Annual Jewish Calendar Conference Honors Rabbi Meir Nissim Mazuz and Explores Hebrew Calendar Mysteries
The 26th annual conference on the Jewish calendar and astronomy will take place on August 10, 2024, in Bnei Brak, dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Meir Nissim Mazuz, a leading authority on the Hebrew calendar and halachic astronomy. Hundreds of rabbis, scholars, and experts in Jewish astronomy are expected to attend this longstanding event, which focuses on the complexities of the Hebrew calendar, including the mitzvah of sanctifying the new month (Kiddush HaChodesh) and the intricate calculations of intercalation (leap months).
The conference highlights the first mitzvah commanded to the Jewish people, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months," emphasizing the challenge of aligning the lunar months with the solar year to ensure festivals like Passover and Sukkot occur in their proper seasons. The event will feature lectures by prominent rabbis and researchers, including Rabbi Eliyahu Madar, Rabbi Mordechai Ganot, Rabbi Zalman Koren, and Rabbi Dr. Yair Halevi, who will discuss topics such as the halachic birth, solar blessings, the start of Shabbat when the horizon is obscured, and halachic-astronomical correspondences from Rabbi Mazuz's works.
Originally scheduled before Passover at the Kisei Rahamim Yeshiva, the conference was postponed due to the war and will now be held at the "Ahavat HaTorah - Ish Matzliach" synagogue, near the yeshiva. The conference also includes a book and software fair related to the Hebrew calendar and Jewish astronomy. Organizers anticipate that with the future rebuilding of the Temple and the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin, the authority over the Hebrew calendar will return to the rabbinic court, raising questions about how current calendar calculations will relate to future rulings.
Rabbi Dr. Shay Walter, founder of the "Sod HaIbur" Institute, is a leading expert and organizer of the event. The conference has been held continuously since 1994 in various cities and sometimes online during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event honors Rabbi Mazuz’s legacy as a public leader and halachic decisor deeply engaged in the science of the Jewish calendar.
