Our Jewish Roots

Tu BiShvat is often called the “New Year for Trees” (Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot). It is a Jewish holiday that celebrates nature and the environment. In addition, it highlights the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

The name reflects a date. Specifically, “Tu” represents the Hebrew letters Tet and Vav, whose combined numerical value is 15. Therefore, Tu BiShvat means the “15th of the month of Shvat.”

Although the holiday is not mentioned by name in the Bible, it was later established by the Talmudic rabbis. Nevertheless, its roots come from biblical concepts. For example, the laws of tithing fruit, planting trees, and honoring the holiness of the Land of Israel form its foundation.

“When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.”— Leviticus 19:23

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey [date honey].”— Deuteronomy 8:7–8

“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s life.”— Deuteronomy 20:19

Told in the Book of Esther, the Purim story takes place in ancient Persia following the destruction of the first Holy Temple.

Wicked Haman convinces King Ahasuerus to have the Jews killed. Encouraged by her cousin Mordechai, Queen Esther, the king’s unwilling wife, risks her life to intercede on her people’s behalf.

After the Jews defeated their enemies, Queen Esther and Mordecai established Purim as an everlasting holiday for all future generations.

“To confirm these days of Purim at their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning their fasting and their lamenting.”— Esther 9:31

Required Observances

• Reading the scroll (Megillah)
• Sending gifts of food to friends
• Giving gifts to the poor.

“As the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies… that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.”— Esther 9:22

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memory of them perish from their descendants.”— Esther 9:28

Note: Haman cast occultic lots named “our” to supernaturally determine the date for the destruction of the Jews.

“Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name Pur.”— Esther 9:26

Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew) is one of the most central and ancient holidays in Judaism. It commemorates the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, where the Israelites were freed from centuries of slavery under Pharaoh.

The holiday’s name refers to the “passing over” of Jewish homes by the Angel of Death during the final plague brought upon Egypt.

Passover Instructions

• God commands Israel to eat a lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread.
• Families must gather and eat in haste before leaving Egypt.
• Blood from the lamb is placed on doorposts as a sign of protection.
• The meal becomes a memorial celebration for future generations.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”— Exodus 12:12–13

The Command to Remember

• The event must be observed as a lasting ordinance.
• Future generations must retell the story of the Exodus.

“So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”— Exodus 12:14

“These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.”— Leviticus 23:4–5

“Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.”— Deuteronomy 16:1

Teaching Children

Parents are to explain the meaning of Passover to their children:

“And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’”— Exodus 13:8

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot) is a seven-day biblical festival immediately following Passover, where no leaven (yeast/sin) is eaten or kept. It commemorates the rapid Exodus from Egypt, symbolizing purity, haste, and a new beginning free from the “old leaven” of sin.

“And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for in this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day in your generations as an everlasting ordinance.”— Exodus 12:17

Commandment to Eat Matzah

Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days to remember leaving Egypt in haste.

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”— Exodus 12:15

“Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.”— Deuteronomy 16:3

Removal of Leaven

No leaven (chametz) can be found in homes, symbolizing the removal of sin and hypocrisy.

“During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.”— Exodus 12:19-20

“Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.”— 1 Corinithians 5:7-8

Significance of Haste

Bread did not have time to rise because the Israelites left Egypt quickly.

“The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders.”— Exodus 12:34

“For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food.”— Exodus 12:39

Yom HaBikkurim (Day of Firstfruits) is a spring festival, often falling during Passover week, where Israelites offered the very first barley sheaves to God to consecrate the coming harvest. It signifies trust in God’s provision, occurring on the Sunday following the Passover Sabbath.

“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. 11 On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf.”— Leviticus 23:10-11

The Command

This is a “statute forever.” It requires offering the very best of the first harvest to the Lord. A priest would traditionally perform the ceremony by waving a sheaf of grain before God.

The Timing

It is observed on the day after the Sabbath (Sunday) during the week of Unleavened Bread.

The Significance

It is a celebration of gratitude, acknowledging that all provision comes from God. It also serves as a “promise of things to come,” signaling that the rest of the harvest is on its way.

Shavuot is the second of the three major pilgrimage festivals (alongside Passover and Sukkot). While Passover celebrates the physical exodus from Egypt, Shavuot celebrates the spiritual completion of that journey: the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The name Shavuot means “Weeks” in Hebrew. This refers to the seven-week period (the Counting of the Omer) that begins on the second night of Passover and concludes with this holiday.

This is the foundational text that sets the timeline and the nature of the festival.

