About the Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar that combines lunar cycles (months) with solar cycles (years). Each Hebrew month begins with the new moon and lasts 29 or 30 days, and in a leap year an extra month of Adar is added.
Our calendar displays all holidays, festivals and fast days alongside the corresponding Hebrew date. You can view candle lighting and Havdalah times by city, the weekly Torah portion and Daf Yomi.
The calendar also includes Shabbat entry and exit times by city in Israel, the weekly Torah portion, and the Daf Yomi. Everything in one place, no separate app needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between holidays and festivals?+
Holidays (Chagim) are days designated in the Torah as days of rest from work, such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Festivals (Moadim) is a broader term that also includes days established by the Sages, like Hanukkah and Purim, where work is permitted but special customs and prayers are observed.
What is the weekly Torah portion?+
The weekly Torah portion (Parashat HaShavua) is the weekly section from the Five Books of Moses read in synagogue every Shabbat. The Torah is divided into 54 portions, and over the course of a full year, the entire Torah is read from Genesis through Deuteronomy.
What is Daf Yomi?+
Daf Yomi is a global study program in which one page of the Babylonian Talmud is studied every day. The cycle takes approximately seven and a half years and covers all 2,711 pages of the Talmud. The program was established in 1923, and since then hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide study the same page each day.
What is the significance of Rosh Chodesh?+
Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of a new Hebrew month, determined by the lunar cycle. On this day, the Musaf prayer and Hallel prayer are added, and there are special customs of joy. During the time of the Temple, Rosh Chodesh was a festive day with special sacrifices.
What is the difference between a fast and a minor fast?+
From a halachic perspective, major fasts like Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av last from evening to evening and also prohibit bathing and wearing leather shoes. Minor fasts like Tzom Gedaliah and Ta'anit Esther last only from dawn until nightfall and only prohibit eating and drinking.