Jewish holidays are rich with themes and stories that commemorate a Jewish past and observe religious rituals shared by Jews around the world.
Students at the University of South Carolina can celebrate Jewish holidays and find a Jewish home away from home at Hillel: University of South Carolina - Hillel International and Chabad: Chabad At USC - ChabadofSC.com Hillel and Chabad organize Shabbat gatherings, religious holidays, social events, and offer community service opportunities.
Jewish Holiday Calendar:
Hanukkah is the Jewish “Festival of Lights,” a wintertime holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees in the 2nd century BC. One of the most beloved Jewish holidays, it involves the nightly lighting of a chanukiah (a candelabrum with nine candles).
Purim commemorates the events described in the Book of Esther. It is celebrated by reading or acting out the story of Esther (often by dressing up), and by making a raucous noise at every mention of Haman’s name. During Purim, it is tradition to masquerade in costumes and to gift food and drink to the poor.
Passover commemorates the exodus and liberation of ancient Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is one of Judaism’s most significant holidays, lasting eight days. During Passover, observant Jews don’t consume leavened foods to commemorate Jews leaving Egypt so quickly that bread had no time to rise. Passover is often celebrated with great ceremony and intention, especially on the first two nights, when families share a ritual meal, a seder.
Yom HaShoah is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating six million Jewish lives lost during WWII and the Holocaust.
Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai, marking the transformation of the Israelites from former slaves into a unified nation with a covenant with God. The holiday is also an ancient agricultural festival that celebrates the end of the wheat harvest and the bringing of “first fruits” to the Temple in Jerusalem. Key traditions include studying Torah, hearing the Ten Commandments read in synagogues, and eating dairy foods. The name Shavuot means “weeks” in Hebrew and refers to the seven-week period of the “Counting of the Omer” occurring between Passover and Shavuot.
Tisha B’av is the 9th of the month of Av. It is a day of mourning, marking the destruction of the ancient temples in Jerusalem.
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebration, encouraging Jews to reflect on the past year and think about the year ahead. Traditional foods include pomegranate and challah and apples dipped in honey, symbolic of the sweet New Year to come. The shofar (a ram’s horn) is blown during the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah and during Rosh Hashanah services.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is one of the most important days on the Jewish calendar that falls exactly 10 days after Rosh Hashanah. Three essential paths—prayer, fasting, and charity—guide observers to this state of atonement. Yom Kippur emphasizes prayers for forgiveness, introspection, spiritual awakening, and tzedakah (charity).
Sukkot is a week-long Jewish holiday celebrating the fall harvest and commemorating the forty years of Israelites wandering the desert after leaving Egypt. During Sukkot, people build and live in temporary huts called sukkahs, symbolizing the temporary shelters that God provided following the exodus. Sukkot is therefore known as the Feast of Booths. A holiday of joy, it lasts for 8 days and includes building a sukkah for families and guests.
Simchat Torah literally translates to “Rejoicing with the Torah.” It is known as the celebration of finishing the annual cycle of readings of the Torah, and on the same day, beginning anew, representing the unending circle of the Torah.
Religious Observance During the School Year
University of South Carolina attendance policy regarding absences for religious observance suggests that students “meet with the instructor early in the semester to discuss the consequences of potential excessive absences due to … observances of major religious holidays according to the interfaith calendar.” It is further suggested that “faculty give due consideration to absences relating to … religious holy day[s].”
If you are a student whose Jewish holiday observance falls on a class day, you should consult with your instructor early in the semester to advise him/her regarding your plans to be absent for the holidays that you plan to observe. If you need further assistance in gaining accommodation, you should next consult with your academic advisor (undergraduate or graduate). You should not expect full accommodation if you do not inform your instructor until the week of the observance, or if you miss a class without first explaining the reasons for your absence.
If you are an instructor needing to observe a Jewish holiday on one of your assigned teaching days, you should first discuss the matter with your department chair. Possible accommodations (depending upon the type of course) may include (but are not limited to): arranging for a colleague in your department to cover your classes, preparing a graduate assistant to provide instruction in your absence, planning an internet-based assignment to be done during the class time, or rescheduling a class meeting (provided all those enrolled in the class can be accommodated). If you need further assistance in making such arrangements or in explaining your circumstances, you might next consult with the office of your College or School Dean.
Instructors and students with questions about such accommodations, or who wish advice concerning accommodation for Jewish religious observance, are welcome to contact the director of Jewish Studies (see faculty page).
Jewish Holidays (2025–26)
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Thu., Oct. 2, 2025Yom Kippur — The holiest day of the Jewish year; repentance, fasting, and forgiveness at the close of the Ten Days of Awe.Tradition: Judaism
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Mon., Oct. 6 – Mon., Oct. 13, 2025Sukkot — Eight-day festival of booths and the fall harvest; thanksgiving for God’s presence. The Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) concludes Sukkot and is also a distinct festival.Tradition: Judaism
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Sun., Feb. 1, 2026Tu B’Shevat — Mid-winter “New Year of the Trees” (often “Jewish Earth Day”).Tradition: Judaism
Major Holidays (Religious observance, where no work is permitted - writing, driving
etc.):
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, First Days of Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Passover and Shavuot
Non major holidays (Work is permitted but due to the holiday, people may have events
and services):
Chanukah, Purim
NOTE: The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. Thus, all holiday observances begin the night before, as listed.