Jewish Holidays in Israel 2026–27: Dates, School Breaks and What Closes

28 Oct 2026 · 12 min

Every holiday from Chanukah 2026 to Sukkot 2027 with Israel dates and Jerusalem times, which days are legal days off, the 2026–27 school breaks, and what closes on each kind of day.

Short answer: in 2027 the days when Jerusalem shuts completely, with no buses, light rail, shops or offices, are the first and seventh days of Pesach (Thursday 22 and Wednesday 28 April), Shavuot (Friday 11 June, running straight into Shabbat), Rosh Hashanah (Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October), Yom Kippur (Monday 11 October), and the first day of Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret, which both fall on Shabbat. Yom HaAtzmaut (Wednesday 12 May) is also a legal day off, but buses run. Chanukah, Purim, the fasts, Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron are working days. For 2026–27 the main school breaks are Chanukah (6–12 December), Purim (23–24 March) and Pesach (13–28 April). Gan and primary school finish on 30 June 2027.

Dates are for Israel, where festivals last one day rather than two (except Rosh Hashanah). Times are for Jerusalem, from Hebcal: candle lighting is 40 minutes before sunset, as is the custom here, and the end time is nightfall. Every Jewish day starts the evening before. Our Shabbat page has this week's times.

Four kinds of day

Yom tov (a full chag). A legal day of rest, kept like Shabbat. Shops, offices, banks and the post office close. Buses and the light rail stop in the afternoon before and restart after the chag ends. Hospitals, urgent care and the duty pharmacy are open. The law sets these days: two days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first day of Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, the first and seventh days of Pesach, and Shavuot.
A statutory day off that is not a chag. Yom HaAtzmaut is a shabbaton by law: most people have the day off and schools and banks close, but buses run and each business decides whether to open.
Chol hamoed and erev chag. Not legal days off. On erev chag shops close early and buses stop in the afternoon, much like a Friday. On chol hamoed, the middle days of Pesach and Sukkot, schools are closed, shops and attractions are open and busy, and many workplaces close or work short days.
A working day with something on. Chanukah, Purim, the fasts, Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, Lag BaOmer and Yom Yerushalayim are normal working days. On the two memorial days, the law closes places of entertainment, and on their eves cafés close too.

Shabbat and chagim in Jerusalem explains the weekly and yearly rhythm in more detail.

Every holiday, Chanukah 2026 to Sukkot 2027

Chanukah: Friday 4 to Saturday 12 December 2026

Starts on Friday evening 4 December: light Chanukah candles first, then Shabbat candles at 15:54. The eighth candle is on Friday 11 December, and Chanukah ends on Shabbat 12 December at 17:16.
In practice: a normal working week. Shops, offices, buses and the light rail run. Schools and ganim are closed from Sunday 6 to Saturday 12 December and go back on Sunday 13 December. Our Chanukah guide has the lightings and events.

Asara B'Tevet: Sunday 20 December 2026

A minor fast from dawn (05:17) to nightfall (16:54). A normal working and school day.

Tu BiShvat: Saturday 23 January 2027

The new year for trees. It falls on Shabbat in 2027, so there is nothing to plan around. It is not a day off in any year.

Ta'anit Esther, Purim and Shushan Purim: 22–24 March 2027

Monday 22 March: Ta'anit Esther. A minor fast from 04:29 to 18:07. A normal working and school day.
Tuesday 23 March: Purim in most of Israel, with the megillah read on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Wednesday 24 March: Shushan Purim, which is Purim in Jerusalem. Here the megillah is read on Tuesday night, 23 March, and again on Wednesday morning.
In practice: neither day is a legal day off; your employer decides. Schools are expected to be off on Tuesday and Wednesday, back on Thursday 25 March. The Bank of Israel lists 23 March as Purim in Tel Aviv and 24 March as Purim in Jerusalem, and publishes no exchange rate on either day. Buses and the light rail run, with diversions. Our Purim guide covers megillah readings and the parade.

Pesach: Wednesday 21 to Wednesday 28 April 2027

Wednesday 21 April: Erev Pesach. Ta'anit Bechorot, the fast of the firstborn, from 04:48. Finish eating chametz by 10:27 and burn it by 11:33. Seder night: candles at 18:31. Buses stop in the afternoon.
Thursday 22 April: first day of Pesach (yom tov). Everything closes. Ends at 19:51.
Friday 23 to Tuesday 27 April: chol hamoed. Shabbat on 24 April falls in the middle (candles on Friday at 18:33, Shabbat ends at 19:52). Schools are closed, buses run, and attractions are open and crowded.
Tuesday 27 April: erev chag. Candles at 18:36 for the seventh day.
Wednesday 28 April: seventh day of Pesach (yom tov). Everything closes. Ends at 19:55. Schools go back on Thursday 29 April.

