Israel is gearing up for the fall tourism high season marked by the Jewish High Holidays, the Christian Feast of the Tabernacles and the Catholic International Day of Faith.
The 10 holiest days of the Jewish calendar begin with Rosh Hashanah, the Hebrew New Year, the evening of Sept. 4, through the solemn Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, September 14 to 15. Many Israeli shops, restaurants and attractions will be closed on the two days.
That’s followed in October by the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, the Biblical harvest festival, celebrated by the Jewish community as well as with the largest annual Evangelical event in Israel, hosted by the International Christian Embassy.
This year it is being celebrated October 15-18, with events including the popular Jerusalem March, cultural performances, prayer, inspirational speakers and musical performances.
November brings the annual International Day of Faith celebration, for which thousands of Roman Catholics from Israel and around the world gather in the streets of Nazareth.
This year’s celebration, November 16-17, includes a selection of Catholic mass and prayer services, including a solemn Mass presided over by Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and featuring the Bishop of Galilee and a representative from the Vatican, as well as an artistic program featuring liturgy and chants from Catholic communities from around the world.
The weekend will also feature music performances and art workshops in various churches and holy sites in Nazareth, including Mount Precipice and the Basilica of the Annunciation, as well as the city’s open-air squares.
The annual International Day of Faith follows the "Year of Faith" declaration written by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2011, after his visit to the Holy Land.
Pilgrims in Israel can also visit the nearby Christian holy sites around the Sea of Galilee, including Tabgha (site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes), Capernaum (home of Peter), the Mount of Beatitudes, as well as sites further afield, such as Mount Tabor, Cana, Jerusalem and the Qasr el Yahud baptismal site on the River Jordan.
For more information, visit http://www.holyland-pilgrimage.org/node/1784.
By Cheryl Rosen
