SC - period jam and pudding

[Sharon R. Saroff]

There are 2 holidays not mentioned here that are mentioned in the Torah.
The first is Hoshana Rabba which is basically the last day of the holiday
of Sukkoth and the other is Shimini Atzeret.

Below is an explanation of these holidays taken from a research article I
wrote for the Elfsea Newsletter.  If anyone is interested in more
information, let me know.

Sindara

"The seventh day of "Sukkoth" has a special name because it is said that
God, the Master of the Universe, opens the gates of heaven one more time to
forgive sins on this day. The seventh day is called "Hoshana Rabbah" after
the special prayers recited on this day. During the "Sukkoth" prayer
service a special prayer called "Hoshanath" are recited. "Hoshanath" is a
group of seven prayers that ask God to "save us" and forgive our sins. Each
day a different "Hoshanath" prayer is recited. On "Hoshana Rabbah" all
seven are recited. Part of the custom of "Hoshanath" is to parade around
the synagogue, waving the "Lulav" and "Etrog". On the eve of "Hoshana
Rabbah" the men of the household spend all night in the "Sukkah" studying
passages from the Torah and the "Zohar-book of splendor". Those mourning a
loved one bring grapes and cake to those who are studying. This is served
with sweet coffee and cinnamon tea.
The day after "Hoshana Rabbah" is yet another holiday. It is called
"Shimini Hag Ha' Atzeret-the Eighth day Assembly Holiday". The Torah
commands us to celebrate this day with complete joy. We are not commanded
to eat any longer in the "Sukkah". We do not partake of the "Lulav" and
"Etrog". We are simply commanded to rejoice. Our God is asking us to spend
one more day with him before returning to our mundane lives. During the
prayer service it is customary to recite the prayer for "Geshem-rain" so
that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will give a good rain and a good harvest
for the coming year."





