Jewish holidays

Shavuot table design: The guide to festive hosting

We gathered tips from the home experts at Hamashbir for setting a Shavuot table that is festive, trendy, and full of character with minimum effort.

A Shavuot table designed by Hamashbir experts
Festival of Shavuot

Where to celebrate Shavuot? The most special places to travel to in the Jezreel Valley

 Jewish men dance with Israeli flags during Jerusalem Day celebrations at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025.

Jerusalem Day lacks ritual meaning and how to fix a neglected holiday - opinion

Jewish worshippers visit the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi) in Meron, northern Israel, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer, May 1, 2026.

Religious protesters plan to storm Mount Meron in defiance of police orders ahead of Lag Ba'omer


Seeing our brothers’ plight: The light Hanukkah demands we bring into the world - opinion

Hanukkah and Vayeshev together reveal that the festival’s light shines only when we open our eyes to our brothers’ struggles and choose loyalty and compassion.

Candles are lit on the eighth night, at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, last Hanukkah. The main idea of the holiday is the spiritual illumination of the public sphere, says the writer.

Hanukkah lights up Israel with festivals, tours, shows and family fun

Israel is glowing this Hanukkah with shows, tours, theater, films, and family-friendly events across the country.

‘King Solomon's Legend’ at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People.

Hanukkah fun in Jerusalem: Activities for everyone for the Jewish festival of lights

A sneak peek at some of the fabulous family activities happening in Jerusalem this Hanukkah.

Creative Crafts Cafe’s family-friendly seasonal workshops, Gush Etzion.

On board for Hanukkah: Fresh, delicious twist for the holiday

Latke focaccia and plenty of deli-style sides, a Hanukkah table that is easy, homey, and different.

Henny Shor.

Hanukkah miracle: Israel discovers evidence of Judah Maccabee’s battlefield near Jerusalem

The site is widely identified with the ancient village of Bet Zecharia, where the Seleucid army and the forces of Judah Maccabee clashed in what is known as the fifth Maccabean battle.

A bronze coin from the Asia Minor city of Side found at Horbat Bet Zecharia south of Jerusalem, where the Maccabees fought the Greek Seleucid army.

US 'Dancing with the Stars' airs first Hanukkah-themed dance in holiday special

Viewers saw Alan Bersten and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, both Jewish, dancing to “Miracle” by Matisyahu.

Dancing with the Stars Hanukkah Special, December 7, 2025

From golems to Horton to banana menorahs: This year’s Hanukkah kids’ books light up the imagination

Three titles garnered the recommendation of the Association of Jewish Libraries: “Construction Site, Hanukkah Lights,” “Banana Menorah,” and “Lost and Found Hanukkah.”

 An illustrative photo of religious books.

Camping season breaks records – and it's just the first sign of the next trend

High vacation costs, the need to escape urban stress, and upgraded sites created a season where more Israelis chose to holiday in tents under the stars.

Camping in nature.

Of mourning and morning: Toward a new understanding of Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah was never a festival of polarity. Happiness was never its sole emotion. Between death and creation, there is commemoration.

An illustrative image of hands reaching toward each other.

Simchat Torah: Three ways to find joy in the holiday post-Oct. 7

We have suffered immensely since the Simchat Torah of October 7. But for all the angst and anxiety, there is hope for the future, because we are a nation of eternity.

DANCING ON Simchat Torah at the Har Hamor Yeshiva in Jerusalem, in 2024.