OREGON BOARD OF RABBIS INTRO TO JUDAISM “THE HEBREW CALENDAR” Congregation Neveh Shalom 7:00-9:00 p.m. Portland, Oregon Thursday, January 30, 2020 5th of Shevat 5780 Presenter: Rabbi Mel Young Email: [email protected] I. Activity #1: “From Jerusalem to Congregation Neveh Shalom” Identify an annual activity that you engage in or would like to engage in on an annual basis Recorder will jot down on chart paper Discuss with your tablemates Learning points from this exercise II. “Our Shehecheyanu Moment” Read aloud in Hebrew the Shehecheyanu Blessing Read aloud Shehecheyanu translation Discuss the meaning of the Shehecheyanu blessing III. Abraham Joshua Heschel: “On the Mystery of Time” (Video) Pair and share: Discuss with partner themes and learning points Share with class IV. Activity #2: “From January to December/From Nissan to Adar” Line up by her birthday/not year—from January to December Sit at your table designated by the month of your birthday Read the piece on your Hebrew month associated with your birthday Recorder will jot down learning points, including holidays/special days Oregon Board of Rabbis Intro to Judaism “The Hebrew Calendar” Presenter: Rabbi Mel Young Congregation Neveh Shalom Thursday, January 30, 2020 5th of Shevat 5780 Page 1 Hebrew Date Converter: https://www.hebcal.com/converter/?gd=09&gm=8&gy=1951&g2h=1 V. The Hebrew Calendar Background and History The Four Jewish New Years Rosh Chodesh VI. “Yahrzeit: Remembering on the Anniversary of a Death” ] VII. “Jewish Time (Vayechi 5777)” by Jonathan Sacks: Popcorn reading—read aloud passages of writing VIII. “My Calendar--My History--My Story--My Memories” Oregon Board of Rabbis Intro to Judaism “The Hebrew Calendar” Presenter: Rabbi Mel Young Congregation Neveh Shalom Thursday, January 30, 2020 5th of Shevat 5780 Page 2 1. Based on moon cycles instead of sun cycles 2. "Leap months" are added to sync up with sun cycles 3. Used to be calculated by observation 4. Calculated mathematically since 4th century 5. Years are numbered from Creation Background and History 1. The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena: the rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day); the revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are independent of each other, so there is no direct correlation between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in about 29½ days. The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days, that is, about 12.4 lunar months. 2. The civil calendar used by most of the world has abandoned any correlation between the moon cycles and the month, arbitrarily setting the length of months to 28, 30 or 31 days. 3. The Jewish calendar, however, coordinates all three of these astronomical phenomena. Months are either 29 or 30 days, corresponding to the 29½-day lunar cycle. Years are either 12 or 13 months, corresponding to the 12.4 month solar cycle. The Jewish calendar has the following months: Hebrew English Number Length Civil Equivalent Nissan 1 30 days March-April Iyar 2 29 days April-May Sivan 3 30 days May-June Tammuz 4 29 days June-July Av 5 30 days July-August From: http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm Page 3 Elul 6 29 days August-September Tishri 7 30 days September- October Cheshvan 8 29 or 30 October- days November Kislev 9 30 or 29 November- days December Tevet 10 29 days December-January Shevat 11 30 days January-February Adar I (leap years only) 12 30 days February-March Adar 12 29 days February-March (called Adar Beit in leap (13 in leap years) years) From: http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm Page 4 The list of the Hebrew months (below) and the holidays that occur during these months also indicates the corresponding secular months. Hebrew Months Jewish Holidays Secular Months Passover, Nisan March-April Yom HaShoah Yom HaZikaron, Iyar Yom HaAtzmaut, April-May Lag BaOmer Sivan Shavuot May-June Tammuz June-July Av Tishah B’Av July-August Elul August-September Selichot, Rosh HaShanah, Tishri Yom Kippur, September-October Sukkot, Simchat Torah Cheshvan October-November Kislev Hanukkah November-December Tevet December-January Shevat Tu B’Shevat January-February Adar Purim February-March From: http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm Page 5 Major holidays Holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date specified. Dates in bold are yom tov, so they have similar obligations and restrictions to Shabbat in the sense that normal "work" is forbidden. Holiday Dates Description Rosh Hashana Sep 30-Oct 1, 2019 M-Tu The Jewish New Year Yom Kippur Oct 9, 2019 W Day of Atonement Sukkot Oct 14-15, 2019 M-Tu Feast of Tabernacles Oct 16-20, 2019 W-Su Shmini Atzeret Oct 21, 2019 M Eighth