Last Updated on September 26, 2021

The Hebrew Calendar & Months of the Year

By: Rav Nissim Mordechai Makor

The Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles.  At the beginning of the month – ‘Rosh Hodesh’– ראש חודש the moon appears as a thin crescent.  During the course of the month the moon waxes or gets larger until it is full – in the middle of the month.  When it is full, the moon begins to wane and gets smaller so that by the end of the cycle, at the time of the new moon, we see a thin crescent again.

There are 12 months in the Jewish calendar except during a leap year when there are 13 months.

Rav Nissim Mordechai Makor, an oleh from South Africa, explains how each of the Jewish calendar months are special and have their own unique characteristics.

• Tishrei
• Cheshvan
• Kislev
• Tevet
• Shevat
• Adar
• Nissan
• Iyar
• Sivan
• Tammuz
• Av
• Elul

Commentaries on Parshat Hashavua by Rabbi Nissim Mordechai Makor

Shabbat and festival candle lighting times

The Gregorian months of the year with Hebrew translations and transliterations

A fun fact 

Did you know that there are 4 months in the Turkish calendar that cognate, or take their names from Hebrew months and they are;