Jewish Calendar: Dates, Holidays, and Zmanim
How Hebrew dates connect with location, holidays, Torah readings, and halachic times.
The fixed Hebrew calendar is lunisolar. Most years have 12 months; a leap year adds Adar I, and seven years in each 19-year cycle are leap years.
The fixed calendar uses the same sequence of Hebrew dates in Israel and the diaspora, but each date changes in the evening according to the observer’s location. Festival observance and the Torah-reading cycle can also differ. Zmanim depend on date, coordinates, timezone, and the stated calculation method.
A Jewish day begins in the evening, while date-conversion tools commonly accept a civil date. For an event near sunset, location and time matter as well as the Gregorian date.
What you get in Madreiga
- ·Hebrew and Gregorian date context
- ·Calendar events for Israel or the diaspora
- ·City-based zmanim with a stated calculation method
- ·Links to parasha, holiday, and learning pages
Frequently asked questions
How is the Hebrew calendar structured?
It is a fixed lunisolar calendar. The months follow the lunar cycle, while seven leap years in each 19-year cycle help keep the festivals in their seasons.
Is the Hebrew date different in Israel and the diaspora?
The calendar sequence is the same, but a Hebrew date begins in the evening at the observer’s location. Festival observance and Torah readings can also differ between Israel and the diaspora.
When does Shabbat begin?
Shabbat is accepted before sunset for tosefet Shabbat, and local candle-lighting times are scheduled before sunset. From sunset onward, bein hashmashot is treated as Shabbat. Communities use different accepted methods to determine the end of Shabbat, so follow local practice.
Why does Rosh Chodesh sometimes last two days?
When the outgoing month has 30 days, its thirtieth day and the first day of the new month are both Rosh Chodesh. After a 29-day month, Rosh Chodesh is one day. It is not simply another name for the instant of the molad.