Hebrew Date Converter
Map Gregorian timestamps to the lunisolar Hebrew calendar. Validates leap year cycles and Shabbat candle lighting. Synchronize with Jewish holidays now.
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How to Use the Hebrew Date Converter?
This tool makes it easy to convert dates between the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars. Simply select your source calendar (Gregorian or Hebrew), enter the date you want to convert, and click the Convert button. The tool will instantly show you the corresponding date in the target calendar along with additional information such as the day of the week and whether it's a leap year.
Hebrew Calendar System
1. Lunisolar Calendar
The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar system, meaning it is based on both the cycles of the moon (months) and the sun (years). Each month begins with the new moon, and the year is adjusted to align with the solar seasons. This ensures that festivals occur in their proper seasons year after year.
2. 19-Year Leap Cycle (Metonic Cycle)
To keep the lunar months aligned with the solar year, the Hebrew calendar adds an extra month (Adar II) seven times in every 19-year cycle. These leap years occur in years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 of each cycle. This system is remarkably accurate, with an average year length very close to the tropical year.
3. Variable Year Lengths
- Regular (non-leap) years: 353, 354, or 355 days
- Leap years: 383, 384, or 385 days
- The variation depends on the lengths of Cheshvan and Kislev
- This flexibility prevents certain holidays from falling on problematic days of the week
4. Month Structure
Most Hebrew months alternate between 29 and 30 days, following the lunar cycle. However, two months—Cheshvan and Kislev—have variable lengths. In a 'deficient' year, both have 29 days. In a 'regular' year, Cheshvan has 29 and Kislev has 30. In a 'complete' year, both have 30 days.
5. Calendar Calculations (Molad and Dehiyyot)
The Hebrew calendar uses complex astronomical calculations called 'molad' (conjunction of the moon) to determine when each month begins. Additionally, four 'dehiyyot' (postponement rules) ensure that certain holidays don't conflict with the Sabbath or create other religious difficulties.
6. Year Numbering
Hebrew years are counted from the traditional date of creation (Anno Mundi). The year 1 corresponds to 3761 BCE in the Gregorian calendar. For example, the year 5784 in the Hebrew calendar spans parts of 2023 and 2024 CE.
7. Year Beginning
The Hebrew year begins on 1 Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah), which typically falls in September or October. However, for religious purposes, months are counted from Nisan (the spring month), which is called the 'first month' in the Torah.
Hebrew Calendar Months Guide
1. Nisan (ניסן) - 30 days
The first month of the religious year (March-April). Passover (Pesach) begins on the 15th of Nisan and commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. The entire month is considered joyful, and fasting is prohibited.
2. Iyar (אייר) - 29 days
The second month (April-May). Lag BaOmer falls on the 18th of Iyar, marking the 33rd day of the Omer count between Passover and Shavuot. This month is also called the 'month of healing' (Iyar = אני ה' רופאך, 'I am the Lord who heals you').
3. Sivan (סיון) - 30 days
The third month (May-June). Shavuot occurs on the 6th of Sivan, celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. In Israel, it's a one-day holiday; outside Israel, it's two days.
4. Tammuz (תמוז) - 29 days
The fourth month (June-July). The fast day of the 17th of Tammuz marks the beginning of a three-week mourning period, commemorating the breach of Jerusalem's walls before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
5. Av (אב) - 30 days
The fifth month (July-August). Contains Tisha B'Av (9th of Av), the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the destruction of both the First Temple (586 BCE) and Second Temple (70 CE), along with other tragedies. The month ends on a hopeful note with Tu B'Av, a day of joy.
6. Elul (אלול) - 29 days
The sixth month (August-September). This is a month of spiritual preparation and repentance before the High Holidays. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown daily (except Shabbat), and special penitential prayers (Selichot) are recited.
7. Tishrei (תשרי) - 30 days
The seventh month and first month of the civil year (September-October). The most holiday-dense month: Rosh Hashanah (1-2), Fast of Gedaliah (3), Yom Kippur (10), Sukkot (15-21), Shemini Atzeret (22), and Simchat Torah (23 outside Israel, 22 in Israel).