Our Pesach guide covers chametz, Birkat Kohanim at the Kotel and chol hamoed.

Yom HaShoah: Tuesday 4 May 2027

Starts at sunset on Monday 3 May and ends at nightfall on Tuesday 4 May.
The siren: two minutes at 10:00 on Tuesday morning. Traffic stops and people stand still where they are, including drivers on the main roads.
In practice: a normal working and school day; schools hold ceremonies. By law there is no public entertainment that day, and cafés also close on the eve. Expect cinemas, clubs and concerts to be closed from Monday evening.

Yom HaZikaron: Tuesday 11 May 2027

Starts at sunset on Monday 10 May and runs until Yom HaAtzmaut begins on Tuesday evening.
Two sirens: one minute at 20:00 on Monday 10 May, and two minutes at 11:00 on Tuesday 11 May, before the ceremonies at the military cemeteries, including Mount Herzl.
In practice: a working day. School ends early, at 12:00, according to news copies of the Ministry calendar. By law there is no public entertainment on the day, and cafés close from the start of the evening until sunrise.

Yom HaAtzmaut: Wednesday 12 May 2027

Starts on Tuesday evening 11 May, straight after Yom HaZikaron, with ceremonies, fireworks and street parties.
In practice: a shabbaton by law, so a paid day off for most workers. Schools, banks, the post office and government offices are closed, and the Bank of Israel publishes no exchange rate. Buses and the light rail run on a holiday timetable, so check Moovit. Parks such as Sacher Park fill with barbecues from the morning.

Lag BaOmer: Tuesday 25 May 2027

Bonfires on Monday night, 24 May. Tuesday is a normal working and school day. Expect smoke in the parks and open spaces on Monday night.

Yom Yerushalayim: Friday 4 June 2027

Jerusalem Day starts on Thursday evening, 3 June. By law it is a "choice day": you can take it off as annual leave or work, so for most people it is a normal day. Schools are open. In Jerusalem it is the day of the Flag March and road closures in the city centre and around the Old City. In 2027 it falls on a Friday, so check whether events move to Thursday.

Shavuot: Thursday evening 10 June to Saturday night 12 June 2027

Thursday 10 June: Erev Shavuot. Candles at 19:04. Buses stop in the afternoon.
Friday 11 June: Shavuot (yom tov). Shabbat starts straight after it (Shabbat candles at 19:04, lit from an existing flame), and both end at 20:27 on Saturday night.
In practice: two days in a row with everything closed and no buses, from Thursday afternoon to Saturday night. Do the shopping by Thursday morning. Schools are off on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 June and back on Sunday 13 June.

17 Tammuz: Thursday 22 July 2027

A minor fast from 04:25 to 19:58, and the start of the Three Weeks. A normal working day; schools are already on their summer break.

Tisha B'Av: Wednesday evening 11 to Thursday 12 August 2027

The fast runs for a full day, from 19:27 on Wednesday 11 August to 19:54 on Thursday 12 August.
In practice: a working day for most people, but banks are closed and the Bank of Israel publishes no exchange rate. The law lets each city ban public entertainment on the day and the opening of restaurants and cafés on the night, so check before you book a table for Wednesday night. The Old City and the Kotel are full of people reading Eicha on Wednesday night.

Rosh Hashanah 5788: Friday evening 1 to Sunday 3 October 2027

Friday 1 October: Erev Rosh Hashanah. Candles at 17:44, for Shabbat and the chag together. A short Friday: shops close early and buses stop in the afternoon. The Bank of Israel publishes no exchange rate, though commercial banks work.
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October (yom tov). Candles for the second night after 18:59 on Saturday. It ends at 18:58 on Sunday.
In practice: with Shabbat in front, the city is closed from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. Sunday 3 October is a bank holiday.

Tzom Gedaliah: Monday 4 October 2027

A minor fast from 05:23 to 18:36. A normal working day.

Yom Kippur: Sunday evening 10 to Monday 11 October 2027

Starts with candles at 17:33 on Sunday 10 October (Erev Yom Kippur, which is itself a bank holiday). The fast ends at 18:48 on Monday 11 October.
In practice: the strictest closure of the year. Buses, the light rail and trains stop from Sunday afternoon, Ben Gurion stops flights, and by custom almost nobody drives, so children cycle on the empty main roads. Shops and cafés close. Hospitals and emergency services work as usual.

Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret 5788: Friday 15 to Saturday 23 October 2027

Friday 15 October: Erev Sukkot. Candles at 17:27.
Saturday 16 October: first day of Sukkot (yom tov), which is also Shabbat. Ends at 18:43.
Sunday 17 to Friday 22 October: chol hamoed. Hoshana Raba is on Friday 22 October. Buses run and the city fills with visitors and Sukkot events.
Saturday 23 October: Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (yom tov), also on Shabbat. Candles on Friday at 17:19, ends at 18:35.
In practice: both yom tov days fall on Shabbat in 2027, so there are no extra closed weekdays. Sunday 24 October is isru chag. Our Sukkot guide covers Birkat Kohanim and events.

School breaks 2026–27

These are the breaks for state and state-religious schools and ganim (mamlachti and mamlachti-dati). The start and end dates are on the Ministry of Education's parents' portal. Our fetch of the Ministry's circular with the full calendar was blocked, so the holiday dates below come from Mako's and Karamel's copies of it. Your school's own letter wins if it differs.

Year starts: Tuesday 1 September 2026.
Chanukah: Sunday 6 to Saturday 12 December 2026, back on Sunday 13 December.
Purim: Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 March 2027, back on Thursday 25 March.
Pesach: Tuesday 13 to Wednesday 28 April 2027, back on Thursday 29 April.
Yom HaZikaron: Tuesday 11 May, school until 12:00.
Yom HaAtzmaut: Wednesday 12 May, back on Thursday 13 May.
Shavuot: Thursday 10 and Friday 11 June, back on Sunday 13 June.
School days: Ta'anit Esther, Yom HaShoah, Lag BaOmer and Yom Yerushalayim.
Gan and primary end: Wednesday 30 June 2027 (Ministry parents' portal).
Middle and high school end: Sunday 20 June 2027. The parents' portal gives the Hebrew date, 15 Sivan 5787, and the same date appears in the news copies. Secondary schools share the other breaks.
2027–28: expected to start on Wednesday 1 September 2027. The breaks for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot 5788 will be in the Ministry's 2027–28 calendar, which is not out yet. Schools always close for the chagim themselves.

Charedi schools are different. Charedi ganim and schools, including recognised unofficial (mukar she'eino rishmi) schools and the networks, follow a separate Ministry calendar with different dates; their summer break, for example, starts after Tisha B'Av. Ask your school.
Daycare (maonot) is different too. The Ministry's daycare calendar gives maonot shorter breaks: Chanukah only on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December, Pesach from 19 to 28 April, and Purim on 23 March everywhere except Jerusalem, where the day off is Shushan Purim, 24 March. The daycare year runs to 9 August 2027 (Ministry daycare calendar).
Covering the breaks. Municipal and private holiday kaytanot run for Chanukah and Pesach; the kaytanot guide explains how they work, and our page for families collects the rest. For days out, see Jerusalem with kids and things to do.
Choosing a school? Schools in Jerusalem explains the streams.

What closes on each kind of day

Shops and supermarkets

Yom tov and Yom Kippur: closed, as on Shabbat.
Erev chag: open in the morning and closing early in the afternoon, like a Friday. The week before Pesach is the busiest shopping week of the year.
Chol hamoed, Chanukah, Purim and the fasts: open. Our supermarket guide lists the chains.
Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron eves: shops may close early; cafés and places of entertainment must close by law.

Buses, light rail and trains

Yom tov and Yom Kippur: nothing runs from the afternoon before until after the chag ends, as on Shabbat.
Yom HaAtzmaut: buses and the light rail run on a holiday timetable.
Chol hamoed: normal or extra service, with crowds to the Old City. Getting around Jerusalem explains the network; Moovit shows the last departures before a chag.

Banks and money

Bank branches close on every yom tov and on Yom HaAtzmaut. The Bank of Israel's list for 2026–2027 gives the weekdays in 2027 when it publishes no representative exchange rate. On these days it makes no transfers to or from abroad and no interbank transfers in its books:

Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 March (Purim, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem).
Wednesday 21 April (Erev Pesach), Thursday 22 April and Wednesday 28 April (Pesach).
Wednesday 12 May (Yom HaAtzmaut).
Friday 11 June (Shavuot).
Thursday 12 August (Tisha B'Av).
Friday 1 October (Erev Rosh Hashanah) and Monday 11 October (Yom Kippur).
Also Friday 1 January, Friday 26 March and Monday 31 May 2027, which are holidays abroad, plus several US holidays when foreign transfers don't go through.

