JEWISH Jerusalem

Birkat HaKohanim

Each year during the holidays of Passover and Sukkot, a moving and impressive Birkat Kohanim takes place in the presence of hundreds of kohanim and thousands of Jews from both Israel and around the world.  The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew nesiat kapayim) or rising to the platform (Hebrew aliyah ledukhan) or dukhanen (Yiddish from the Hebrew word dukhan – platform – because the blessing is given from a raised rostrum) or duchanning, is a Hebrew prayer recited by Kohanim (the Hebrew Priests, descendants of Aaron). The text of the blessing is found in Numbers 6:23–27. According to the Torah, Aaron blessed the people, and YHWH promises that "I will place my name on their hands" (the Kohanim's hands) "and bless them" (the Jews receiving the blessing). The Jewish Sages stressed that although the priests are the ones carrying out the blessing, it is not them or the ceremonial practice of raising their hands that results in the blessing, but rather it is God's desire that His blessing should be symbolised by the Kohanim's hands. Even after the destruction of the second Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem, the practice has been continued in Jewish synagogues, and today in most Jewish communities, Kohanim bless the worshippers in the synagogue during special Jewish prayer services.    

Mimouna

Mimouna is a traditional North African Jewish celebration dinner, that currently takes place in London, Morocco, Israel, Canada, and other places around the world where Jews of Maghrebi heritage live. It is held the day after Passover, marking the return to eating hametz (leavened bread, etc.), which is forbidden throughout the week of Passover. In Morocco, on the afternoon of the last day of Passover, Jewish families prepare flour, honey, milk, and butter to be used to prepare post-Passover chametz celebration dinners. Historically, Jewish congregations would walk to an orchard in order to recite Birkat Ha'Ilanot, and following the conclusion of Passover, would recite passages from the Book of Proverbs and the Mishna. The celebration begins after nightfall on the last day of Passover. In many communities, non-Jewish neighbors sell chametz back to Jewish families as a beginning of the celebration. Moroccan and Algerian Jews throw open their homes to visitors, after setting out a lavish spread of traditional holiday cakes and sweetmeats. One of the holiday favorites is Mofletta. The table is also laid with various symbols of luck and fertility, with an emphasis on the number "5," such as five pieces of gold jewelry or five beans arranged on a leaf of pastry. The repetition of the number five references the five-fingered hamsa amulet common in both Jewish and Muslim North African and Middle Eastern communities from pre-modern times. Typically all those in attendance at a Mimouna celebration are sprinkled with a mint sprig or other green dipped in milk, symbolizing good fortune and new beginnings. Early in the day of the Mimouna, families go to the sea, splash water on their face, and walk barefoot in the water, to replay the scene of the miraculous crossing of the Reed Sea, which is held to have taken place on the last day of Passover. In Israel, the Mimouna has become a popular annual happening featuring outdoor parties, picnics, BBQs, and politics: A central celebration in Jerusalem’s Sacher Park draws about 100,000 people, usually including the president and prime minister. Israeli law now requires employers to agree to grant an employee unpaid leave for Mimouna if asked. One source estimated that in 2012 nearly two million people in Israel participated in Mimouna festivities. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Pride and Tolerance Parade in Jerusalem

The Open House has been organizing the Pride and Tolerance Parade in Jerusalem for almost two decades. Since 2002, we have been marching in Jerusalem in a stubborn struggle for its presence in our city, for our right to liberty, equality, personal security and public space, and to promote pluralism and tolerance. In Jerusalem, a city where miracles happen every day, the parade is another small miracle that manages to combine the multifaceted character of the city and the multifaceted character of the proud community. Since the first parade in 2002 the parade has been accompanied by extremist forces seeking to prevent its existence. These attempts culminated in two stabbing incidents, in the summer of 2005 and in the summer of 2015, when the late Shira Banki, not yet 16 years old, was murdered in Shani, who came to march with her friends. In the face of such a heinous manifestation of blind hatred, we have experienced great support in recent years. Every summer, tens of thousands of Israelis from all over the country and from diverse sectors and publics walk with us hand in hand, as well as guests from all over the world. Although the parade is produced by the Open House in Jerusalem, it is the parade of us all. Jerusalem is the capital of the state, where the Knesset, the government and the Supreme Court sit - the decision-makers who shape the public and legal reality. It is also a city where populations meet, a complex social fabric and the spiritual center of the three monotheistic religions, a holy city for billions of believers. The parade carries a protest and struggling nature, celebrating the community and our achievements in the face of impossible challenges. The parade marks the miracle of struggle and protest, and thanks to it, our voices resonate throughout the country and around the world.

