There are several types of events throughout the year.

Some festivals come from a divine commandment written in the Torah (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Pesach, ...). They are mandatory public holidays, and have many spiritual meanings.

Other events were subsequently instituted by the rabbis to commemorate the miracles that occurred to the Jewish people (Purim, Chanuka), or to recall woes (fast of Gedalia, the 9th of Av, ...). They are also very important in order to live and share the fate of the Jewish people, and understand the very message of the Torah.

Finally, anniversaries commemorate special events such as the Independence Day of the State of Israel (Yom ha Atsma'ut), the liberation of Jerusalem (Yom Yerushalaim) or the sad day of remembrance of the Nazi barbarism (Yom ha Shoa).

The following pages present a description of the appointments of the Jewish year, whose dates can be found for the year of your choice on the Holiday Datebook page.