jewish facts of life
The Jewish holiday Shavuot is coming up on June 4 and if you’ve always loved the story of Pentecost in the book of Acts, this is a great time to discover more about this holiday.
Following are some of the significant events in Jewish history that occurred in the month of December: December 1, 1909: The founding of Deganiya Alef, the first kibbutz in Israel (then known as Palestine). December 17, 1862: General U. S. Grant ordered Jews to be expelled from the Department of Tennessee December 17, 1914: The […]
Do you know who was the first Jewish person to come to the United States and why he came? Is there a controversy about Jewish people celebrating Thanksgiving? And if you want to be prepared for Hanukkah, better hurry. It’s early this year! The first Jewish person to set sail for America did not stow […]
This month’s markers in Jewish history: October 1881: Eliezer Ben Yehuda and his friends decided to speak only Hebrew, marking the beginning of the revival of the language in modern times. October 1945: Nazi war crimes trials began in Nuremberg. October 1946: Ten key Nazis were executed after the Nuremberg trials. October 1958: The foundation […]
High Holidays We mentioned that Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, or more biblically, the Feast of Trumpets). The ten-day period between those holidays is known as the Days of Awe” or “The awe-inspiring days.” This period of reflection and soul searching is meant to […]
This month marks the anniversary of the birth of Shabbetai Zevi, one of the most famous false Messiahs in Jewish history. Born in Smyrna in Asia Minor on July 23, 1626, Zevi was known as both a student and a teacher of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). He was declared by one of his followers to be […]
Once upon a time the Catskills were THE place for New York Jews to go and beat the summer heat. These days, the mountain resort is home to New Age religions and various other communities—most Jewish visitors now are from the Hasidic or ultra-Orthodox communities. Find out more at this New York Times link. For […]
Pentecost (in Hebrew, Shavuot) begins at sundown on May 23. Also known as the Feast of Weeks, this is one of the three major "pilgrimage" festivals found in the Hebrew Scriptures. We are excited to tell you that we are working on a book titled, "Christ in the Feast of Pentecost" soon to be published […]
This year, Yom HaAtzma’ut (literally: "Day of Independence") falls on Monday, April 23. For a Jews for Jesus summary of Israel’s Independence Day, as well as articles, poems and personal stories relating to Israel, go to: http://www.jewsforjesus.org/judaica/yomhaazmaut Lag Ba’omer falls on Sunday May 6. An “omer” refers to an ancient Hebrew measure of grain, amounting […]
WHAT DOES ST. PATRICK’S DAY (MARCH 17) HAVE TO DO WITH BEING JEWISH? Nothing that we know of. Still it made us wonder about the possibility of Irish Jews. Thanks to the Internet we were able to find a couple of sites to tell of this little known community: You can read about the Irish […]
Purim, the Jewish holiday based on the book of Esther is Sunday, March 4. As with all holidays it begins at sundown the previous night.
Just about 353 years ago . . . It was January 26, 1654 when some 150 Jewish families fled Brazil seeking refuge from religious persecution. The group was intercepted by Spanish ships and had to land in Jamaica. From there a smaller group of 23 Jewish people joined with a group of Dutch Calvinists on […]
Hanukkah begins at sundown December 15 and lasts for eight days. It’s a great time for you to send holiday greetings to your Jewish friends. We have free ecards to help you do just that. We also have a downloadable Hanukkah broadside that you can photocopy and distribute, and a link to David Brickner’s Hanukkah […]
There are many prayers of Thanksgiving in Judaism, and one of the best known is the Birkat Ha-Mazon, or Grace After Meals. You can read up on it here or for a more detailed description, go here. If you’re feeling especially thankful, you can also: Listen to the Grace After Meals here Buy a puzzle […]
Holiday Corner The most recent Jewish holiday on the calendar is not one that you will find commanded in the Scripture, but it is a holiday devoted to celebrating the Scripture. It is called Simchat Torah, Simchat meaning joy and Torah (Law) referring to the first five books of the Bible. Jewish synagogues follow a […]
Jews for Jesus is not the only group that finds the High Holidays a good time to reach out to seekers. Many other Jewish groups, some traditional and some very non-traditional, are inviting seekers to come celebrate the holidays with them. For example, you may have heard the word Kabbala in conjunction with celebrities who […]
This month’s Jewish holiday was on August 3. It is Tishah B’Av, or the Ninth of Av” (Av is one of the months on the Jewish calendar). The Union for Reform Judaism describes it this way: “Tishah B’Av, which means the ‘Ninth of Av,’ refers to a traditional day of mourning the destruction of both […]
Earlier This Month
Remembrance Day and Israel’s 58th Independence Day were observed on May 2 and 3. Independence Day is what it sounds like, an annual celebration of the anniversary of the establishment of the modern state of Israel. The Day of Remembrance, Yom Hazikaron, is a time to appreciate and mourn the Fallen of Israel’s wars. It always begins with a national moment of silence, which is ushered in with the eerie sound of a one-minute siren.
For more information on the history and traditions of these two days, click here.
Also This Month“
Indeed he does. From Ynetnews.com Jewish Scene. . . “Rabbi: Jews should know New Testament Most Jews shun Christian Scripture. As a result, they can’t answer Christians who ask why Jews don’t accept Jesus as the Messiah. Now, Reform Rabbi Michael J. Cook says this ‘self-imposed ignorance’ is dangerous. At a time when many Christians […]
Purim began sundown, March 13, ends sundown today, March 15. Of all the joyful holidays in the Jewish calendar, Purim—the Feast of Esther—is a favorite. This two-day holiday gives us the chance to relate to the ancient history of our people in a personal way. And our participation allows an opportunity to reflect on the […]
African-Americans and Jews have more in common than many people suppose. As we approach Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 16, 2006, the Jews for Jesus website has personal stories, book reviews, and essays—for links to them all go here. Look under “of interest” on the left side of the page. Also, regarding Dr. Martin […]
No, you won’t find it in the pages of the Bible. Jewish Book Month was established by the Jewish Book Council ‘to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quality English-language books of Jewish content in North America.’” That quote comes from this website, which will help those interested to keep pace with what many […]
Check out our web site to see if Jews for Jesus is holding services near you, send free Jewish holiday e-cards, or just browse to learn more about the holidays. This October, Jews for Jesus will be holding our annual fall holiday services at our branches. You don’t need to be Jewish to attend and […]
For a bit of background on Father’s Day as well as a Jewish perspective, go to: Let’s hear it for Jewish dads in Scripture, on the Web (PLEASE NOTE: We do not necessarily endorse all the content you see on all of these or previous sites mentioned, but if you read them judiciously, we hope […]
Lag BaOmer falls on May 27.* “Lag” represents the number 33 in Hebrew and “Omer” is a measure that was used for grain. This festival is not commanded in Scripture; it is purely rabbinical tradition, though the name of the holiday is based on a commandment to count the days from the second night of […]