Jerusalem Film Festival

The Festival showcases the best films from around the world from the past year and is an esteemed platform for Israeli cinema, exposing local film work to leading professionals from around the world and granting generous prizes for Israeli cinema.   https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/evt/jewish-film-festival/

Annual Tisha B'Av Walk

The annual Tisha Be'av walk, organized by the Women in Green organization, in held each year in Jerusalem and unites thousands of people from around the country. The walk typically begins at Independence Park with a reading of Megilat Eicha, which is traditionally read on Tisha Be'av every year. Following this, the walking route leads participants to several notable historic sites along the way until ending near the Lion's Gate in the Old City. Historian Aryeh Klein has led the walk for many years, and tells several stories of the unique history of Jerusalem along the way which include anecdotes from the Roman era and more recent stories from the Six Day War. Every year, the walk concludes with the singing of "Hatikva," Israel's national anthem, and "Ani Ma'amin," before its participants pray at the Western Wall. The walk is the continuation of the ancient Jewish tradition that ceased during the British Mandate period, but was renewed in the '90s by Women in Green.

Hutzot Hayotzer Fair

Hutzot Hayotzer, is an arts and crafts lane in Jerusalem, Israel, located west of the Old City walls. Its name means "the potter's section" (compound) or "the potter's hedge" in Hebrew and Aramaic.Since 1976, Hutzot Hayotzer and the Sultan's Pool area have been the site of the annual International Arts and Crafts Fair or Festival, a 12-day event in August featuring the work of local and international artists. There are also open-air concerts, workshops for children and food booths. Many of Israel's leading pop and rock stars have performed at Hutzot Hayotzer. During the festival, the artist studios along the lane stay open late and the artists offer public demonstrations of their work.

Israel Festival

The Israel Festival is an international contemporary event showcasing a wide range of performances in dance, music, theater, performance art, video art, and installation. Every year the festival offers its audiences a rich selection of fine art productions from around the globe, alongside original Israeli productions from leading groups and independent artists, and street performances open to the public. Over the 60 years since its founding, the festival has gained a reputation of being a prestigious, groundbreaking and innovative event. The rich artistic program features performances by iconic artists, alongside works by younger artists – who stage new, original forms and trends, that challenge common artistic practice and conception while simultaneously enriching them. Artists previously featured in the festival include Robert Wilson, Romeo Castellucci, Jan Fabre, Maurice Béjart, Alvin Ailey, Peter Brook, Daniel Barenboim, Merce Cunningham’s dance troupe, Trisha Brown & Lucinda Childs, Angélica Liddell, Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Xavier Le Roy, Thom Luz, Lia Rodrigues, and more. Among the Israeli artists featured over the years are Kaveret (the reunion), Shalom Hanoch, Yossi Israeli, Ohad Naharin, and many others. Being a central stage for artistic dialogue and professional enrichment, the festival holds small conventions, seminars, and a series of professional encounters and workshops with guest artists. Throughout the year the festival maintains contact and connections with students and leading art institutions such as the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Musrara – The Naggar Multidisciplinary School of Art and Society, The Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, The School of Visual Theater, and The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, as well as with creative collectives and groups such as Hazira, Machol Shalem, Muslala, Between Heaven and Earth, and many others. This large number of ongoing relationships leads to many substantial artistic collaborations. The festival holds a high standard of social awareness, and emphasizes educational and community values. One of its main goals is making the program accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Many of the festival’s events and performances are open to all audiences, free of charge. Other events are subsidized and offer discounts for active-duty soldiers, students, seniors, special-needs audiences, people with disabilities, and more. The program is built to allow large numbers of people to experience as many of the performances as possible, and to transition easily between the familiar and the contemporary. The climate crisis has forced us to rethink our organizational practices, and how we can minimize the festival’s ecological footprint. The Israel Festival is determined to reduce the use of single-use plastics, plastic bottles and paper; to offer public transportation; to minimize waste and littering, and to balance carbon emission. The festival hosts over 30,000 visitors – arriving from Jerusalem, around the country, and the entire world. The event is one of Israel’s most important cultural events, and is essential to the progress and multi-cultural character of Jerusalem as a city. The Israel Festival is supported by the Culture Administration of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, The Municipality of Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Foundation, The Jerusalem Development Authority, Eden – The Economical Development Company, as well as many embassies, public and private foundations, and business sponsorships.

