2. Judaism
calendar and feasts

3. Shabbat (Sabbath) only holy day commanded begins with meal on Friday
day of rest (people & animals) -- no work
prayer, study Torah
video Shabbat: Stop, Rest, Enjoy

4. lunar calendar month = new moon (sliver visible)
lunar year = 336 days solar year = 365 days
prevent drift – 13th month (Adar II)
1st month = Nisan but new year = Tishri (fiscal year)
names of months = Babylonian (prior to Exile – identified by number)

5. months of the year 7 Tishri (September-October)
8 Cheshvan (October-November)
9 Kislev (November-December)
10 Tevet (December-January)
11 Shevat (January-February)
12 Adar (February-March)
(13 Adar II)
1 Nisan (March-April)
2 Iyar (April-May)
3 Sivan (May-June)
4 Tammuz (June-July)
5 Av (July-August)
6 Elul (August-September)

6. major feasts/holy days
Purim (14 Adar) Festival of Lots
Pesach (15–22 Nisan) Passover
Shavu’ot (6–7 Sivan) Festival of Weeks Greek = Pentecost
Tisha b’Av (9 Av)
Rosh ha’Shanah (1-2 Tishri) New Year
Yom Kippur (10 Tishri) Day of Atonement
Sukkot (15–22 Tishri) Festival of Booths/Tabernacles
Chanukah (25 Cheshvan-2 Kislev) Dedication

7. High Holy Days Rosh ha’Shanah (“head of the year”) 2 days, creation
videos: RH in 60 Seconds How to Celebrate RH Rosh Hashanah is Beautiful

8. High Holy Days Days of Awe (10): reconciliation, charity
Yom Kippur Day of At-one-ment “Sabbath of Sabbaths” Crash Course YK in 60 Seconds

9. Sukkot* harvest feast Exodus: wilderness sukkah (booth, tabernacle)
video: How to build a sukkah
video: Why Now?

10. Chanukah (Hanukkah) 8 days
2nd c. BCE (Selucids) Antiochus IV Epiphanes
video: Hanukkah Story
illegal to practice Judaism
Jerusalem Temple: Olympian Zeus
abomination of desolation

11. Chanukah: resistance, revolt, victory
priest Mattathias & sons – Judah, Simon,Eleazar, Johanan & Jonathan
Maccabees = hammers liberate Jerusalem
cleanse, purify and re-dedicate Temple to Yahweh
Chanukah = re-dedication
“miracle of the oil” – menorah, oily food
religious liberty freedom conscience

12. videos: Rock of Ages http://www. aish. com/v/ho/Chanukah_Rock_of_Ages
videos: Rock of Ages How to Play Dreidel Stand Four (Maccabeats) Burn (Maccabeats) Candlelight (Maccabeats)

13. Purim: Book of Esther
Purim Animated
Persia: King Xerxes (a.k.a. Ahasuerus 5th c. BCE)
Jewess named Esther becomes Queen
Mordecai hated by Haman
Haman’s plot – overthrow King Xerxes
Lots: 15 Adar (February/March)

14. Purim themes heroism of Jews (E & M)
Jews refuse worship of local gods, yet reliable citizens
God’s continual care for His people
(God never mentioned )
videos:
Purim Song (Maccabeats)

15. Purim celebrations Plays to re-enact story (gragger)
dress in costumes (feast of fools)
candy, sweets (Hamantashen)
parades
burn Haman in effigy

16. Pesach* (Passover) 7 days harvest/Exodus blood of lamb
unleavened bread (bread of affliction)
seder meal (handout)
liberation, freedom

17. Passover Video
Crash Course: Passover Passover in 60 Seconds Passover Rhapsody How to Host a Passover Seder Passover: Les Miserables (Maccabeats) Passover Funk

18. Shavu’ot* literally "weeks“
7 weeks after Pesach (Greek = Pentecost = 50 days)
celebrates Moses reception of Torah on Mount Sinai
flowers & dairy products (desert blooms/Torah = milk)
video: Crash Course

19. Tisha b’Av 9th of Av Destruction of Temple
586 BCE (Babylon) Solomon’s Temple
70 CE (Rome) Herod’s Temple
video: Crash Course

23. pilgrimage feasts
then (before 70 AD): Temple in Jerusalem now: home & synagogue
Sukkot (tabernacles/booths) 1st harvest
Pesach (Passover/unleavened bread)
Shavu’ot (weeks/Pentecost) 2nd harvest

24. death and burial Jewish Burial Customs (sitting shiva) handout
video: Jewish Guide to Shiva Practices

25. Thank You!!