Calendar and Dates of Jewish Holidays

Torah
Torah lawriecate / CC-by

Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion with the Torah as its holy text1. There are an estimated six million people who identify as Jewish living in the United States of America2. This accounts for only 2% of the American population2. However, there is much controversy over who is actually considered to be Jewish because of both religious and cultural differences among individuals, families, and sects3. Although originally founded as a religion, many Jews consider themselves not as religious, but as ethnically or culturally Jewish only4.

There are eight major and eight minor holidays in the Jewish faith5. Regardless of religious devotion, most Jews in the US participate in the major holidays6. The most significant of which is Passover6. At this day, a large meal called a Seder is eaten with family and friends to recount the story of the Jewish people escaping enslavement in Egypt and finding their own land after wandering through the desert6. Although a minor holiday elsewhere in the world, Hanukkah has also become widely observed because of its proximity to Christmas7. Other than that, Jewish holidays are celebrated to varying degrees7.

Jewish Holidays Dates 2026, 2027 and 2028

References

  1. https://www.compellingtruth.org/Judaism-Jews-believe.html

  2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandy-goodman/bad-for-the-jews-bad-for-america_b_7425212.html

  3. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/demographics-of-judaism

  4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/american-jewish-survey_n_4018961.html

  5. https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/

  6. http://usat.ly/23OcCh9

  7. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/20/why-hanukkah-is-the-most-celebrated-jewish-holiday-in-america/

Photo credits: RonAlmog / CC-by (Tu Bishvat) ; Rebecca Siegel / CC-by (Purim) ; slgckgc / CC-by (Pesach) ; tomergabel / CC-by-sa (Lag Ba'Omer) ; DGtal / CC-by-sa (Shavuot) ; andydr / CC-by (Tisha B'Av) ; Lilach Daniel / CC-by (Rosh Hashanah) ; ronalmog / CC-by (Yom Kippur) ; RonAlmog / CC-by (Sukkot) ; RonAlmog / CC-by (Simchat Torah) ; slgckgc / CC-by (Hanukkah)