Ta'anit Bechorot (Fast of the Firstborn)

It is an ancient and widespread custom for the firstborn to fast on the day before Passover. This commemorates the miracle which spared the firstborn Jewish sons from the plague which struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.The firstborn of the Jews were saved in Egypt because they humbled themselves before God, admitting and declaring that all greatness, power, and sovereignty are His alone.

Pesach

Pesach (Passover) is a festival of freedom. It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Pesach is the seder, which occurs on the first two night (in Israel just the first night) of the holiday — a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror (bitter herbs). The seder’s rituals and other readings are outlined in the Haggadah.

Anzac Day

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the First World War (1914–1918). In Israel, a commemorative ceremony is held at Jerusalem British War Cemetery on Anzac Day, attended by the ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand. It is also remembered at The Be'er-Sheva Anzac Memorial Centre. Photo credit: User:Cfulbright, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

International Museum Day in Israel

International Museum Day marks a day of many free museum visits. Please call the museums you plan to visit to verify this information before you go.

Memorial Day for Ethiopian Jews

Each year on the 28th of Iyar, the Israeli Ethiopian community remembers those who perished on their way to Israel. From 1980 to 1984, a mass immigration of Ethiopian Jews took place from their villages in Gundar and through Sudan. Those who managed to flee Ethiopia and walk for long periods, up to several months, arrived at the Ethiopian-Sudanese border and waited in provisional camps to make Aliyah. Immigrants were met at the Sudanese border by the Mossad, who instructed the Ethiopians to hide their Jewish identity. During their escape from the Sudanese camps in an attempt to arrive at Israel, 4,000 community members died from disease, hunger, and violent robberies. Due to the instructions to hide their Jewish identity, it was difficult for them to observe Jewish law and traditions, for fear of the Sudanese guards. In November 1984, "Operation Moses" began its the first national operation to bring the Ethiopian Jewry to Israel. This secret operation brought 8,000 Ethiopian Jews over on Israeli aircrafts. However, due to a leak of information, the operation ended before schedule and several families were left behind or torn apart, until May 1991, when 14,324 more immigrants were brought within 36 hours during "Operation Solomon." In 2003, the  government decided that a national memorial ceremony to honor those who perished would be held each year on the 28th of Iyar, Jerusalem Day.

