Dates of Jewish Holidays and Official Israel Holidays
Israel observes the dates of Jewish holidays plus a few more recent national ones as official Israel holidays. The official day of rest is the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at nightfall on Friday and ends after dark on Saturday night. On the Sabbath and official religious holidays, expect most establishments to be closed and transportation to be scarce in western Jerusalem. Public buses stop running an hour before the start of the Sabbath or holiday, as do many taxi services. On national holidays - as opposed to religious ones - transportation is usually available, although businesses may be closed.
The Jewish day begins at sunset. Thus, please note that the dates of Jewish holidays listed below are for the daytime - observance of the holidays actually begins the evening before the given dates! For example, observance of Yom Kippur, listed below on September 28, 2009, will actually begin an hour before sundown on September 27.
| Dates of Jewish Holidays and Official Israel Holidays | 2009 | 2010 |
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| Shushan Purim – this joyous religious Jewish holiday is not an official holiday, although most people take the day off. In the rest of Israel and the world, the holiday of Purim is celebrated the day before. However, cities that were walled at the time of the Purim miracle celebrate Shushan Purim. Jerusalem is one of the few places able to celebrate Shushan Purim. Public transportation is available but traffic – both vehicular and pedestrian – is a nightmare: everyone is out in the streets! | March 11 | March 1 | | Passover – The first and last day of the week of Passover are official holidays. Most government offices may also be closed or operating only half days during the intervening days, a period known as Chol Hamo’ed (see below). | April 9 – 15 | March 30 - April 5 | | Yom Hasho’ah - Holocaust Remembrance Day | April 21 | April 12 | | Yom Hazikaron – Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers | April 28 | April 19 | | Israel Independence Day | April 29 | April 20 | | Jerusalem Day – commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 | May 22 | May 12 | | Shavuot - the Festival of Weeks | May 29 | May 19 | | Tisha B’Av – This is a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of both the First and the Second Temples. Transportation is available and many stores are open, especially in the afternoon. | July 30 | July 20 | | Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish new year. This is a two day holiday. No transportation, businesses and government offices closed. | September 19 - 20 | September 9 - 10 | | Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. The country pretty much comes to a standstill. Everything is closed, no transportation. | September 28 | September 18 | | Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles. The first and last days of this eight-day holiday are official holidays. Most government offices may also be closed or operating only half days during the intervening days, a period known as Chol Hamo’ed. | October 3 - 10 | September 23 - 30 |
During Chol Hamo’ed, the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot, public transportation is available. Businesses may or may not be open and most government offices are closed. This is when tourist attractions do a booming business from vacationing Israelis, however, so be aware that most historical sites, museums and public parks will be very crowded.
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