Jewish traditions

Jewish traditions have been kept for more than three thousand years in many lands, and include Shabbat, the festivals of Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Hanukkah, the dietary laws of kashrut, and the rites of brit milah, bar and bat mitzvah, marriage and mourning. The Jewish communities of Ashkenaz, Sepharad, Mizrahi lands, Ethiopia and India each developed their own foods, melodies and customs. These pages describe them as those who keep them do, and note the variety among communities.

Shabbat and the festivals

Shabbat, from Friday evening to Saturday night, is the weekly day of rest with candles, wine, challah and a family meal. The festivals follow the lunar calendar: the autumn High Holy Days, the harvest of Sukkot, the lights of Hanukkah, the carnival of Purim and the freedom story of Passover, with its seder. Each has special foods, readings and customs, and many involve children actively.

Many communities, many customs

Jews from Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, Poland, Ethiopia and Spain have all kept the same faith with differences in food, melody and dress. A Moroccan Mimouna celebration after Passover, a Yemenite henna party or an Ashkenazi cholent on Shabbat all belong to the tradition. The common thread is the study of text, the remembrance of history and the care of community, expressed in rites as old as the faith.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Jewish (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreBar and bat mitzvahבַּר מִצְוָה / בַּת מִצְוָה A Jewish rite of passage marking when youth reach adulthood and take responsibility for their own actions.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals

🇨🇳 Hong Kong, China and 5 moreLunar New Year New year festivals dated by the moon, kept from East Asia to the Middle EastFestival

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreFour speciesארבעת המינים (Arba'at HaMinim) A ritual waving of four plants during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.Spiritual

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreHarvest festival A thanks for the gathered crop, kept with church meals, songs and shared foodSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSeharane A Kurdish Jewish festival of campfires, circle dances and shared foodFestival

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSukkahסוכה A temporary hut with a branch roof, lived in for the seven days of SukkotSpiritual

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelRosh Chodeshרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ The start of each Hebrew month, marked by the new moon and kept with prayerSpiritual

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreWinter solstice The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked with fire, feasting and poetrySeasonal

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreEvil eye A belief in harm cast by envious glares, met with protective charms and spoken blessingsFolklore

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreKashrutכַּשְׁרוּת (Hebrew) The Jewish dietary laws: what may be eaten, and how it is preparedTable custom

🇰🇪 Kenya and 5 moreBurial Placing the dead in the ground or a structure to honor them and guide their journey.Rite of passage

🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreLibation The ceremonial gift of drink given to deities, ancestors, and the earthSpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇪🇬 Alexandria, Egypt and 5 moreCenobitic monasticism A communal way of monastic life where monks live, pray, and follow a shared ruleSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVigil A purposeful watch of prayer, mourning, or reflection kept through the nightSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇱 IsraelFast of the Firstbornתַעֲנִית בְּכוֹרוֹת A Jewish fast day kept by firstborns on the eve of PassoverSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreZeved habatזֶבֶד הַבָּת A Jewish naming ceremony for newborn girls, kept by Sephardi, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi communities.Rite of passage

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreKiddush Levanahקידוש לבנה A Jewish ritual service held after the new moon to bless God for the lunar cycle and seek protection.Spiritual 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreIncubationἐγκοίμησις The sacred practice of sleeping in holy shrines to seek divine healing and dreamsSpiritual

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreIsru Chagאסרו חג A minor Jewish observance extending the joy and sanctity of major pilgrimage holidaysSpiritual

🇹🇳 Tunisia and 1 moreBsisaبسيسة A North African grain and oil ritual to unlock blessings for the yearTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Beit HaShoeivahשמחת בית השואבה Nightly music and dancing during the intermediate days of the festival of SukkotFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇪🇬 EgyptHermetic Qabalah A Western esoteric tradition blending Kabbalah, astrology, tarot and classical mythSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreRemoval of footwear indoors The widespread custom of leaving outdoor shoes at the door for cleanliness and respectEtiquette 🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFirst haircut A rite of passage marking a child's first shave or trim across many cultures and faiths.Rite of passage 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelTikkun HaKlaliתיקון הכללי A set of ten Psalms recited for repentance and spiritual healing within the Breslover Hasidic tradition.Spiritual

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 2 moreDough offeringHafrashat challah A Jewish ritual where a portion of bread dough is set aside for a priest.Spiritual 🇩🇪 Worms, Germany and 2 moreHollekreisch An Ashkenazi birth ritual where children name a newborn with a secular name.Rite of passage

