The Rosen School of Hebrew Blog

Shavu’ot (Hebrew: שָׁבוּעוֹת  ) the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance. Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested…

Shavu’ot is not tied to a particular calendar date, but to a counting from Passover. Because the length of the months used to be variable, determined by observation as we have learned…

Mikveh(In Hebrew: מִקְוֶה) a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism. The word “mikveh”, as used in the Old Testament , literally means a “collection”. Ritual immersion is the total…

The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim (Hebrew: בין המצרים) is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Temples. The Three Weeks start on the seventeenth day of…

Tu B’Av (Hebrew: ט”ו באב ), also known as Holiday of love, the 15th Day of Av, is both an ancient and modern Jewish holiday.It is considered to be a very desirable…

Shofar-blowing (Hebrew: תקיעה בשופר) is a religious duty of Rosh Hashana and the days leading up to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The Shofar is a horn of a ram used for…

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה) is the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is very important  Jewish Holiday. It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (“Days of Awe”), celebrated…

Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות) begins on Tishrei 15, the fifth day after Yom Kippur. Sukkoth is the last of the Shalosh R’galim (“three pilgrimage festivals”).   This festival is sometimes referred to as…

Selichot (Hebrew: סליחות) are Jewish poems and prayers for forgiveness, said in the period leading up to the High Holidays and on Fast Days, like Yom Kippur. Selichot are already mentioned in…

Four Species (Hebrew:ארבעת המינים) are plants mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to Sukkot.   The Four Species are: • Lulav (לולב) – a ripe, green, closed frond from a date…