(JNS) While most Israelis begin building their sukkot this week, one small community that traces its roots to the ancient Israelites will wait until the end of October.
The Samaritans (Shomronim in Hebrew) celebrate the festivals commanded in the Torah, but not always on the same dates as Jews. Their year begins with the Hebrew month of Nissan in the spring, rather than with the month of Tishrei in the fall. Their priests calculate leap years independently, based on a count beginning with the Israelites’ entry into the Land of Israel under Joshua. In some years, the festivals coincide; in others, as in 2026, they fall almost a month apart.
This year, Samaritan Yom Kippur will fall on Oct. 20, and Sukkot will begin on Oct. 25.
On a recent tour of the Samaritan neighborhood in Holon, JNS met with Shahar Yehoshua, a genial man in his 70s who welcomed visitors into his home and explained the customs of one of the world’s smallest religious communities.
After his military service, Yehoshua worked in a bank for 36 years. Since retiring,...
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