edim

The Jewish civil year begins in the Fall (though the Biblical year begins in Spring). Preparations for the Fall Holidays begin with a thirty day period of repentance during the entire month of Elul. The following ten days begin with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah, on Tishri 1) and end with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, on Tishri 10). These first ten days of the new year are called the Ten Days of Awe (aseret y'mei nora'im).

The Fall Feasts reveal the rapture of the kellat Mashiach (Bride of Christ), the second coming of Yeshua the Mashiach and the national conversion of Israel, God's original-covenant people, and - especially in Sukkot - the final restoration of the earth in the olam habah (world to come):

• Elul and Selichot - preparing for teshuvah
1. Yamim Nora'im (Days of Awe):
• Rosh Hashanah and Trumpets (Yom Teru'ah) [Tishri 1] - The rapture of the kellat Mashiach (i.e., the church or Bride of Christ).
• Tzom Gedaliah (Fall) [Tishri 3]
• Day of Atonment (Yom Kippur) - [Tishri 10] Israel's national salvation
2. 3. Tabernacles (Sukkot) - [Tishri 15-21] A picture of the millennial kingdom
1. Hoshana Rabbah - [Tishri 21] The seventh day of Sukkot
2. Shemini Atzeret - [Tishri 22] The 8th day of assembly following Sukkot
3. Simchat Torah - [Tishri 23] Celebration of the giving of the Torah

Winter Mo'edim

The winter mo'edim are scripturally based times when the LORD acted on behalf of His people so that they would triumph over their enemies.

1. Chanukah (Dedication) [Kislev 25 - Tevet 3]
2. Asarah B'Tevet [Tevet 10]
3. Tu B'Shevat [Shevat 15] - The New Year for trees
4. International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27th)
5. The Fast of Esther [Adar 13]
6. Purim (Lots) [Adar 14]

National Holidays of Israel

Since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has established four new Jewish holidays (three of which occur in the month of Iyyar (Apr/May):

1. Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Memorial Day [Nisan 27]
2. Yom Hazikaron - Israel Memorial Day [Iyyar 4th]
3. Yom Ha'atzmaut - Israel Independence Day [Iyyar 5th]
4. Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Reunification Day [Iyyar 28th]

Fast Days (Tzomim)

In addition to Yom Kippur, The Talmud (Tractate Rosh Hashana 18b) discusses four fast days (based on Zechariah 8:19) that commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the exile of the Jewish People from their homeland. In addition, two other fast days are mentioned in the Rabbinical literature, yielding a total of six tzomot (seven if Yom Kippur is included).

• Fast Days of the Jewish Year

Jewish Holiday Music

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