Overview of Jewish Holidays…Intro

Many years ago Rabbi  Allen Krause and I discussed the idea of a booklet discussing the Jewish Holidays.

Although we were not able to complete that idea , what follows below is comments, sharings with my family for several of the major Jewish holidays that we celebrated, observed.

  • Pesah: Feasting for Freedom
  • The Omer: Countdown to Sinai
  • Shavuot: Revealing the Torah
  • Tish b’av: The Three Dark Weeks: Leading to 7 weeks of comfort
  • Rosh Ha-Shanah: Returning Anew
  • Yom Kippur: Day of At-One-Ment
  • Sukkot: Creating Shelter
  • Shemini Atzeret/Simhat Torah: Reveling With the Torah
  • Hanukkah: Increasing the Light
  • Tu Bishvat: Tasting of the Tree
  • Purim: Self-Mockery and Masquerade.

For an excellent book that includes all the holidays which I personally found exceptionally valuable, please see Michael Strassfield, Jewish Holidays, A guide and Commentary