Victory Day entered in the Jewish calendar

Starting this year, the Victory Day called Yom Shihrur Va Atsala (Day of Salvation and Liberation) is included in the Jewish calendar, according to which not only Israel lives, but all the religious Jews of the world. All holidays in it — Pesach, Hanukkah, Purim, and others — were established by the Torah or the prophets. Therefore, the introduction of a new holiday just recently seemed incredible.

This event brings to a new level the celebration of Victory Day in Israel, where it is celebrated mainly only by veterans' organizations, and in the largest Jewish communities in Europe, where they have become more tolerant of neo-Nazism.

Nobody knew how to change the Jewish calendar. Supporters of this patriotic initiative initially managed to get the support of both the main rabbis of Israel. After that, the project was supported by major Israeli politicians, leading European rabbis, and international Jewish organizations. At a special meeting of the Knesset in Jerusalem and at the UN headquarters in New York, a presentation of the new holiday took place. And at the Wailing Wall, the writing of the three Torah Scrolls was solemnly launched for a new holiday. In May of this year they will be brought to the synagogue at the Wailing Wall, to the Knesset and to the school of the Torah interpreter Rabbi Haim Kanevsky.

Not without difficulties and disputes. Some rabbis initially refused to recognize the divine nature of Victory Day, because in this case half of the entire Jewish people died - 6 million people. But in the end, it turned out to be more important that the Great Victory saved the Jews from the Shoah (Holocaust) and marked the beginning of the revival of the Jewish people. In the Jewish calendar, the date chosen for the holiday was 26 Iyar (this year it falls on May 15). It was on 26 Iyar 5705 that May 9, 1945 fell, when the Third Reich capitulated.

At its core, the Day of Salvation and Liberation is a celebration of prayers and thanksgiving. On this day, Jews will be instructed to have fun and enjoy the miraculous deliverance, like on Pesach, and miraculous rescue, like on Hanukkah and Purim. And, of course, in prayers they will give praise and thanks to both the Almighty and the liberating soldiers of the Red Army and allied armies.