Haimishe since 1180

Guildford Jewish Community

25 Kislev—3 Tevet

Tu B’Shevat (15th Shevat) is the New Year for Trees (one of the four new years in the Jewish Calendar).

 

The Festival is commemorated by plant trees on this day. Also, Jews do eat fruit, particularly from the "Seven Kinds" that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Many families and communities mark this custom by having a “Tu B’Shevat Seder”.

15 Shevat

 

 

Tu B’Shevat

Chanukah

Purim

Purim (14th Adar II) is a minor Jewish Festival. The Festival is a post-Biblical or Rabbinic festival which commemorates the Jewish peoples escape from destruction in the time of the reign of the Persian Emperor Ahaseurus (Xerxes) thanks to the bravery of Esther and Mordechai.

 

Jews read from the Megillah Esther (Scroll of Esther) in an atmosphere of high spirits. People drown out the name of the villain of the story and often dress up in costume.

14 Adar

 

 

Jewish Festivals Page

Passover (Pesach)

Pesach commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. In the Diaspora the festival lasts eight days. Jews are prohibited from labour on the  first two days and last two days of the festival.

 

 Also known as Hag Hamazot—the eating of leaven bread is prohibited for the week and Jewish families eat unleaven bread (matzos) for the week. 

 

The festival starts with the  traditional Seder meal where Jews recall the Exodus, eat commemorative foods from the Seder table,read the Hagaddah and eat a special meal.

15-22 Nissan

Shavuot  - Festival of Weeks is the 50th day of the counting of the Omer (6th-7th Sivan). This holiday marks the acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people on Har Sinai. This was one of the three foot festivals where pilgrims would go up to the Jerusalem in the times of the Temple to present the first fruits of the Harvest.

 

In synagogue, it is common for Jews to come and study texts together in a leil tikkun. Also, the Book of Ruth is read during the service in synagogue. As for food… Jewish people eat dairy products to mark the time before Jews received the Torah and tradition has it did not eat meat as they did not know the Kashruth laws… Cheesecake and blintzes are tradition.

6-7 Sivan

Shavuos

Chanukah (Festival of Lights) commences on the 25th Kislev and lasts 8 days. This year the first candle is lit on 25th December 2005.

 

Israel came under Syrian-Greek rule in 175 BCE when the Jews were persecuted and eventually forbidden to practice their faith. A revolt led by a priest named Matthias and his sons (including Judah ) attempted to overthrow the enemy. The small army known as the Maccabeans won a battle for religious freedom.

 

The festival marks the dedication of rededication of the Temple which had been desecrated by the Hellenist Syrian-Greek rulers.