At 09:44 AM 11/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Here is my list of Jewish holidays and the observances and food that go
>along with each of them.  The dates are marked with a * which denotes a
>floating holiday, a full explaination is in the introduction of the book.
> So consider the calendar dates as a basic idea of when these holidays
>occur.  Any additional observance information would be welcome.  
>	Mistress Christianna
>JAN 29
>Tu Bi-Sh'vot* - Jewish - "the 15th of Sh'vot" or the New Year of the
>Trees- families plant a tree for each child born that year, cedars for
>boys and cypress for girls. When the child married, the tree would be cut
>down for a post for their wedding canopy.  Trees are blooming in the Land
>of Israel now, and the fruits of those trees are eaten, oranges, dates,
>figs, raisins, carob beans, and almonds.  
>MAR 16
>Purim* - Jewish - "The Feast of Lots".  Only a Jew named Mordechai
>refused to bow to Haman, wicked advisor to King Ahasuerus of Persia, and
>Haman wanted to kill the Jews.  He convinced the king to draw a lot (or
>pur) to decide the day of slaughter.  But the king's beautiful queen,
>Esther, who was Jewish, asked him to save her people, and the king
>remembered that Mordechai had warned him of a plot on his life.  He
>proclaimed the Jews would live, and hanged Haman on the gallows he had
>built for Mordechai.  On this day the Book of Esther is read, and people
>drown out every mention of Haman with noisemakers and stomping feet.
>Masks and costumes are worn, especially by companies of amateur actors
>called Purim Shpieler (Purim Players), who act out the Purim story.
>Triangular cakes filled with poppyseed or fruit are served called Haman
>Taschen.  ('Purim' also means 'dice'.)
>APRIL 22
>Passover* - Jewish - "The Festival of Freedom".  More than 3,000 years
>ago, the Jews were slaves in Egypt, building the pyramids.  One day God
>spoke to the shepherd Moses from a burning bush, telling him to lead the
>suffering Jews out of Egypt. But Pharaoh would not let the Jews go, even
>though God struck Egypt with many plagues, including locusts, fire, and
>hailstones. Finally Moses told Pharaoh that a tenth and last plague would
>kill all the Egyptian's first born sons. As a signal to the Angel of
>Death, the Jews sacrificed a lamb and sprinkled some of the blood on
>their door posts, and the Angel "passed over" (pasah) their homes when he
>came to kill the Egyptians. After this plague, Pharaoh finally gave in.
>The Jews quickly left, and the waters of the Red Sea parted to let them
>through. By now, Pharaoh had changed his mind and sent soldiers in
>pursuit. The waters closed over the Egyptians. Today, to celebrate,
>Jewish families eat a ceremonial dinner called the seder at which they
>retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, and serve special foods that
>commemorate it. The matzah, a flat, unleavened bread, recalls the haste
>with which the Jews had to leave Egypt: They couldn't wait for their
>bread to rise. Blessings and songs also celebrate this day of freedom.
>The Last Supper was a Passover feast.  The first Good Friday (the day on
>which Christ died) was during Passover.
>MAY 21
>Shavuot* - Jewish - The "Festival of Weeks" comes exactly seven weeks
>after Passover. It celebrates Moses' return from the top of Mt. Sinai in
>the desert. He brought his people two stone tablets with God's Ten
>Commandments, the fundamental laws of the Jewish faith. Shavuot was
>originally an agricultural holiday to celebrate the beginning of the
>wheat harvest, when farmers brought some of their bounty to the Temple in
>Jerusalem. Today many Jews eat a dairy meal to symbolize the promised
>land, " a land flowing with milk and honey".   At the age of 16, Jewish
>teens go through a Confirmation ceremony on Shavout, to be counted among
>all of the Jews in the world. ("Shabuoth", "Shovuos")
>AUG 5
>Tisha be-Av* - Jewish - This is a day of mourning and fasting in memory
>of the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem,
>which both happened on the same date (the "Ninth of Av"). In 586 BC, the
>Babylonians destroyed the First Temple, and the Jews rebuilt it. In 70AD,
>the Romans burned down the Second Temple, and a long period of Jewish
>exile began. People read the sad poetry of the Book of Lamentations and
>also grieve for all those times in history when Jews have suffered.
>SEPT 11
>Rosh ha-Shanah* - Jewish - Meaning "Head of the New Year", this holiday
>marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, which continue for 10 days
>until Yom Kippur. Celebrated at the beginning of the Hebrew Month Tishri,
>the first month of the year, to commemorate the creation of the world,
>which according to tradition started in 3761 BCE. (See Oct. 7th) The
>story of Abraham, whose faith in God was so great that he was willing to
>sacrifice his son, Issac to Him, is read during services. God relented
>and Abraham sacrificed a ram instead, and a ram's horn is blown during
>the service. Special food eaten includes the round loaf of Challah bread,
>to signify that the year comes around to a new beginning, and apples
>dipped in honey to make the New Year sweet. Ten days of self-examination
>and repentance reach their fulfillment in Yom Kippur, the Day of
>Atonement.
>SEPT 21
>Yom Kippur* - Jewish - "Day of Atonement" is the holiest day on the
>Jewish calendar. They believe that God studies a book of everyone's deeds
>during the past year on the first ten days of the New Year. On the tenth
>day, Yom Kippur, He decides how each person will live in the year to
>come. Many Jews fast from the sundown the day before until the sun sets
>on Yom Kippur. They pray that God will forgive them their sins and that
>they will live well in the New Year. A taper large enough to burn for 24
>hours is lighted in each home to remember the dead.
>OCT 1
>Sukkot* - Jewish - The "Feast of Booths" commemorates the period after
>the exodus from Egypt when  Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years.
>During harvest times, they lived in temporary huts, or "Sukkot". Many
>Jews build a "sukkah" out of branches or hay and leave them up for the
>nine days of the festival, eating and sometimes sleeping in them. 
>("Succoth" - Jewish Thanksgiving Day)
>OCT 8
>Simhat Torah* - Jewish - Each synagogue has its own hand-lettered scrolls
>of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. During a year of weekly
>services the entire Torah is read, and on Simhat Torah, "Rejoicing in the
>Law" the final book is completed and the cycle begins again. In
>celebration
>everyone dances and sings, passing the Torah scrolls to one another.
>DEC 10
>Hanukkah* - Jewish - More than 2,000 years ago, when the Syrian King
>Antiochus IV occupied Jerusalem, he forced the Jews to worship the Greek
>Gods.  For three years, Judah the Maccabee led a rebellion against the
>Syrians, and when he finally defeated them, the Jews could worship freely
>again. To rededicate the Temple, they cleaned it from top to bottom, and
>then had to relight the 'menorah', a candelabrum. But only enough oil
>could be found for 1 day, and it would take 8 days to get more oil.
>Incredibly, the little bottle of oil did last for 8 days, and Hanukah
>celebrates both this miracle and the "Rededication". An 8 day
>celebration, families light one candle the first night, 2 candles the
>second night, and so on.  There are songs, stories, presents, prayers,
>and games of chance with tops called dreidels.
>
>>From "366 Days of Celebrations, or, A Year Full of Reasons to Throw a
>Party" by Christine Seelye-King
>
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