Stratford College welcomes students on a multi-denominational and no faith basis. We are however proud of our rich heritage and retain a Jewish ethos for students of that faith.

Rosh Hashana

(2 days) Tishrei 1-2

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year. This is the day that the creation of the world was completed, and is the birthday of the human race. Jews proclaim the sovereignty of God on this day and reaffirm their commitment to serve Him well. This is the beginning of the Ten days of Repentance, and even unaffiliated Jews will try and attend the Synagogue on these two days.

Yom Kippur

(1 day) Tishrei 10

Also known as Yom HaDin, the day of judgement, this is the holiest day of the Jewish Year, a day spent in the synagogue fasting and in prayer, to atone for any sins committed during the past year. Like Rosh Hashana, otherwise uninvolved Jews will fast and come to the synagogue on this day.

Sukkot

(7 days) Tishrei 15-22

Following shortly after Yom Kippur, this is a joyful festival, commemorating the wandering of the Children of Israel in the desert after leaving Egypt. During this week, observant Jews will spend as much time as possible is a temporary outdoor structure known as a sukkah. The roof of the sukkah is made of leaves and branches, similar to the huts lived in in the desert. Another observance of Sukkot is the binding together of the ‘four species’ – citron, palm, myrtle and willow, representing unity of mankind.

Simchat Torah

(1 day) Tishrei 23

The day after Sukkot, we celebrate the conclusion of the Reading of the Five Books of Moses (each week on Shabbat a portion of this is read in the Synagogue) by singing and dancing with the Torah Scrolls. Once finished the reading of the Torah is started afresh from Genesis.

Chanukah

(8 days) Kislev 25

Chanukah commemorates the victory of Judas Maccabeus and his followers over the Syrian-Greeks, who ruled oppressively over the Land of Israel over two thousand years ago, and tried to force the Jews to adopt their Hellenistic way of life. The recapturing of the Temple and the miraculous burning of oil is commemorated by the lighting of a chanukiya, or candelabra, each day for eight days.

Purim

(1 day) Adar 14

Purim celebrates the overturning of a plot by an evildoer named Haman to annihilate all the Jewish people in the Persian Empire – at that time almost all Jews lived under Persian rule. People go to work or school on this day if necessary, and celebrate with masquerades, giving gifts of food, charity, reading the story of Purim and eating and drinking.

Passover

(8 days) Nisan 15-22

Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery, which in turn led to the birth of the Jewish nation. It is also the Spring festival when Nature comes to life again after the Winter.

Shavuot

(2 days) Sivan 6-7

Shavuot commemorates the time when the Jewish nation received the Torah (Book of Law) at Mount Sinai, seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt. Jews regard this, the Divine Revelation, as one of the most important events in history.

 

These dates are based on the Jewish (lunar) calendar. As such they will vary on the civil calendar. Tishrei is roughly September/October. Nisan is usually April. Sivan is usually June.

Only the first and last days of the longer festivals are prohibited from work and schools.