High holidays

Where are Israelis escaping to during the holidays? Top destinations seeing a demand surge

Ahead of the High Holy Days, vacation demand has jumped 25%, with Seychelles, Mauritius, and Corfu leading as safety becomes a top traveler priority.

Le Morne Beach, Mauritius.
 A kippah demonstration in front of a synagogue in Berlin

US urges countries to boost security around synagogues ahead of High Holidays

Blowing shofar in Jerusalem's Nahlaot neighborhood

Grapevine: Nahlaot journeys

New Jewish children's books released for the High Holidays in 2026 include ones about awe, tashlich and apologizing for burping.

From fake burps to reverse tashlich, new children’s books bring the High Holidays to life


All means all: A Sukkot lesson on inclusion in Jewish tradition

May we open our sukkot, our homes, and our hearts to those on the outside – whomever they may be.

Decorating a Sukkah

Is the sukkah as temporary as it seems?

When we sit out in our sukkot this year, may we dedicate ourselves to building this sukkah, and widening it to encompass us all.

 A SUKKAH with a tree growing in the center.

Three Ladies, Three Lattes: Who to live and who to die

You ask the questions, the three latte ladies provide the answers!

 I WAS chronically on red alert, feeling like a bad girl.

Sukkot: Fabulous family activities happening this holiday

It’s up to you to choose which activities your family will enjoy. Whatever you do, you’ll be sure to have fun in Jerusalem this Sukkot! 

 EIN YAEL Sukkot festival

High Holidays capture how war has ravaged Ukraine's Jewish community

While the Jewish migration to Lviv is symbolic of how the war has displaced so many Ukrainians, High Holiday services there have proven to be outliers.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022.

Yom Kippur is a time for atonement for Israel - editorial

As Yom Kippur approaches, we Israelis should stop, reflect and atone for our sins.

THE JEWISH CALENDAR year that ended last week, 5780, featured unforgivable errors  that will take the country years to recover from.

Yom Kippur: How to pray with meaning when prayer seems meaningless

Having slogged through COVID, we’re aware of how cruel a belief in God as “master of the cosmic ledger book” can be. How is it possible to find meaning and solace in the High Holy Day prayers?

 AS THE NEW YEAR begins, we need to feel that God is on our side, helping us to wipe out the mistakes of the past, not etching them in God’s long, perhaps punitive, memory.

Yom Kippur: 4 big ideas for Israelis to reflect on during the fast day

Yom Kippur is not just a personal day, it is a public day that invites us to contemplate various aspects of our collective life.

 PEOPLE ON THE empty Jerusalem roads, on Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur: When your birthday falls on the holiest Jewish fast day

In general, feelings toward having a birthday on Yom Kippur range from relative indifference to downright disdain.

 ‘THE SPECIAL feeling of ‘It’s my birthday’ is not the same when it’s on Yom Kippur.’

Grapevine: Eroding Jerusalem’s character

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

A massive construction site off Jaffa Road, not far from the entrance to Jerusalem, seen in 2022.