Transcript Agenda November 13th, 2006

Judaism:
Festivals and Holy Days
High Holy Days
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Rosh Hashanah
Days of Repentance
Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah
Time of Year: September
Reason for Holy Day:
 The head of the Year (New Year)
 Celebrates both remembrance and
the birthday of the world
Customs:
 Traditional Jews will wear white as a
symbol of cleansing
 Begins 10 Days of repentance
which will end with Yom Kippur
 The shofar (rams horn) is blown
 Begins at sunset with a candle
lighting at sunset and a blessing
Food Eaten:
 Bread or fruit in honey as a wish for
a sweet year
 Fish
Days of Repentance
Time of Year:
10 Days following Rosh Hashanah in September
Reason for Holy Day:
 God judges humanity during this time
 Ask for forgiveness for sins
Customs:
 Orthodox Jews observe ritual
kaparot/expiation using live chickens
 Light candles in memory of departed family
members
 Will not wear leather shoes as respect for
“not wearing the skin of any of the creator’s
creatures.”
Food Eaten:
 Day before Yom Kippur Jews will eat a big
meal in preparation for a fast the next day
Yom Kippur
Time of Year: 10 Days after Rosh
Hashanah in September
Reason for Holy Day:
 Most holy day of the year =
White Sabbath = Day of
Atonement
 Males over the age of 13 and
females over the age of 12 will
fast for:
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Penance for wrong doing
Display of self discipline
Customs:
 Focus on spiritual not material
things
 Will not have sexual relations,
wash body (other than eyes and
fingers) or wear any lotions or
cosmetics
Pilgrim Festivals
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Passover
Shavuot
Sukkot
Pesakh/Passover
Time of Year: March/April
Reason for Festival:
 Reminder of Jewish history of
slavery/freedom exile/home
Customs:
 After 10 plagues, Jews had little time
to flee Egypt (not time to let the bread
rise)
 All grains and breads are cleaned from
the house – house is cleaned top to
bottom
 Later, bread will be hidden throughout
the house and family must go on a
silent search to find it – collected and
burned
Food Eaten:
 Next day, will eat unleavened bread –
Matzah – to become humble
 Followed by Seder Feast
Shavuot/Pentecost
50 days later after Passover
Time of Year: May/June
Reason for Festival:
 Counting of the Omer – an offering
brought to the priests in Jerusalem
Customs:
 A seven week period of mourning – no
weddings or celebrations
 Considered a bridge between celebrating
freedom from slavery and the
establishment of Jewish Law when
Moses brought the Israelites to Sinai and
received the Torah.
 Celebrate first harvest but also study of
the Torah
Sukkot/Booths
Time of Year: September 5 days after
Yom Kippur
Reason for Festival:
 make a Harvest offering (tied to
Exodus and agricultural cycle)
Customs:
 Will build a Sukkah – a small
building of woven materials that
has a trellis so when inside you can
see the stars represents the 40 years
after Exodus from Egypt when
Jews wandered homeless and the 2
millennia of the Diaspora
(temporary house). Try to eat and
sleep in the structure
Other Important
Festivals
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Hanukkah
Purim
Hanukkah
Time of Year: November/December
 Reason for Celebration: Celebration
of the Maccabees (The Hammers),
who engaged in civil war against
Hellenized Syrians between 165-163
B.C.E. and liberated the Jews
 Eventually drove Syrians out of Israel
and cleansed the Temple
Customs:
 Lighting of the Hanukiyah (Menorah)
Food Eaten:
 Latkes – potato and onion fried in oil
(in honour of the sacred oil lamps)
Purim
Time of Year: February March
Reason for Celebration:
 Spring festival
 At the heart of Purim is the story
of Esther,
 Purim means “lots” – casting of
lots to pick a day for massacre by
Haman
Custom:
 People dress up in costumes and
go to synagogue, perform plays
Food Eaten:
 Triangular pastries