Jewish Holidays 2008 for Israel

Jewish Holidays 2008

Dates of major and minor Jewish holidays, observances and customs, holiday Torah readings.

Calendar year

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Tree planting growing on soil in child’s hand

Tu BiShvat 🌳

Mon, 21 January sunset - Tue, 22 January nightfall
15 Sh’vat 5768

New Year for Trees. Tu BiShvat is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah.

Purim 🎭️📜

Thu, 20 March sunset - Fri, 21 March nightfall
14 Adar II 5768

Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told by Megilat Esther. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

Ta'anit Esther: Thu, 20 March dawn - nightfall
Shushan Purim: Fri, 21 March sunset - Sat, 22 March nightfall

Traditional symbols on a seder plate for the Jewish festival of Passover

Pesach 🫓

Sat, 19 April sunset - Sat, 26 April nightfall
Dates listed are for Israel 🇮🇱
15-21 Nisan 5768

Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Also called Chag HaMatzot (the Festival of Matzah), it commemorates the Exodus and freedom of the Israelites from ancient Egypt.

Pesach Sheni: Sun, 18 May sunset - Mon, 19 May nightfall

Crackling bonfire on a dark background, CC0, photo by Matheus Bertelli

Lag BaOmer 🔥

Thu, 22 May sunset - Fri, 23 May nightfall
18 Iyyar 5768

33rd day of counting the Omer. The holiday is a temporary break from the semi-mourning period the counting of the Omer. Practices include lighting bonfires, getting haircuts, and Jewish weddings.

Days of the Omer: Sun, 20 April sunset - Sun, 8 June nightfall

Milk, bread, fruits and dairy products on wooden table

Shavuot ⛰️🌸

Sun, 8 June sunset - Mon, 9 June nightfall
Dates listed are for Israel 🇮🇱
6 Sivan 5768

Festival of Weeks. Commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Tish’a B’Av ✡️

Sat, 9 August sunset - Sun, 10 August nightfall
9 Av 5768

The Ninth of Av. Fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples.

Tzom Tammuz: Sun, 20 July dawn - nightfall

Tu B’Av ❤️

Fri, 15 August sunset - Sat, 16 August nightfall
15 Av 5768

Minor Jewish holiday of love. Observed on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av.

Rosh Hashana 🍏🍯

Mon, 29 September sunset - Wed, 1 October nightfall
1-2 Tishrei 5769

The Jewish New Year. Also spelled Rosh Hashanah.

Tzom Gedaliah: Thu, 2 October dawn - nightfall

Jewish person in a tallit prayer shawl against dramatic sky

Yom Kippur ✡️

Wed, 8 October sunset - Thu, 9 October nightfall
10 Tishrei 5769

Day of Atonement. The holiest day of the year in Judaism, traditionally observed with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.

Lulav (date palm frond), hadass (myrtle), aravah (willow), and etrog (citron) on a red tablecloth

Sukkot 🌿🍋

Mon, 13 October sunset - Mon, 20 October nightfall
15-21 Tishrei 5769

Feast of Booths. Also called the Feast of Tabernacles, the seven-day holiday is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Hebrew: שלוש רגלים, shalosh regalim).

Prayer shawl (tallit) with Torah scroll in a synagogue

Shmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah

Mon, 20 October sunset - Tue, 21 October nightfall
Dates listed are for Israel 🇮🇱
22 Tishrei 5769

Eighth Day of Assembly. Immediately following Sukkot, it is observed as a separate holiday in the Diaspora and is combined with Simchat Torah in Israel.

Menorah, doughnuts, chocolate coins and wooden dreidels

Chanukah 🕎

Sun, 21 December sunset - Mon, 29 December nightfall
25 Kislev - 2 Tevet 5769

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the eight-day festival is observed by lighting the candles of a hanukkiah (menorah).

Modern holidays 🇮🇱

Modern Israeli holidays are national holidays officially recognized by the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Holiday	Starts	Ends	Hebrew Date
Family Day	TuesdayTue, February 5Feb 5	WednesdayWed, February 6Feb 6	30 Sh’vat
Yom HaShoah	WednesdayWed, April 30Apr 30	ThursdayThu, May 1May 1	26 Nisan
Yom HaZikaron	TuesdayTue, May 6May 6	WednesdayWed, May 7May 7	2 Iyyar
Yom HaAtzma'ut	WednesdayWed, May 7May 7	ThursdayThu, May 8May 8	3 Iyyar
Herzl Day	WednesdayWed, May 14May 14	ThursdayThu, May 15May 15	10 Iyyar
Yom Yerushalayim	SundaySun, June 1Jun 1	MondayMon, June 2Jun 2	28 Iyyar
Jabotinsky Day	ThursdayThu, July 31Jul 31	FridayFri, August 1Aug 1	29 Tamuz
Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day	SundaySun, November 9Nov 9	MondayMon, November 10Nov 10	12 Cheshvan
Sigd	WednesdayWed, November 26Nov 26	ThursdayThu, November 27Nov 27	29 Cheshvan
Ben-Gurion Day	TuesdayTue, December 2Dec 2	WednesdayWed, December 3Dec 3	6 Kislev

Rosh Chodesh 🌒

רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.

Note: the first day of Tishrei is not considered Rosh Chodesh. The holiday that occurs on the 1st day of Tishrei is called Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. For the month of Tishrei, the major holiday of Rosh Hashana takes precedence over what would be a minor holiday.

Rosh Chodesh	Starts	Ends
Sh'vat	MondayMon, January 7Jan 7	TuesdayTue, January 8Jan 8
Adar I	TuesdayTue, February 5Feb 5	ThursdayThu, February 7Feb 7
Adar II	ThursdayThu, March 6Mar 6	SaturdaySat, March 8Mar 8
Nisan	SaturdaySat, April 5Apr 5	SundaySun, April 6Apr 6
Iyyar	SundaySun, May 4May 4	TuesdayTue, May 6May 6
Sivan	TuesdayTue, June 3Jun 3	WednesdayWed, June 4Jun 4
Tamuz	WednesdayWed, July 2Jul 2	FridayFri, July 4Jul 4
Av	FridayFri, August 1Aug 1	SaturdaySat, August 2Aug 2
Elul	SaturdaySat, August 30Aug 30	MondayMon, September 1Sep 1
Cheshvan	TuesdayTue, October 28Oct 28	ThursdayThu, October 30Oct 30
Kislev	ThursdayThu, November 27Nov 27	FridayFri, November 28Nov 28
Tevet	FridayFri, December 26Dec 26	SundaySun, December 28Dec 28

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