Related reading: Printable Hanukkah Quiz, PDF and Guide and Lag BaOmer Quiz: Printable PDF and Explanation.
The Hebrew month of Tishrei opens the Jewish year with a powerful sequence of sacred days: Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. It is a month of beginnings, reflection, prayer, joy, family, and learning - a natural way to turn the Hebrew calendar into a living educational journey.
At a Glance: What Happens in Tishrei?
Tishrei is the first month for counting Jewish years, although it is the seventh month in the Torah’s count of months. Within one month, it gathers some of the most central dates in Jewish life:
- 1-2 Tishrei: Rosh Hashanah
- 3 Tishrei: Fast of Gedaliah, when not postponed
- 10 Tishrei: Yom Kippur
- 15-21 Tishrei: Sukkot
- 21 Tishrei: Hoshana Rabbah
- 22 Tishrei: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in Israel
- 23 Tishrei: Isru Chag in Israel, and Simchat Torah in many Diaspora communities
For families, teachers, and Bible Quiz leaders, Tishrei is a natural doorway into conversations about kingship, forgiveness, responsibility, joy, Torah, and historical memory.
Tishrei Calendar: Key Dates
This page works best as a dynamic monthly calendar: users choose a Hebrew or Gregorian year, see the Hebrew and civil dates together, and receive a short educational layer for each major date.
| Hebrew Date | Occasion | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 Tishrei | Rosh Hashanah | The beginning of the year, shofar blowing, holiday prayers, and symbolic foods |
| 3 Tishrei | Fast of Gedaliah | A fast day remembering the assassination of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and the meaning of national responsibility |
| 10 Tishrei | Yom Kippur | A day of atonement, prayer, fasting, and reconciliation |
| 15-21 Tishrei | Sukkot | Dwelling in the sukkah, the Four Species, joy, and hospitality |
| 21 Tishrei | Hoshana Rabbah | The close of Sukkot, the Hoshanot prayers, and the willow custom |
| 22 Tishrei | Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah | Prayer for rain, and the completion and restart of the Torah reading cycle in Israel |
In Hebrew year 5787, for example, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 11, 2026, and 1 Tishrei falls on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Yom Kippur falls on Monday, September 21, 2026, and Sukkot begins at sunset on Friday, September 25, 2026. Dates like these should be generated on the site from an updated calendar source for the selected year and tradition.
The Meaning of Tishrei
Tishrei carries a complete inner movement: from beginning to repair, from repair to joy, and from joy back to Torah.
On Rosh Hashanah we ask what a worthy beginning looks like. During the Ten Days of Repentance, we look honestly at what needs repair. On Yom Kippur, we reach a moment of deep truth, apology, and renewal. On Sukkot, we step out of our homes into the sukkah and learn about impermanence, trust, and joy. On Simchat Torah, we return to the Torah from the beginning, as if to say: the new year begins not only on the calendar, but also in learning.
Torah Portions During Tishrei
The weekly Torah portions in Tishrei change from year to year according to the structure of the calendar and the placement of holidays. Around Tishrei, we usually encounter the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Genesis:
- Vayelech or Haazinu, on the Shabbat before Yom Kippur or between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, depending on the year
- Vezot Haberakhah, read on Simchat Torah
- Bereshit, on the Shabbat after Simchat Torah
- Noach, sometimes at the end of Tishrei or the beginning of Cheshvan
Educationally, this is a remarkable sequence: Moses’ final words, the Song of Haazinu, the blessings to the tribes, and then the return to Creation. It can easily become a short quiz about leadership, blessing, beginnings, and the creation story.
Customs and Family Learning Themes
Tishrei is ideal for short learning moments before a meal, in class, at youth group, or around the Shabbat table. Here are a few ideas that naturally invite conversation:
- Shofar: Why can a simple sound open the heart more than a long speech?
- Rosh Hashanah symbols: How can food become a small prayer?
- Forgiveness: What is the difference between apologizing and truly repairing?
- Sukkah: What can we learn from a temporary home?
- Four Species: How do different people become one community?
- Simchat Torah: Why do we finish the Torah and immediately begin it again?
Questions for Children and a Tishrei Quiz
The page can include a short quiz that updates according to the day of the month:
- Which holiday opens the month of Tishrei?
- On what Hebrew date does Yom Kippur fall?
- What are the Four Species?
- What do we do in the sukkah during Sukkot?
- Which Torah portion is read on Simchat Torah?
- Why do we begin reading Genesis again immediately after completing the Torah?
- What does the prayer for rain on Shemini Atzeret represent?
Call to action: Start the Tishrei Month Quiz and choose a track by age - children, teens, family, or classroom.
Recommended Page Experience
To serve both quick search intent and deeper learning, the page should behave like a clear monthly tool:
- Month view with Hebrew and Gregorian dates for every day
- Visual marking for holidays, Shabbatot, fast days, and holiday eves
- Print or PDF button for the Tishrei calendar
- Quick links to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah
- “Torah Portion in Tishrei” component based on the selected year
- Short daily or weekly quiz for children and families
FAQ
When does Tishrei begin?
Tishrei begins on Rosh Hashanah, the 1st of Tishrei. The Gregorian date changes every year, so it should be checked in a Hebrew-Gregorian calendar for the relevant year.
Which holidays are in Tishrei?
Tishrei includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. The 3rd of Tishrei is the Fast of Gedaliah when it is not postponed.
Why is Tishrei considered a month of beginnings?
Tishrei opens the Jewish year for counting years. It begins with Rosh Hashanah and continues through days focused on repentance, forgiveness, joy, and returning to Torah.
Which Torah portions are read during Tishrei?
The portions vary by year, but Tishrei usually includes the end of Deuteronomy and the return to Genesis: Vayelech, Haazinu, Vezot Haberakhah, Bereshit, and sometimes Noach.
Can I print a Tishrei calendar?
Yes. The page should offer a print or PDF version with Hebrew and Gregorian dates, holidays, Shabbatot, Torah portions, and a short weekly quiz question.
How can children learn about Tishrei?
The best way is to connect each holiday to one simple question: what begins on Rosh Hashanah, what is repaired on Yom Kippur, what does the sukkah teach us, and why do we rejoice with the Torah?
Tishrei Quiz Idea
Quiz name: “Begin the Year with Tishrei”
Suggested structure: 10 short questions in three rounds - holidays and dates, customs and meaning, Torah portions and biblical stories. At the end, the user receives a “Tishrei mission”: choose one custom and explain what it teaches about the new year.
Recommended Schema
Add Article, BreadcrumbList, and FAQ Page schema. If the page includes a print or PDF feature, add a short HowTo schema explaining how to choose a year, display the month, and print the calendar.