Life after Pesach: The minor league holidays

As soon as the Passover Seders have passed, many are content to NOT celebrate so much for a while. And yet, there are another six days plus a dozen holidays and commemorations in the space of a month and a half, leading up to the anniversary of receiving the Torah, Shavuot. Any description of the Jewish festive cycle must make mention of these milestones typically left out of the holiday hall of fame. Borscht Belt comedian Alan King famously summarized all Jewish holidays: “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!” I’m illuminating all of the lesser blips on the radar so we don’t miss out on anything!

These special dates are listed according to their placement on the lunar calendar. To figure out their solar/Western counterpart, simply consult a current Jewish-Gregorian calendar. Hebcal.com is an indispensable online resource.

The 15/16th of Nissan — Leil Seder — The Passover Seder nights.

The 16th of Nissan — S’firat Ha’omer — As soon as the first day of Pesach is over, we start a unique period called S’firat Ha’omer, during which we count the forty-nine days until Shavuot. Forty-nine is a crucial number in Judaism; since the number seven runs throughout the fabric of reality (days of week, colors in rainbow, notes in a scale), logically, seven squared is significant.

In the days of the Temple, a certain measurement known as an omer (about ten cups) of barley was offered by the Cohanim (priests) beginning on the second day of Pesach. We would start the count of one a day, building up our anticipation of the new wheat harvest and the upcoming offering of whole bread loaves on Shavuot. This counting recreates our initial preparation for the Revelation at Mount Sinai in the year 2448 and allows us to refine our character traits to prepare for the ultimate kabbalah, personally receiving the Torah.

According to the Talmud, 12,000 pairs of Rabbi Akiva’s students died during S’firat Ha’omer as a punishment for not treating each other with proper respect. This period became associated with an awareness of the importance of achdut (Jewish unity) and a state of semi-mourning. Celebrations like weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties, concerts or even niceties like a shave or haircut are prohibited. What should have been a time of joyous anticipation is now subdued.

The 17th of Nissan — Chol Hamo’ed — The Chol Hamo’ed (intermediate days) of Passover begin as soon as the second day of the holiday (or the first day in Israel) has ended. The four days retain a festive nature but most types of melacha (creative acts forbidden on holidays) can be done. Our prayers are of the weekday variety with special holiday insertions, plus the addition of a celebratory Hallel, Torah reading and Mussaf.

I think it is best (and the rabbis agree), if at all possible, to take the week off in order to relax and enjoy day trips with friends and family. Most amusement parks, hiking spots and beaches are empty, unless Passover coincides with Spring Break. The Shabbat of Chol Hamo’ed is a unique collision of holiday joy and Sabbath sanctity. The services that day are particularly animated and in most synagogues, are enhanced with the public reading of the evocative love poetry of King Solomon’s Shir Hashirim, the Song of Songs.

21st/22nd of Nissan — Sh’vi’i and Acharon of Pesach — These are the last two days of the week of Pesach. They have the same restrictions as any Jewish holiday, but cooking and carrying things from one place to another is permitted. There are no special observances other than the pleasure of hearing the Torah portion featuring the splitting of the Red Sea on the anniversary of our crossing. The eighth day of the holiday is one of the few formal times we pause to remember those loved ones who are niftar (passed away) in a short memorial ceremony called Yizkor.

The 26th of Nissan — Yom Hashoah — The first of many commemorations on the heels of Pesach is Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Day). This date was chosen by the Israeli government to memorialize the Six Million since it is close to the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Clearly, the authorities chose this famous revolt because it represents the indomitable Jewish spirit, even though it was doomed. Whereas some Orthodox pundits maintain that Tisha B’Av memorializes all maladies throughout history, I think it is appropriate that the Holocaust has its own milestone. While it is more of an event in the Holy Land, Diaspora organizations typically hold memorials featuring survivor testimonials, and it is also the day on which over 10,000 participants on the annual March of the Living meet in Auschwitz.

The 1st and 2nd of Iyar — Rosh Chodesh Iyar — The next special day is actually a holiday occurring every month. Rosh Chodesh (head of the month) is the celebration of the new moon. Chodesh (month) is also closely related to the word for newness, chadash. This mitzvah is the very first given to the Jews as a free people right before leaving Egypt. Two weeks after the beginning of Pesach is the next Rosh Chodesh, this time for the month of Iyar.

The Rosh Chodesh service includes Hallel and a special Mussaf. Hallel is a series of Psalms describing our national redemption, God’s love for the Jewish People and how we reciprocate with dutiful partnership and gratitude.

The 3rd of Iyar — Yom Hazikaron — Yom Hazikaron is Israel’s official Memorial Day in remembrance of those who fell in war or acts of terrorism. Back in 1951, the Israeli government decided to separate the ecstatic celebration of Independence Day from mourning and memory, so Yom Hazikaron split off and shifted to the day before. One-minute sirens are sounded at the start of the day at 8:00 pm (our days start at night) and then again the following morning at 11:00 am when the official ceremonies begin. This practice of solemnity before jubilation heightens the awareness of the price paid for Jewish independence.

The 4th of Iyar — Yom Ha’atzma’ut — Yom Ha’atzma’ut, Independence Day is a serious party throughout the Land of Israel. Crowds gather for concerts and dancing and proudly display Israeli flags on their apartments, cars and bodies. Since we usually don’t have this day off in the Diaspora, citywide outdoor concerts are scheduled on a proximal Sunday. Yom Ha’atzma’ut is an uplifting time of Jewish unity.

The 14th of Iyar — Pesach Sheini — Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach called it the “capital of second chances.” It was initiated thanks to spiritually impure Israelites arguing to Moshe Rabbeinu that they, too, had a right to a Passover celebration. One month after the official Seder, God established the designated time when such individuals could bring the Pesach offering.

The 18th of Iyar — Lag B’omer — Lag B’omer is an acronym of the Hebrew letters lamed and gimel, signifying the 33rd day of the counting of the omer. This day commemorates the yahrzeit (death anniversary) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the great mystic who popularized the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah in his text, the Zohar. He commanded his disciples to rejoice on this day; parties replete with bonfires, concerts and dancing celebrate his life and the revelation of the hidden secrets of Torah erupt worldwide.

The 28th of Iyar — Yom Yerushalayim — Yom Yerushalayim commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem following the 1967 Six Day War. Many remember this milestone as the modern-day apex of international Jewish pride. King David established Jerusalem as the seat of his monarchy around 1000 BCE. The ’67 victory marked the first time in thousands of years that all Jerusalem, including the Kotel, came under Jewish control.

The 1st of Sivan — Rosh Chodesh Sivan — Rosh Chodesh once again! That makes for a total of a dozen “holidays” for our enjoyment between the Seders and Shavuot on the 6th/7th of Sivan. Welcome to the Minor Leagues. Whoever said “it is hard to be a Jew” clearly missed the point; being Jewish is a PARTY! May we all celebrate together in Jerusalem.