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By Dennis Fischman

I find that even with the best of intentions, many non-Jewish employers, elected officials, etc., have trouble figuring out which days are Jewish holy days in any given year.

Dear colleagues,

Here’s a guide to scheduling around the Jewish holy days that I thought you might find useful. I didn’t write it, only edited it slightly and updated it each year, but I vouch for its accuracy.

Category I. MOST JEWS PARTICIPATE. Please do not schedule meetings around these dates.

ROSH HASHANAH (Jewish New Year) begins at sunset Friday, September 11, 2026 and continues through sunset Sunday, September 13. YOM KIPPUR (Day of Repentance) begins at sunset on Sunday, September 20, 2026 and continues through nightfall on Monday, September 21. While Yom Kippur is a fasting day, meals are prepared in advance for the breaking of the fast at the end of 27 hours.

Typically, even some of the least religiously observant members of the Jewish community do not work on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah. Please keep in mind that even though the holy day may begin at sunset, these are home ritual centered holy days, so a great deal of advance preparation is required. In other words, “Please don’t schedule a meeting for the afternoon preceding the holiday because I will be cooking!”

PASSOVER (Celebration of Freedom from Slavery in Egypt) begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 21, 2027; continues through nightfall on Thursday, April 29. THE FIRST TWO DAYS (through Friday evening, April 23, 2027) require refraining from work. LOTS of cooking and preparation before this holy day.

Category II. Many observant Jews refrain from work. I count myself as observant.

SUKKOT (Festival of Booths, or Tabernacles) begins at sunset Friday, September 25, 2026 and lasts through Friday, October 2. THE FIRST TWO DAYS (through Sunday, September 27) traditionally require abstaining from work.

SHMINI ATZERET (Eighth Day Assembly, ending Sukkot) begins at sunset on Friday, October 2, 2026 and lasts through Saturday, October 3, immediately followed by….

SIMCHAT TORAH (Rejoicing with the Torah) begins at sunset on Saturday, October 3, 2026 and lasts through Sunday, October 4. The LAST TWO DAYS of PASSOVER begin at sunset Tuesday, April 27, 2027 and last through Thursday, April 29.

SHAVUOT (Festival of Weeks, or Pentecost to our Christian friends) begins at sunset on Thursday, June 10, 2027 and continues through Saturday, June 12.

TISHA B’AV (fast day marking the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem) begins at sunset on Wednesday night, August 11, 2027 and continues through Thursday, August 12.

Category III. Observance doesn’t require refraining from work.

HANUKKAH (Festival of Lights) begins at sunset on Friday, December 4, 2026 and continues through nightfall Saturday, December 12. Every night, candles on the Hanukkiah (eight-armed candelabra, sometimes called “menorah”) are lit. PURIM – Begins at sunset on Monday, March 22, 2027; continues through Tuesday, March 23.

And a few other seasonal and historical holy days that I won’t mention, because enough already! If you want to know the names of those days and when they fall, see https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/. If you want to know more about the meaning of all these holidays, you might consult www.jewfaq.org or either the book Seasons of Our Joy, by Arthur Waskow or My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, by Abigail Pogrebin.

[Dennis] A final note which I thought worth adding from my own experience: Even if someone (who might be Jewish) tells you “It’s no big deal” to schedule meetings and conferences on these days, doesn’t mean that that’s true for all Jews. People maintain various levels of observance, and a more secular Jew may work on a day when I would not. (We are both telling the truth.)

When in doubt, please ask! I can’t speak for other Jewish consultants, staff, board members, volunteers, and interns, but I know I always prefer to be asked.

Thank you!