8. Cheshvan (חשון) - 29 or 30 days
The eighth month (October-November), also called Marcheshvan ('bitter Cheshvan') because it contains no holidays or festivals. Its length varies: in deficient years it has 29 days, in complete years it has 30 days.
9. Kislev (כסלו) - 29 or 30 days
The ninth month (November-December). Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights, begins on the 25th of Kislev and commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple. Kislev can be either 29 or 30 days, which affects when Hanukkah ends.
10. Tevet (טבת) - 29 days
The tenth month (December-January). Contains the fast day of the 10th of Tevet, which marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. This fast can even fall on a Friday, unlike most other fast days.
11. Shevat (שבט) - 30 days
The eleventh month (January-February). Tu BiShvat (15th of Shevat) is the 'New Year for Trees,' celebrated by eating fruits, especially those native to Israel. It marks the beginning of spring in Israel.
12. Adar (אדר) - 29 or 30 days
The twelfth month (February-March). Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar (15th in walled cities like Jerusalem), commemorating the salvation of the Jews in ancient Persia. In regular years, Adar has 29 days; in leap years, this becomes Adar I with 30 days.
13. Adar II (אדר ב׳) - 29 days
The thirteenth month, added only in leap years (7 times in 19 years). Purim is celebrated in Adar II during leap years, not in Adar I. Those born in Adar of a regular year celebrate their Hebrew birthday in Adar II during leap years.
Common Conversion Examples
Major Jewish Holidays in 2024-2025
- Rosh Hashanah 5785: October 3-4, 2024 (1-2 Tishrei 5785)
- Yom Kippur: October 12, 2024 (10 Tishrei 5785)
- Sukkot: October 17-23, 2024 (15-21 Tishrei 5785)
- Hanukkah: December 26, 2024 - January 2, 2025 (25 Kislev - 2 Tevet 5785)
- Purim: March 14, 2025 (14 Adar 5785)
- Passover: April 13-20, 2025 (15-22 Nisan 5785)
- Shavuot: June 2-3, 2025 (6-7 Sivan 5785)
Understanding Year Differences
The difference between Hebrew and Gregorian years is approximately 3,760 years. To convert from Gregorian to Hebrew, add 3,760 (or 3,761 after Rosh Hashanah). For example, 2024 CE corresponds to 5784-5785 Hebrew year because Rosh Hashanah falls in October.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Hebrew birthdays and yahrzeits (death anniversaries) are observed according to the Hebrew date, not the Gregorian date. This means they fall on different Gregorian dates each year. Our converter helps you find when these important dates occur in any given year.
Real-World Usage Scenarios
- Planning-Religious-Milestones - Accurately schedule Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies by determining the precise 13th or 12th Hebrew birthday. This ensures the youth is called to the Torah on the correct Shabbat according to halachic age requirements.
- Calculating-Yahrzeit-Anniversaries - Determine the annual date of a loved one's passing for memorial candle lighting and Kaddish recitations. Since Hebrew dates shift relative to the Gregorian calendar, this tool provides the specific civil date for any given year.
- Legal-and-Contractual-Documentation - Convert civil wedding dates for the Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract). Reliable conversion is essential for legal religious documents to ensure the day of the week and month align with the physical date of the ceremony.
- Genealogical-and-Historical-Research - Decipher dates found on historical tombstones, archival synagogue records, or old community registers. Researchers use this to map ancestral timelines between the Hebrew lunar year and the Gregorian solar system.
Frequently Asked Questions
When-does-the-Hebrew-day-officially-begin?
The Hebrew day begins at sunset (Tzeit HaKochavim), not at midnight. If an event occurred after dusk, you must select the following Gregorian date to find the correct Hebrew day.
How-are-birthdays-handled-during-leap-years?
In a 19-year cycle, 7 years are leap years containing an extra month (Adar II). If you were born in Adar during a non-leap year, you typically celebrate your anniversary in Adar II during leap years. The tool identifies these variations automatically.
What-is-the-supported-year-range-for-conversion?
This tool supports Hebrew years from 3761 to 6000 (roughly 1 CE to 2239 CE). This range covers the vast majority of historical Jewish records and future communal planning needs.
