HEBREW CALENDAR

God instructed Moses in Exodus 12, The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. In exodus 13:4 Moses is telling the people, Today in the month of Abib/Aviv you are leaving….

This marked the first month of the Sacred Jewish year, 6 months later at the start of the 7^th Month we celebrate The feast of Trumpets and the beginning of the civil/agricultural year otherwise known as Rosh Hashnah. It is believed that this is the time that creation started whereas Aviv was the time when the new beginnings for the nation of Israel started as they left Egypt.

Absolutely fascinating seeing that the 6 Jewish month of Elul ushers in a new civil year and is highly regarded, please note that 10 days after the 1^st day of the 7^th month of the Jewish year Tishrei is the holiest day in Jewish life, The day of Atonement, otherwise known as Yom Kippur.

Here is a brief outline of all Jewish months and the coinciding months on the secular solar calendar (Gregorian/Roman).

1. Nisan /Abib/Aviv
2. Iyar
3. Sivan
4. Tammuz
5. Av
6. Elul
7. Tishrei
8. Chesvan
9. Kislev
10. Tevet
11. Shvat
12. Adar

Below is a diagram that shows the coinciding months in the Gregorian calendar.

Courtesy of NSW Board of Jewish Education.

Today is 6^th September 2018 and we are in the month of Elul. According to the Jewish calendar today is 26^th Elul the year 5778 after creation, Elul is the final month of the civil year ushering the 7^th Month of Tisherei which hosts the high holidays meaning the last 3 feasts of the Lord written in Leviticus 23:-

1. Feast of trumpets - Leviticus 23:23, The Lord said to Moses, “say to the Israelites: on the first day of the seventh month, you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts….

This is why in Israel in a few days starting the evening of 9^th September 2018 the Jewish people will be observing the Feast of Trumpets.

This day will also mark the beginning of the new civil/agricultural year and Jews wish another Shana Tova Umetukah, meaning have a good, sweet year.

2. Day of atonement – Leviticus 23:26 – The Lord said to Moses, The Tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. Hold a sacred assembly, deny yourselves and present yourself an offering made to the Lord by fire….

3. Feast of tabernacle’s – Leviticus 23:33 – The Lord said to Moses, say to the Israelite’ on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, The Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins and it lasts for seven days.

What a phenomenal time and season to log into God’s blessings in this times.

September 2018 Feast Times

1. Evening of 9^th September to evening of 11^th September 2018 – Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashnah

2. Evening of 18^th September 2018 to evening of 19^th September 2018 – Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur. Holiest day in the Jewish calendar

3. Evening of 23^rd September to Evening of 30^th September 2018 – Feast of Tabernacles.

 As we enter this crucial season, stand firm and enter into the high holidays and enter into the place of greater covenant with the creator of Heaven and earth, Shana Tova. Blessed and sweet year 5779. 

Yvonne Njeri.