Introduction to the High Holy Days and Related Holidays

Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah,

Holidays that Occur in the Fall

No other time in the Jewish year is as rich with holidays as the Jewish month of Tishrei, which falls during the secular months of September and October.  The High Holy Day period begins with Selichot.  Tishrei begins with the Jewish New Year — Rosh Hashanah — the “head” of the year, followed ten days later by the Day of Atonement — Yom Kippur.  These ten days are known as “The Days Of Awe” or “The High Holy Days” and are widely regarded as the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar.

Five days after Yom Kippur, the festival of Sukkot begins.  In ancient times, Sukkot was a harvest festival and is still thought of as a holiday of thanksgiving.  While Sukkot is a seven-day holiday, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, each one-day long, make Sukkot feel more like a nine-day holiday.

On Shemini Atzeret, traditional Jews begin reciting prayers for rain.  This tradition is related to the desert climate of Israel. If there is no rain in the winter, there will be no harvest in the spring.

Simchat Torah — the Joy of the Torah — is a holiday that focuses on the reading of the Torah.  Each year, the entire Torah — the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — is read in the synagogue.  On Simchat Torah, both the end of the Book of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the Book of Genesis are read.  Simchat Torah reminds us of the importance of always returning to the Torah for inspiration and guidance.  All of these holidays, with the exception of Simchat Torah, are mentioned in the Torah.