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreLeil Selichotליל הסליחות A night of penitential prayers and poems recited before the Jewish New Year to seek forgiveness.Spiritual

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 2 morePassover sacrificeקרבן פסח The lamb offering eaten at the start of Passover, from the Exodus storySpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesBark Mitzvah A lighthearted coming of age celebration held by dog owners for their petsFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelAliya la'regelעלייה לרגל A Jewish commandment to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem during three annual festivals.Spiritual

🇪🇸 SpainGragerגראַגער (grager) A noisemaker used by Jewish communities to drown out the name of Haman during Purim readings.Festival 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreYom HaHatzalahיום ההצלה A Sat Hasidic holiday marking the rescue of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum from the Holocaust on the 21st of Kislev.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreDay of Salvation and Liberationיום השחרור וההצלה A Jewish holiday on the 26th of Iyar to thank God for saving Jews from Nazi annihilation.Festival

🇮🇱 Meron, Israel and 1 moreUpsherinאָפּשערן A boy's first haircut at three, the day his Jewish learning beginsRite of passage · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇶 IraqShabbat mealsסעודות שבת Three ritual meals eaten across the Jewish Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday nightTable custom · Dinner

🇮🇱 IsraelProfession of Faith A public declaration of religious belief across Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditionsSpiritual

🇮🇱 Safed, Israel and 2 moreZemirotזמירות Jewish table hymns sung during the three meals of Shabbat and holidaysSpiritual · Dinner

🇮🇱 IsraelEve of Passover on Shabbatערב פסח Special Jewish calendar customs when the eve of Passover coincides with the SabbathSeasonal · Dinner

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreHoshana Rabbahהוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּה The seventh and final day of Sukkot, marked by seven synagogue processions and night-long study.Festival · Dinner

🇾🇪 YemenConfession in Judaismוִדּוּי (vīddūy) Admitting sin before God, in daily prayer, on Yom Kippur and at the end of lifeSpiritual 🇮🇱 IsraelShabbatonשבתון A Jewish communal retreat or educational program centered on ShabbatSpiritual

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePurim costume The Jewish custom of wearing masks and disguises during the festival of PurimDress 🇮🇱 Safed, IsraelShalom Aleichemשָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם A traditional song sung on Friday night to welcome Sabbath angels into the homeSpiritual 🇮🇱 IsraelTefillat Talתפילת טל A Jewish prayer for dew, recited on the opening morning of PassoverSpiritual

🇺🇸 Manhattan, United StatesJews and Thanksgiving An American national holiday kept by most US Jews, and debated by their rabbisFestival · Dinner

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Eve of Passover on Shabbat: בעלת הזכויות - טלי אמתי, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Zemirot: ביקורת, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Shabbat meals: Yoninah, Public domain, source
Grager: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Confession in Judaism: Nathan [ben Samson] of Mezhyrich, Public domain, source
Bar and bat mitzvah: Peter van der Sluijs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lunar New Year: Flying Pharmacist, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Four species: עוטה אור, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hoshana Rabbah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Harvest festival: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
Sukkah: Gilabrand, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Passover sacrifice: מפוכח, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rosh Chodesh: beth woodrum, CC BY 2.0, source
Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Kashrut: Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Jews and Thanksgiving: Executive Committee of Congregation Shearith Israel., Public domain, source
Burial: Rama , commissioned by Wikimédia France, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, source
Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
Libation: Arkady Zarubin ( Аркадий Зарубин ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vigil: unknown master, Public domain, source
Fast of the Firstborn: J. M. W. Turner, Public domain, source
Zeved habat: I.am.a.qwerty, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kiddush Levanah: Wacław Koniuszko, Public domain, source
Isru Chag: Jim Padgett, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bsisa: Kamelgazzah, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Simchat Beit HaShoeivah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Hermetic Qabalah: Jean-Louis Durant (1654-1718), Public domain, source
Removal of footwear indoors: Sarang, Public domain, source
First haircut: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Dough offering: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Purim costume: Flavio~, CC BY 2.0, source
Profession of Faith: Westminster Assembly, Public domain, source
Upsherin: Vered Peer, CC BY 4.0, source
Leil Selichot: Yael Shilo יעל שילה, CC BY 3.0, source