“And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be complete. Even to the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days; and you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.”— Leviticus 23:15–16

“And you shall proclaim on that same day, that it may be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”— Leviticus 23:21

Tisha B’Av—the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av—is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is a day of communal mourning and fasting. The day commemorates tragedies that have affected the Jewish people throughout history, most notably the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.

While other holidays celebrate national birth or revelation, Tisha B’Av centers on exile and loss. At the same time, it points toward hope and eventual restoration.

The Bible records that the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began on the 10th of Tevet. It later culminated in the destruction of the city and the Temple in the month of Av.

“In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.”— Jeremiah 52:12–13

(Note: While Jeremiah states the 10th of Av, Jewish tradition holds that the destruction began on the 9th and burned through the 10th.)

The 15th of Av—known as Tu B’Av—is one of the happiest days of the year. Today in Israel, people celebrate it as the Jewish Day of Love, similar to Valentine’s Day. However, its roots reach back to ancient, deeply spiritual traditions.

In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, Tu B’Av marked the start of the grape harvest. It also became a day for matchmaking. Unmarried girls of Jerusalem wore borrowed white dresses so no one would feel embarrassed. Then they danced in the vineyards. Meanwhile, young men came to meet them. They chose a bride based on character and spirit rather than wealth or appearance.

“Behold, there is a yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh… and if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and each of you seize his wife from the daughters of Shiloh.”— Judges 21:19-21

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is a solemn time for prayer, self-reflection, and repentance.

First, it begins the Ten Days of Repentance, also called the “High Holy Days.” These days culminate in Yom Kippur.

According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the creation of the world, especially of human beings.

Although the Torah does not use the name “Rosh Hashanah,” it establishes the day as a holy convocation marked by the blast of a horn:

“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.”— Leviticus 23:24

“On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blast the trumpets.”— Numbers 29:1

Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year. Known as the “Day of Atonement,” it marks the climax of the High Holy Days, which begin ten days earlier on Rosh Hashanah.

On this day, Jews dedicate themselves to prayer, repentance (teshuva), and seeking God’s forgiveness for the past year’s sins. Therefore, they observe Yom Kippur with a 25-hour fast.

The laws for Yom Kippur are explicitly laid out in the Torah:

“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work… For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.”— Leviticus 16:29–30

“It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.”— Leviticus 16:31

Sukkot is known as the “Festival of Booths” or the “Festival of Tabernacles.” It is a joyful, seven-day holiday that begins five days after Yom Kippur.

First, the holiday recalls the Israelites’ journey in the desert after they left Egypt. During that time, they lived in temporary shelters (sukkot) and relied on God’s “Clouds of Glory” for protection instead of permanent homes.

In addition, Sukkot celebrates the final harvest of the year. Known as Chag HaAsif (the Festival of Ingathering), it gives thanks to God for the bounty gathered during the autumn harvest.

The command to dwell in booths is direct and clear:

“You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”— Leviticus 23:42–43

“You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter… Seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God in the place that the Lord will choose.”— Deuteronomy 16:14–15

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are closely connected holidays. Together, they follow the seven days of Sukkot.

Although they are distinct, communities observe them differently. In the Diaspora (outside Israel), Jews celebrate them over two days. First, they mark Shemini Atzeret. Then, they celebrate Simchat Torah. In Israel, however, communities combine both into one day.

Shemini Atzeret

Shemini Atzeret, meaning “The Eighth Day of Assembly,” creates a quieter mood. It gives the Jewish people one more day with God. In this way, it feels like a private farewell after a long festival. In addition, worshippers recite special prayers for rain (Tefilat Geshem). Thus, they begin the rainy season in Israel.

“On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”— Numbers 29:35

Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah)

This joyous celebration marks the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The last portion of the book of Deuteronomy is read, and immediately, the first portion of Genesis is read, symbolizing that the study of the Torah is a continuous, never-ending cycle.

“And Moses commanded them, ‘At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths… you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.'”— Deuteronomy 31:10-11

Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah) is known as the “Festival of Lights.” It is an eight-day holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish people defeated the Syrian-Greek army in the 2nd century BCE.

Although the Torah does not mention Chanukah, since it occurred centuries later, the holiday remains a central celebration of Jewish identity, freedom, and God’s miraculous intervention.

Furthermore, the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees—part of the Apocrypha, not the Hebrew Bible—record the story, describing the battles and the rededication of the Temple.

“And Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev.”— 1 Maccabees 4:59

The Fast of the 10th of Tevet (Asarah B’Tevet) is a minor fast day on the Jewish calendar. It marks the start of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. As a result, this siege set in motion the tragedies that led to the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile.

The event is recorded in the books of Kings and Jeremiah:

“And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it.”— 2 Kings 25:1

“And it came to pass… in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.”— Jeremiah 52:4