21 November
Movie Review: Piece by Piece November 21, 2024 Movie Review: Piece by Piece
November 14, 2024 "Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom" by Rakel P. Meşulam
November 7, 2024 The "Ottoman and Turkish Ketubbot" Exhibition
November 4, 2024 TV Show Review: Nobody Wants This
November 1, 2024 The Irresistible Drunkenness of Reading Books
Anniversary of the Giving of the Torah: SHAVUOT
Shavuot, the anniversary of the giving of our Torah at Mount Sinai and the festival of weeks, will start at sundown on Sunday, May 16th, this year. May 14, 2021
On Shavuot, which is also called Zman Matan Torateinu, we celebrate the giving of first the Ten Commandments and then the Torah to the Jewish people, on Mount Sinai. The word Shavuot means 'weeks' in Hebrew. On this day the seven-week of Omer counting that starts on the second day of Passover, comes to an end.
The Torah was given to the Jewish people more than 3,300 years ago. Every year on Shavuot, we renew our acceptance of the Torah, as it is given anew. It is customary to light candles, stay up all night to learn Torah on the first night, and eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Shavuot is also celebrated by hearing the reading of the Ten Commandments in the synagogue.
Shavuot Festival will be celebrated on May 17th and 18th this year.
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19 April
Passover: Celebrating the Miracle of Freedom
Passover, which constitutes the focus of the Jewish life and has always acted as a life guide with its still up-to-date teachings, is our first festival that is spoken of clearly in the Torah. Passover´s requirements were told by God to Moshe Rabenu two weeks before the Exodus from Egypt.
23 January
The Holiday of Trees and Nature: Tu BiShvat
During the Tu BiShvat Holiday, also known as the holiday of the trees and the new year of the trees, we take care to eat fruits that grow in the Holy Land. This year we are celebrating the Tu BiShvat Holiday on Thursday, January 25th, starting on the evening of Wednesday, January 24th.
7 December
Festival of Lights and Miracles: Hanukkah
Hanukkah festival, where we light eight candles for eight nights, increasing by one candle each night, together with our family and loved ones, is starting this evening, Thursday, December 7th.
12 September
The Birthday of the Universe: Rosh Hashanah
With the Rosh Hashanah holiday, we will be celebrating on Friday, September 15th, and Saturday, September 16th this year, we are commencing the year 5784 in the Jewish calendar.
5 April
Celebrating the Miracle: Passover
This year the Passover (Pesach) Festival, the anniversary of the miracle of Exodus from Egyptian slavery, will be celebrated starting on the eve of Wednesday, April 5th.
23 September
Celebration of Changes and New Beginnings: Rosh Hashanah
With the Rosh Hashanah holiday, we will be celebrating on Monday, September 26th, and Tuesday, September 27th this year, we will be commencing the year 5783 in the Jewish calendar.
3 June
The Time Our Torah was Given: SHAVUOT
The Shavuot Holiday, the anniversary of the time our Torah was given at Mount Sinai and the festival of weeks, will start at sundown on Saturday, June 4th this year.
15 April
Passover: The Anniversary of the Miracle
This year we are starting to celebrate the Passover (Pesach) Festival, the anniversary of the miracle of Exodus from Egyptian slavery, which is always at the center of Jewish life, on the eve of Friday, April 15th.
14 January
Tu BiShvat: New Year for Trees
The 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar is known as Tu BiShvat, the day that marks the beginning of a ´new year´ for trees. This year we are celebrating Tu BiShvat Holiday on Monday, January 17th, starting from the evening of Sunday, January 16th.
26 November
HANUKKAH: Eight Nights, Eight Inspirations
Hanukkah festival, where we light eight candles for eight nights, increasing by one candle each night, together with our family and loved ones, is starting on the eve of Sunday, November 28th.