GRANDMOTHER RIVKA FROM THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM Savta (Grandmother) Rivka lives in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.  Her house is

This story provides background about Rabbi Akiva, perhaps the greatest of the early rabbis, and in particular tells about his early life before he became

What is Jewish Prayer? Jewish people call prayer ‘the service of the heart’. The Hebrew word for prayer is ‘tefillah’ (prayers = ‘tefillot’). In Yiddish

WHAT IS SHAVUOT AND WHEN DO WE CELEBRATE IT? Shavuot is the second of the three Pilgrim Festivals. It is celebrated for 2 days outside Israel

WHAT IS LAG B’OMER AND WHEN DO WE CELEBRATE IT? Every Jewish letter has a number value depending on its position in the Hebrew alphabet.

WHAT IS THE OMER PERIOD AND WHY DO WE COUNT IT? In Bible times, the Jews used to take a measure of barley, called an

  WHAT IS PESACH AND WHEN DO WE CELEBRATE IT? Passover or Pesach פסח, as it is called in Hebrew, is the festival that reminds us

WHEN IS SHEMINI ATZERET AND WHY DO WE CELEBRATE IT? Shemini Atzeret falls on the day after Sukkot, on the 22nd of Tishrei. Its name

WHAT IS HOSHANA RABBAH? Hoshana Rabbahh is is the special name for the seventh day of Sukkot. It is the end of the serious time

WHAT IS SUKKOT? ‘Sukkah’ is the Hebrew word for ‘booth’ or ‘tabernacle’. ‘Sukkot’, the plural, is the name of the festival of booths. Sukkot were the

WHAT IS YOM KIPPUR? ‘Yom Kippur’ means the ‘Day of Atonement’. That is, the day when we try to make up for any wrong things

 Rosh haShanah means ‘Head of the Year’ in Hebrew. It is the beginning of ten days when Jewish people think very carefully about their behaviour during