The list leaves out weekends. Its separate 2027 business days list also names Sunday 3 October (the second day of Rosh Hashanah) and Sunday 10 October (Erev Yom Kippur) as bank holidays. Erev Pesach and Erev Rosh Hashanah are working days for commercial banks. On chol hamoed and erev chag, branches work shorter hours, so check your bank. Send any transfer abroad a few days before a chag; instructions received after 15:00 on a weekday, or after 12:00 on a Friday or erev chag, wait for the next business day.

Government offices and the post office

Closed on yom tov, Yom Kippur and Yom HaAtzmaut. Hours on erev chag and chol hamoed vary from office to office, so check before you go, or book the appointment for after the chag.

Health funds, pharmacies and hospitals

Clinics close on yom tov and Yom Kippur. Hospitals, urgent-care centres and the duty pharmacy work on every chag, as on Shabbat. Each health fund publishes its own hours for erev chag and chol hamoed; check its app or website. Seeing a doctor in Jerusalem and hospitals and pharmacies open at night and on Shabbat list the options.

Planning tips

Book Pesach early. Pesach is when families travel and visitors come. Book a family apartment three to six months ahead; the popular neighbourhoods go first and prices rise sharply. The same goes for Sukkot.
Renting for the chag? Ask about the kitchen, Shabbat timers, a sukkah if it is Sukkot, and the stairs before you pay. Our holiday apartment checklist lists what to ask.
Chol hamoed days out. Everyone is off at once. Buy tickets for the zoo, museums and attractions online and early, go first thing in the morning, and expect traffic on the roads out of the city. What's on lists the holiday events.
Watch the long closures. In 2027, Shavuot runs into Shabbat (Thursday afternoon to Saturday night) and Rosh Hashanah follows Shabbat (Friday afternoon to Sunday night). Shop, fill prescriptions and charge the Rav-Kav before them.
Flights. No flights leave or land on Yom Kippur, and the trains and buses to the airport stop before every chag. Ben Gurion to Jerusalem covers arrivals on a Friday or erev chag.
Visiting for a holiday? Shabbat-style closures catch visitors out. Shabbat in Jerusalem for visitors explains what stays open.

Common questions

When is Pesach 2027 in Israel?

The seder is on Wednesday night, 21 April 2027. The first day of Pesach is Thursday 22 April, chol hamoed runs from Friday 23 to Tuesday 27 April, and the seventh and last day is Wednesday 28 April, ending at 19:55 in Jerusalem. In Israel there is no second seder or eighth day.

When do Israeli schools break for Pesach 2027?

From Tuesday 13 to Wednesday 28 April 2027, with classes back on Thursday 29 April, according to news copies of the Ministry of Education calendar. Charedi schools and daycare (maonot) follow different calendars.

Is Yom HaAtzmaut a day off in Israel?

Yes. By law Yom HaAtzmaut is a shabbaton, a paid day off for most workers. In 2027 it is Wednesday 12 May. Schools, banks and government offices are closed, but unlike a chag, buses and the light rail run on a holiday timetable.

Do buses run on Yom Kippur?

No. Buses, the light rail and trains stop on the afternoon before Yom Kippur and restart after the fast ends, and Ben Gurion airport stops flights. In 2027 Yom Kippur starts on Sunday evening, 10 October, and ends at 18:48 on Monday 11 October in Jerusalem.

Is Purim a day off in Jerusalem?

Not by law; your employer decides. Jerusalem keeps Shushan Purim, on Wednesday 24 March 2027, a day after the rest of Israel. Schools are expected to be off on 23 and 24 March, and Jerusalem bank branches close on the 24th.

When is Rosh Hashanah 2027?

Rosh Hashanah 5788 starts on Friday evening, 1 October 2027, together with Shabbat, and lasts for Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October, ending at 18:58 on Sunday in Jerusalem. Yom Kippur follows on Monday 11 October and Sukkot on Saturday 16 October.

Is Yom Yerushalayim a day off?

No. By law it is a "choice day": employees may take it as annual leave or work. Schools are open. In 2027 it falls on Friday 4 June.

Hebrew you will meet

חג — chag — a festival; also a full holiday when everything closes
ערב חג — erev chag — the day before a chag; a short day, like a Friday
יום טוב — yom tov — a full festival day, kept like Shabbat
חול המועד — chol hamoed — the middle days of Pesach and Sukkot
אסרו חג — isru chag — the day after a chag
שבתון — shabbaton — a legal day of rest, such as Yom HaAtzmaut
חופש — chofesh — holiday, time off; the school break is chofesh too
תענית — ta'anit — a fast day
יום בחירה — yom bechira — a day you can choose to take off, such as Yom Yerushalayim