Is There a Leap Day on the Jewish Calendar?
Is there a Leap Day on the Jewish calendar? No, but there is a leap month! Because many Jewish holidays are tied to certain seasons, a leap month is added every seven years in a nineteen-year cycle so that the years stay long enough to keep the spring holidays in the spring and the fall holidays in the fall.
Can Jews Get Married on Shabbat?
For centuries, Jewish custom has prohibited marriages at specific dates and times during the Jewish year.
Why do we read this week’s Torah portion over two different weeks?
At the end of the week of Passover, a fifth question arises as we look at the Torah portion for this week: Why is this week different from all other weeks?
Do we do anything special because seder falls on a Friday night this year?
When the seder falls on Friday evening, we acknowledge both Shabbat and the holiday of Passover.
Why do some people include an orange on the seder plate?
Many have incorporated new rituals as part of the Passover seder. Many seder plates include an orange, which is attributed to Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College. Heschel included an orange in recognition of gay and lesbian Jews, and others who are marginalized in the Jewish community.
I Want to Observe Shabbat. Where do I Begin?
The best way to begin observing Shabbat is by starting small and adding to your Shabbat observance as you grow more comfortable. If you are interested in ritual, try learning the blessings of the Shabbat table .
Is Purim akin to a Jewish Halloween?
Though both Purim and Halloween share the custom of dressing in costume, that is about all the two holidays have in common.
What Does the Torah Say about People with Disabilities?
In Leviticus, chapter 19, verses 14, we are taught, “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.”
How can I celebrate Tu BiShvat at home?
Tu BiShvat is the “New Year of the Trees.”
Why do Jews wear head coverings?
The custom of covering one’s head is based on custom, a minhag, that first appeared during the Rabbinic Period (roughly, from the beginning of the Common Era to 500 C.E.).
Can a person who died by suicide be buried in a Jewish cemetery?
The ancient prohibition against doing so is based upon the conception of suicide as the conscious and willful taking of one’s life.