The “Festival of Lights,” one of Judaism’s special events though not a biblical holiday, takes place in 2021 from sundown 11/28 – sundown 12/6. The eight-day celebration commemorates a Jewish victory in the second century B.C. over Greek-Syrian oppressors who sought to force the Jewish community to assimilate. It is NOT the “Jewish Christmas,” though there are some similarities. Both holidays celebrate light during a season of darkness, with symbolic candle lighting either from the branches of trees or from a menorah. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are shaped around messages of hope and miracles, a time of wonder meant to bring families together. 

The intense fighting now raging between Israelis and Palestinians – in an area not much larger than New Jersey – may be the worst since 2014, but it’s part of a complex, bitter conflict that reaches back to the first World War. (USA Today)

Rosh Hashanah will be observed from Friday, September 18th through Sunday, September 20th followed by Yom Kippur on Sunday, September 27th and Monday, September 28th. Help accounts provide devout followers or generally curious customers with a variety of nonfiction titles that illustrate the significance and multifaceted cultural aspects of these Jewish traditions.

Hanukkah 2019 will be celebrated from Sunday, December 22nd through Monday, December 30th. Help accounts commemorate this occasion by stocking up on key backlist titles focused on Jewish culture and traditions.

The most important Jewish holidays are Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), which is observed this year from sundown September 29 through sundown October 1, and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), observed this year from sundown October 8 through sundown October 9. The books in this collection reflect on these important holidays, Judaism itself, and the food of the Jewish tradition.