Shemini Atzeret
Wed, Oct 23
|All Day
Shemini Atzeret, which falls on October 23, is the postscript to the seven days of Sukkot. Its role is as an extra day of spiritual celebration of the protective relationship between God and his chosen people, the Jews. This day combines both thanksgiving for the harvest and prayer for rain.
Time & Location
Oct 23, 2024, 12:00 AM
All Day
About the event
Most of the Jewish holidays commemorate a historical event, like the flight from Egypt, or focus the faithful on some worthwhile, daunting goal, like atonement. Not so for Shemini Atzeret. No one is sure how or why there even is a Shemini Atzeret.
Rabbis have been arguing for centuries about what the name even means. That’s because no one really knows what the word “atzeret” means. It’s usually translated as “assembly,” or “gathering,” and it may be derived from the verb “atzar,” which may mean “to stop.” But generally, today, “Atzeret” is considered to mean “a solemn gathering.” Click HERE to view the resources developed by National Today.