“...In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall not do any work ... For on that day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord.”- Leviticus 16:29-30

Just before sunset on the 1^st October 2025, corresponding to the 9th day of the Hebrew month of ‘Tishrei’, Jewish people the world over will begin a 26 hour fast to usher in ‘Yom Kippur’.
‘Yom Kippur’ is the most important holiday of the Jewish year.

At sunset on the 22^nd of September 2025, corresponding to the last day of the Hebrew month of ‘Elul’, Jewish people all over the world will begin celebrating ‘Rosh Hashanah’, the Jewish New Year which falls on the first day of the Hebrew month of ‘Tishrei’.

‘Rosh Hashanah’ literally means ‘head of the year’; it is observed on the first day of ‘Tishrei’ as ordained in the ‘Torah’, in Leviticus 23:24: ”Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ’In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation’”.

At sunset on the 2^nd of August 2025, Jewish people all over the world begin the annual 24 hour fast of ‘Tisha B’Av’ (the ninth day of the Hebrew month of ‘Av’) which this year takes place on the 3^rd of August.

The fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second temples in Jerusalem which occurred about 656 years apart, but on the same date. Accordingly, ‘Tisha B’Av’ has been called the "saddest day in Jewish history".

On the evening of the 1^st of June, corresponding to the 5th day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, Jewish people all over the world will begin celebrating the festival of ‘Shavuot’.

‘Shavuot’, the Feast of the Weeks, is the Jewish holiday celebrating the harvest season in Israel. ‘Shavuot’, which means ‘weeks’, refers to the timing of the festival which is held exactly 7 weeks after Passover.