Day of Assembly Simchat Torah Oct 22, 2019 Tu Day of Celebrating the Torah Chanukah Dec 23-30, 2019 M-M The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights Purim Mar 10, 2020 Tu Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar Pesach Apr 9-10, 2020 Th-F Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread Apr 11-14, 2020 Sa-Tu Apr 15-16, 2020 W-Th Shavuot May 29-30, 2020 F-Sa Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai Tish'a B'Av Jul 30, 2020 Th The Ninth of Av, fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples Minor holidays Holiday Dates Description Tu BiShvat Feb 10, 2020 M New Year for Trees Purim Katan Minor Purim celebration during Adar I on leap years Shushan Purim Mar 11, 2020 W Purim celebrated in Jerusalem and walled cities Days of the Omer 7 weeks from the second night of Pesach to the day before Shavuot Pesach Sheni May 8, 2020 F Second Passover, one month after Passover Lag BaOmer May 12, 2020 Tu 33rd day of counting the Omer Tu B'Av Aug 5, 2020 W minor Jewish holiday of love, observed on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av Leil Selichot Sep 12, 2020 Sa Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2019-2020 pg. 6 Minor fasts Holiday Dates Description Tzom Gedaliah Oct 2, 2019 W Fast of the Seventh Month, commemorates the assassination of the Jewish governor of Judah Asara B'Tevet Jan 7, 2020 Tu Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem Ta'anit Esther Mar 9, 2020 M Fast of Esther Ta'anit Bechorot Apr 8, 2020 W Fast of the First Born Tzom Tammuz Jul 9, 2020 Th Fast commemorating breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple Modern holidays Holiday Dates Description Yom HaShoah Apr 21, 2020 Tu Holocaust Memorial Day Yom HaZikaron Apr 28, 2020 Tu Israeli Memorial Day Yom HaAtzma'ut Apr 29, 2020 W Israeli Independence Day Yom Yerushalayim May 22, 2020 F Jerusalem Day Yom HaAliyah Nov 5, 2019 Tu Recognizes Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish State of Israel Sigd Nov 27, 2019 W Ethiopian Jewish holiday occurring 50 days after Yom Kippur Special Shabbatot Holiday Dates Description Shabbat Shuva Oct 5, 2019 Sa Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Shabbat of Returning) Shabbat Shekalim Feb 22, 2020 Sa Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Adar Shabbat Zachor Mar 7, 2020 Sa Shabbat before Purim Shabbat Parah Mar 14, 2020 Sa Shabbat of the Red Heifer Shabbat HaChodesh Mar 21, 2020 Sa Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan Shabbat HaGadol Apr 4, 2020 Sa Shabbat before Pesach Shabbat Chazon Jul 25, 2020 Sa Shabbat before Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Prophecy/Shabbat of Vision) Shabbat Nachamu Aug 1, 2020 Sa Shabbat after Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Consolation) Shabbat Rosh Chodesh When Shabbat falls on Rosh Chodesh Shabbat Machar When Shabbat falls the day before Rosh Chodesh https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2019-2020 pg. 7 Chodesh Rosh Chodesh Holiday Dates Description Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan Oct 29, 2019 Tu Beginning of new Hebrew month of Cheshvan Rosh Chodesh Kislev Nov 28, 2019 Th Beginning of new Hebrew month of Kislev Rosh Chodesh Tevet Dec 28, 2019 Sa Beginning of new Hebrew month of Tevet Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat Jan 27, 2020 M Beginning of new Hebrew month of Sh'vat Rosh Chodesh Adar Feb 25, 2020 Tu Beginning of new Hebrew month of Adar Rosh Chodesh Adar II Beginning of new Hebrew month of Adar II (on leap years) Rosh Chodesh Nisan Mar 26, 2020 Th Beginning of new Hebrew month of Nisan Rosh Chodesh Iyyar Apr 24, 2020 F Beginning of new Hebrew month of Iyyar Rosh Chodesh Sivan May 24, 2020 Su Beginning of new Hebrew month of Sivan Rosh Chodesh Tamuz Jun 22, 2020 M Beginning of new Hebrew month of Tamuz Rosh Chodesh Av Jul 22, 2020 W Beginning of new Hebrew month of Av Rosh Chodesh Elul Aug 20, 2020 Th Beginning of new Hebrew month of Elul https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2019-2020 pg. 8 אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ ’בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh. Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day. https://netivyah.org/the-shehecheyanu-a-blessing-to-commemorate-special-occasions/ pg. 9 The Shehecheyanu: A Blessing to Commemorate Special Occasions by Gabriella Tzi There is a traditional Jewish blessing that’s sole purpose is to mark specific appointed times as well as special occasions, it is called Literally translated, it means “Who has given ”.(שהחינו) shehecheyanu“ us life,” and it is to be recited after one has experienced something new or unusual as a way of showing gratitude to God.