Jerusalem Day of Prayer for All Nations

The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is a prayer meeting organized by Pentecostal evangelists Jack W. Hayford and Robert Stearns through their organization "Eagles Wings". They annually invite people around the world to pray for Jerusalem on the first Sunday of every October, close to the time of Yom Kippur. The first prayer meeting organized by this group occurred in 2004. Hayford and Stearns organize the primary meeting in Israel. According to a CBN interview with Stearns, he believes that prayer meetings are important to combat various dangers to the Judeo-Christian worldview, such as secular humanism and Radical Islam, and he believes that Christians are especially obligated to support the State of Israel. According to "Jerusalem Newswire" a small independent Christian publication, organizers of the 2006 event claimed that they had scheduled prayer meetings to be held in 150,000 churches around the world. The coordinators scheduled for prayer meetings to be organized in 169 nations. In 2004, 500 global Christian ministries representing 50 countries and 53,000 churches said prayers for peace in Jerusalem on the same day. The organization's goal in 2006 was to have over 100 million people in over 100 countries participate in prayer meetings. The prayer meeting in Jerusalem in 2006 was held inside the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem and was attended by "hundreds of Christian lovers of Israel gathered with Jewish friends." International denominations Assemblies of God, and Elim Fellowship took part in the 2006 prayer and support the annual prayers.

Shavuot

Shavuot, the feast of weeks, is celebrated seven weeks after the second Passover seder. Although Shavuot began as an ancient grain harvest festival, the holiday has been identified since biblical times with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The word Shavuot means "weeks", and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the giving of the Torah. On Passover, the people of Israel were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot, they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God. One of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Shavuot is traditionally celebrated in the Land of Israel for one day and for two days in the Diaspora. While there is more awareness of the festival in Israel among secular Jews, generally Shavuot is widely ignored by non-practicing Jews. The practice of staying up all Shavuot night to study Torah – known as Tiqun Leyl Shavuot – is linked to a Midrash which relates that the night before the Torah was given, the Israelites retired early to be well-rested for the momentous day ahead. They overslept and Moses had to wake them up because God was already waiting on the mountaintop. To rectify this perceived flaw in the national character, many religious Jews stay up all night to learn Torah. Any subject may be studied on Shavuot night, although Talmud, Mishnah, and Torah typically top the list. People may learn alone or with a chavruta (study partner), or attend late-night shiurim (lectures) and study groups. In keeping with the custom of engaging in all-night Torah study, leading 16th century kabbalist Isaac Luria arranged a recital consisting of excerpts from the beginning and end of each of the 24 books of Tanakh (including the reading in full of several key sections such as the account of the days of creation, the Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Shema) and the 63 tractates of Mishnah, followed by the reading of Sefer Yetzirah, the 613 commandments as enumerated by Maimonides, and excerpts from the Zohar, with opening and concluding prayers. The whole reading is divided into thirteen parts, after each of which a Kaddish d-Rabbanan is recited when the Tiqun is studied with a minyan. Today, this service is held in many communities, with the notable exception of Spanish and Portuguese Jews. The service is printed in a book called Tiqun Leyl Shavuot. There exist similar books for the vigils before the seventh day of Pesach and Hosha'ana Rabbah.  

Tzom Tammuz

The fast of the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, known as Shivah Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples.

Tisha B'av

Tisha B'Av is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. Tisha B'Av is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar and it is thus believed to be a day which is destined for tragedy. Tisha B'Av falls in July or August in the Gregorian calendar. The observance of the day includes five prohibitions, most notable of which is a 25-hour fast. The Book of Lamentations, which mourns the destruction of Jerusalem is read in the synagogue, followed by the recitation of kinnot, liturgical dirges that lament the loss of the Temples and Jerusalem. As the day has become associated with remembrance of other major calamities which have befallen the Jewish people, some kinnot also recall events such as the murder of the Ten Martyrs by the Romans, massacres in numerous medieval Jewish communities during the Crusades, and the Holocaust.

Tu B'Av

Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av) is undoubtedly a most mysterious day. A search of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) reveals no observances or customs for this date, except for the instruction that the tachanun (confession of sins) and similar portions should be omitted from the daily prayers, and that one should increase one’s study of Torah, since the nights are growing longer, and “the night was created for study.” The Talmud tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever did not have a wife would go there” to find himself a bride.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and a day of judgment and coronation of God as king. The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar (ram’s horn) on both mornings of the holiday, which is normally done in synagogue as part of the day’s services but may be done elsewhere for those who cannot attend.

