Israel Affairs

NEWSLETTER, FALL 2008

Israel, Holidays and Calendar

 

One of the most distinctive aspects of life in Israel is living according to the Jewish calendar.  The weekend isn’t Saturday and Sunday, it’s Friday and Saturday. Major Jewish holidays are national holidays. One doesn’t have to miss work or school to celebrate Rosh Hashanah; schools and businesses are closed. Yom Hazikaron (yome ha-zeek-ah-rone), Memorial Day, is a marked by a country-wide moment of silence observed in offices, on the street and in every home simultaneously.

 

Torah-based holidays follow the seasons in Israel. Here in New Jersey, we often need to wear sweaters when we eat our sukkah; in Israel it’s usually warm. While we celebrate the spring-time holiday Tu-B’shvat during bitter cold February, in Israel the trees are beginning to bloom.

 

The Israel Affairs Committee works to increase awareness about Israel and foster a closer relationship with our Jewish homeland. So we offer a glimpse of how Jewish holidays are celebrated in Israel while we celebrate them here at TJC.

 

Everyone is talking about how “late” Rosh Hashana is this year. Actually, the date on the lunar calendar is the same every year – the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This past Hebrew year, 5768 was a leap year, when we added not just an extra day, but an entire extra month. We do this in seven out of every 19 years, to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the seasons in Israel so that Pesach will always fall in the spring, according to the Torah. So, really Rosh Hashana is always on time; it’s the secular calendar that’s early or late!

AFAIRS

After the High Holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we celebrate Sukkot. Perhaps more than any other Jewish holiday, the season of Sukkot here reflects autumn in Israel. While it’s still quite warm in Israel, the brutally hot days of summer are past. Both here and in Israel, summer produce is replaced by late season crops. The days are growing shorter; Shabbat begins and ends earlier than a month ago. Sukkot is, at its heart, a celebration of the fall harvest.

 

One significant difference between New Jersey and Israel is precipitation. Here it rains (or snows) all year long. In Israel, it never rains during the summer. Sukkot marks the beginning of the rainy season. In our prayers, we add ma-sheev ha-ru-ach oo-mo-reed ha-gesh-em, the prayer for rain, after the first paragraph of the Amidah. (translation: God makes the wind blow and God makes the rain descend.) We say this extra line until Pesach is over, marking the end of Israel’s rains. The availability of water in Israel is always a concern. Scientists and environmentalists are currently working to prevent the complete drying up of the Dead Sea.

 

So take note of the prayer for rain in the coming months. And try this. Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth to remind yourself that Israelis never waste water. It’s a small thing that you can do twice a day to bring your heart closer to Israel.

 

 

Background on The Jewish Center Israel Affairs Committee
The Israel Affairs committee recognizes the critical need for American Jews to support, remain informed, and be vigilant, discerning advocates for Israel.  The committee, through its programs and community activities, seeks to strengthen the Princeton Jewish community's commitment to and identification with Israel.

Throughout the year, the Israel Affairs committee organizes adult, teen, child and family educational activities, social events and intellectual programming that underscore the importance of our Jewish homeland and Israel's historic relevance to today's Jewish world.  In addition, the committee works with other groups within The Jewish Center community and beyond to disseminate information to raise awareness of the political, social, economic, religious and ethical issues currently facing Israeli society.
 
Shulchan Ivrit B'Princeton
Each month, members of our community meet to practice our Hebrew language skills over coffee and delicious deserts.  We meet in the Youth Lounge of The Jewish Center.  Individuals with all levels of Hebrew proficiency are welcome to participate to the best of their ability. 

Supporting Israel Economically
One current initiative of the Israel Affairs committee is to encourage friends of Israel to support the Israeli economy by purchasing Israeli products.  Supporting Israel in this way is an easy and highly effective means of expressing solidarity with Israel everyday.  And, with rising unemployment and 1.5 million Jews living below the poverty line in Israel, our dollars are needed by Israel more than ever.

Buying Israeli products is no longer the challenge it once was.  Most of the major supermarkets in our area sell a wide range of Israeli products from breakfast cereals to meat products to wine.  ShopRite's Kosher Experience even sells Israeli ice cream!  For those of who like to shop online, the Israeli government recently set up a portal at www.israelexport.org where one can find links for vendors of Israeli food, clothing, toys, wine, art, jewelry, books and Judaica.  In addition, our index of web links on this page lists additional shopping resources. 

Getting Involved
To get involved or for more information, email the committee chair, Adam Scheer at israelaffairs@thejewishcenter.org.

Links to Israel Related Sites
All Sites Are in English, Unless Indicated Otherwise
Government of Israel

News from Israel

Online Israeli Shopping

Israel Advocacy

Hebrew Language

For Students

Sports

Doing Business In Israel

Tourism

Agencies and Associations in Israel