r hatred for Jews-to a whole differentlevel. Jews all over became victims of Hitlers awful laws such as those inPoland, Europe, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Germany. It was an awfultime for the Jewish people and in camps all over Germany and Poland Jewswere being murdered by starvation, disease, beating, mutilation, infection,gassing, and burning. Six million Jews, or about one-third of the entireJewish population of the world was completely wiped out. Only fiftythousand Jews remained after the war. The faith of the Jewish people wastested greatly during the Holocaust.The vivid living faith of the Jewish people is shown through theirmant festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Besides the Sabbathobservance, the Jewish year is filled with yearly festivals. They are allbased on the Jewish lunal calendar. Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish newyear, which is celebrated in October, opens ten Days of Awe. There is acelebration at the beginning and end of the two days. Yom Kippur is theDay of Atonement. It is considered the most holy day of the year and isthe closest to repentance. Five days after Yom Kippur, the Feast ofTabernacles, or Sukkoth, is celebrated. This is a week long feast in the fallcelebrating Gods presence when the Israelites were in the desert. TheRejoicing of the Torah closes the Sukkoth. Hanukkah is the Festival ofLights and is celebrated in December. It commemorates the restoration ofthe Temple after it was destroyed by the Syrians. Purin celebrates Estherssuccess to find a plot to massacre all Jews in the Persian Empire. One ofthe most important spring holy days is Pesach, or the Passover. There aremany special foods associated with this holiday, especially those served atthe seder (ceremonial meal). Fifty days after the Seder, the feast of thePentecost which remembers the giving of the Law of Moses fifty days afterthe Passover. The Jewish calendar year is filled with many feasts andspecial ceremonie...