Fast of Gedaliah

The Fast of Gedaliah is a day set aside to commemorate the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed official charged with administering the Jewish population remaining in Judah following the destruction of the Temple and exile in 586 B.C.E. It is observed on the third of Tishrei (the day after Rosh Hashanah ) with a fast from sunrise to sundown, and like on other fast days, the recital of special prayers (“Anenu”) and the reading of selected biblical readings (Exodus 32:14; 34:1-10).

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of communal and personal atonement for sins committed during the past year. Fasting is one of the central components of the Yom Kippur holiday. Prayer is the other central component of the holiday. The Kol Nidrei service kicks off the holiday, and Neila comes at the very end, bookending the holy day with solemn prayer.

Sukkot

Sukkot is known as the “Festival of Tabernacles” and the “Feast of Booths.” It is one of Judaism’s three central pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and Shavuot. It is tradition to build a sukkah, a temporary hut to dwell in during the holiday. It is also the custom to buy a lulav and etrog and shake them daily throughout the festival. For more information about the traditions, rituals and celebrations of Sukkot and the rest of the September Jewish Holidays check out our blog: https://worldjewishtravel.org/listing/from-rosh-hashanah-to-sukkot-bringing-in-the-jewish-new-year/

Seharane Kurdish Holiday

Seharane is a 2000-year-old multi-day holiday, typically celebrated by Kurdish Jews following the last day of Passover. It commemorated the day that hametz could be brought to the temple as a first fruits offering and coincided with Mimouna, traditionally celebrated by North African Jews. The holiday was celebrated with food, drink, walks in nature, singing, and dancing. The tradition was lost for some time during the 1950's when the Jews were relocated to Israel , but has recently been revived. Because of the widespread and established Mimouna celebration in Israel, the Seharane celebration was moved to Chol HaMoed of Sukkot. Before the relocation of Jews to Israel, Seharane was celebrated for 3 days following Passover. Foods and drinks typically enjoyed on this holiday include stuffed grape leaves, Dulama, Kubbah, lamb, meat, and Arak.

Shemini Atzeret

Shemini Atzeret is mentioned in the Bible, but its exact function is unclear. In Second Temple times, it appears to have been a day devoted to the ritual cleansing of the altar in the Temple. With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, this function of the day became obsolete. Although it marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel and, therefore includes the year’s first prayer for rain.

Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah, a celebration of the conclusion of one and the beginning of another annual cycle of readings from the Torah. Simchat Torah conveys a clear message about the centrality of Torah in Jewish life. It is both a source of Jewish identity and a precious gift from God. Simchat Torah is the day on which the whole community gathers to come into direct contact with the Torah and to express our joy in having received it.

Diaspora Day

Welcome to Diaspora-Israel Day is a worldwide festival of Jewish Peoplehood on the 7th of Cheshvan! We invite you to celebrate your partnership in the wider Jewish world and to mark the deep bond between Jewish communities around the globe and between these communities and Israel – a bond that has lasted for thousands of years. For thousands of years Jews have lived around the world, scattered across five continents. The relationships among the Jews in each place where they settled, and between these places and the Land of Israel, underwent numerous and diverse changes over the generations. Throughout the centuries, a complex and rich dialogue has been maintained between all Jewish communities, creating a delicate and unique thread that binds Jews living in different parts of the world.  Diaspora Israel Day, which was initiated by project Domim-aLike - a joint program of the Israeli Reform movement and the Israeli government, is a holiday celebrating the ongoing connections between Jewish communities worldwide, and the continues sense of peoplehood among them. The festival cherishes thousands of years of united and full Jewish life in different locations around the world.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah, which is Hebrew for “dedication,” is the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek army, and the subsequent miracle of rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and restoring its menorah, or lamp. The miracle of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple lamp for one day, and yet it lasted for eight full days. Check out the following Hanukkah Lighting Events: New York, London, Campo del Ghetto, Hudson Valley