Modern Holidays
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Israeli Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut, is a national holiday in Israel, and is celebrated by many Jews around the world, with Israeli food, music, and prayers of gratitude.
Read moreYom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
Yom Hashoah
Remembering the victims.
Finding Meaning
Responding to the challenge of faith in a post-Holocaust world.
Observances
Holocaust commemorations have--and should have--some common elements.
Discussions with Children
A topic that may seem far from modern children's lives holds valuable social lessons.
Choosing a Date
After much debate, a compromise date--satisfactory to none--is chosen.
Yom Hazikaron
Yom Hazikaron
Remembering those who lost their lives defending the State of Israel.
Communal and Personal Grief
Tensions exist between national observance and private remembrance on Yom Hazikaron.
Six-Day War
Provoked by an Egyptian military buildup, Israel fights back.
Yom Kippur War
A surprise attack on a holy day in 1973.
Operation Entebbe
The rescue of the hostages of Air France Flight 139.
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Celebrating the Jewish state.
Liturgy
Religious observances of Yom Ha'atzmaut draw on a variety of Jewish customs.
Religious Status
Is there a religious nature to Israel's Independence Day?
Israel & Judaism
The importance of Israel for Jews who do not live there.
Falafel
About Israel's signature food--plus, a recipe.
Yom Yerushalayim
Yom Yerushalayim
The newest holiday on the Jewish calendar celebrates the reunification of Israel's capital.
Biblical Jerusalem
Biblical texts present Jerusalem as a concrete city and also an abstract symbol.
Centrality of Jerusalem
Remembering Jerusalem permeates Jewish belief, thought, and practice.
Yerushalmi Kugel
The sweet and peppery flavor of Jerusalem Kugel.