Overview

Tishrei (also spelled Tishri) is a month of the Hebrew calendar. In biblical usage it is called Ethanim and often referred to simply as "the seventh month" when counting from Nisan. The modern name was adopted after the Babylonian exile and appears in later Jewish literature. Tishrei always contains 30 days and typically falls in September–October of the Gregorian calendar. For language and name sources see Hebrew and calendar references at the Hebrew calendar.

Calendar placement and origin

The Jewish calendar is lunisolar: months follow lunar cycles but years are adjusted to the solar seasons. Nisan is considered the first month for counting festivals, which makes Tishrei the seventh month; at the same time Tishrei also marks the civil new year in Jewish practice. The name Tishrei derives from the Babylonian month name and was reintroduced to Jewish usage during or after the Babylonian exile; the month is mentioned in older scripture as Ethanim. Historical ties to Babylon appear in many calendrical terms and customs linked to Jewish communities who returned from exile under foreign rule, including contacts with Babylonian administration.

Holidays and observances

  • Rosh Hashanah (1–2 Tishrei): the Jewish new year, a time of prayer, blowing the shofar and reflection.
  • The Ten Days of Repentance: the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur focused on atonement.
  • Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei): the Day of Atonement, observed by fasting and intensive prayer.
  • Sukkot (beginning 15 Tishrei): a weeklong festival commemorating the harvest and the biblical booths, often observed with a sukkah and the Four Species (lulav and etrog).
  • Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (around 22–23 Tishrei): the conclusion of the festival cycle and the annual Torah reading completion and restart.

Several lesser observances fall in Tishrei, including fasts and memorial days; agricultural themes tie many practices to the harvest season in the Land of Israel. For the festival of Passover and how months are numbered from Nisan, consult sources on Passover.

Customs, liturgy and communal life

Because multiple major holidays cluster in Tishrei, the month shapes synagogue liturgy, communal schedules and family life. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur introduce special prayer books and melodies; Sukkot involves building and decorating temporary booths. The period is a focal point for charity, family gatherings and ritual observance among Jewish communities worldwide. Many communities also mark the fast of Gedalia and other local customs.

Notable distinctions and facts

Tishrei differs from months named in the Bible by the later Babylonian-derived terminology, yet its rituals preserve ancient agricultural and liturgical roots. While Nisan is the start of the religious year, Tishrei functions as the civil new year for counting years and certain legal matters. For comparative studies of calendar names and historical development see materials linked to linguistic sources and historical accounts of the Babylonian period. Scholarly and practical guides to the month's observances can be found through general calendar references at calendar resources and historical treatments at biblical studies.

For further reading on communal customs and festival details consult general guides and community resources available online or in local libraries; many congregations provide explanatory material about Tishrei's holidays and their meanings. Additional contextual studies on exile, name adoption and liturgical evolution may be found through historical overviews of Jewish life after the exile.