The seventh day of the week is Shabbat, the Sabbath, a holy day of rest. Other important Jewish holidays include Rosh haShana, the Jewish New Year: Yom Kip-pur, the solemn day of atonement; Sukkot, a festival of harvest that recalls the ancient Hebrews’ period of wandering in the wilderness; Simhat Torah, a celebration of the Torah; Hanukah, which commemorates the resanctification of the Temple of Jerusalem in 164 BC; Purim, which celebrates the Jews’ deliverance from threatened persecution as detailed in the book of Esther; Pesah (Passover), which recalls die Exodus from Egypt; Shavuot, which commemorates the revelation of the Torah at Mt. Sinai; Tisha B’Av, which memorializes the destruction of the First and Second Temples; and Tu B’Shevat, an ancient Arbor Day celebration.

Much of modern Jewish life revolves around the synagogue (beit knesset in Hebrew, shul in Yiddish), traditionally a place for worship, study, and communal assembly. In the synagogue, the aron hakodesh (the ark) houses the Torah scrolls, which are brought out to be read on Mondays, Thursdays, Shabbat, and many holidays. According to halakha. a minyan (prayer quorum) is constituted by at least ten Jews who have reached their 13th birthday; when one turns 13, one becomes a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, literally a “son/daughter of the commandments,” a Jewish adult and thus legally responsible to fulfill the mitzvot.