The Jewish-Holiday Gifting Calendar 2026-27

Sending a gift to Israel for a festival is mostly a question of timing. Jewish holiday gifts work best when they arrive before the meal, not after it — and the Hebrew calendar moves every year, so "early September" is not a plan. This is the full 2026–27 gifting calendar: the exact date of every holiday, how far ahead to order for each one, and a kosher box matched to the festival. For delivery mechanics, see our complete guide to sending a gift basket to Israel.

Hibuk Otef — The Story Behind Every Gift

Hibuk Otef (“Enveloping Embrace”) is a unique boutique gift initiative that brings together products from the communities of the Gaza Envelope and Israel’s southern and northern frontier, alongside works of art that commemorate the beauty of the region. The project was founded to support local producers, farmers and entrepreneurs who were affected. 60% of revenues go directly to producers from the affected communities.

The 2026–27 Jewish holiday calendar at a glance

Every Jewish holiday begins at sundown the evening before the date most calendars print — which is why gifts sent "for the 11th" routinely arrive a day late. Here are the confirmed dates for the coming year, with the order-by date we recommend for a single address inside Israel, based on a 3–8 day domestic delivery window.

Rosh Hashanah 5787 — begins sundown Friday 11 September 2026, ends nightfall Sunday 13 September. Order by 30 August 2026.
Yom Kippur — begins sunset Sunday 20 September 2026, ends nightfall Monday 21 September. Order by 6 September 2026.
Sukkot — begins sundown Friday 25 September 2026, ends nightfall Friday 2 October. Order by 6 September 2026.
Hanukkah — begins sundown Friday 4 December 2026, eight nights through Saturday 12 December. Order by 22 November 2026.
Tu BiShvat — begins sundown Friday 22 January 2027, observed Saturday 23 January. Order by 10 January 2027.
Purim — begins sundown Monday 22 March 2027, the day itself Tuesday 23 March. Order by 9 March 2027.
Passover — first seder Wednesday evening 21 April 2027, seven days in Israel through 28 April. Order by 7 April 2027.
Shavuot — begins sundown Thursday 10 June 2027, observed Friday 11 June in Israel. Order by 28 May 2027.

The compressed month to watch: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot all fall between 11 September and 2 October 2026. Across those three weeks Israel loses roughly 22 working days to holidays and holiday eves, and Rosh Hashanah itself runs straight into Shabbat — a three-day stretch with no deliveries at all. The only clean dispatch window for the entire autumn season is 1–9 September 2026. Orders placed after that compete for a handful of working days.

Rosh Hashanah — 11–13 September 2026

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Friday, 11 September 2026 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 13 September. It is the single biggest gifting moment of the Jewish year and the one with the hardest deadline, because the holiday runs directly into Shabbat: from Friday afternoon until Sunday night nothing is delivered anywhere in Israel. The last practical delivery day is Wednesday 9 September, which means ordering by roughly 30 August for one address, and about a week earlier if the gift is going to several addresses.

The symbolism is fixed and useful: honey for a sweet year, apples, pomegranates, and a round challah. A box built on Upper Galilee honey answers the tradition directly. Our Sweet Rosh Hashanah box is ₪70 including VAT and pairs Galilee honey with a natural-fruit limoncello or pomegranate liqueur. For the full seasonal breakdown see our Rosh Hashanah gift guide for Israel.

Yom Kippur and Sukkot — 20 September to 2 October 2026

Yom Kippur begins at sunset on Sunday, 20 September 2026 and ends at nightfall on Monday, 21 September. Yom Kippur is a fast day, so nothing is sent for the day itself — the gift that lands is the break-fast, delivered before the fast begins and opened the moment it ends. Think gentle, ready-to-eat food: honey, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate. Our break-fast gift guide covers what works.

Sukkot follows almost immediately, from sundown Friday 25 September through nightfall Friday 2 October 2026. Because families eat and host in the sukkah for a full week, Sukkot is the most hospitality-driven holiday of the year and a host gift is close to expected. Autumn produce, spreads, olive oil and something shareable all suit the table. The Autumn Embrace box at ₪112 including VAT was built for exactly this — handmade chocolate with Galilee honey, basil-cashew pesto, fruit preserve and the Cooking Together cookbook. See also our Sukkot harvest box guide.

Hanukkah — 4–12 December 2026

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, 4 December and runs eight nights through Saturday, 12 December. One candle is added each evening, starting from the 25th of Kislev. Unlike the autumn cluster, Hanukkah is spread across more than a week, which takes the pressure off a single delivery date — but the first night falling on a Friday means the opening night is also Shabbat, so aim to arrive by Thursday 3 December.

Hanukkah is the natural moment for warmth, light and things families do together. Our Ofir — Light for Hanukkah box at ₪177 including VAT carries 44 Hanukkah candles produced in memory of Ofir Libstein, head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, who was killed on 7 October 2023 fighting alongside the emergency squad of his kibbutz, Kfar Aza; his son Nitzan was killed the same day. The candles include a contribution to the fund continuing his work in Gaza-Envelope communities. Full seasonal detail is in our Hanukkah gifts to Israel guide.

Tu BiShvat, Purim and Passover — winter into spring 2027

Tu BiShvat, the new year of the trees, begins at sundown on Friday 22 January 2027. It is the one holiday whose gift is self-evident: dried fruit and nuts, eaten as a seder of seven species.

Purim begins at sundown on Monday 22 March 2027, with the day itself on Tuesday 23 March. Purim is the most gift-specific holiday on the calendar because of mishloach manot — an actual mitzvah to send a package of at least two different ready-to-eat foods to friends. A boutique box satisfies the requirement and elevates it. Our Tal box at ₪118 including VAT holds five distinct items: liqueur, roasted nuts, handmade dark chocolate with almonds, Galilee honey and a date-and-nut bar.

Passover begins with the first seder on the evening of Wednesday 21 April 2027 and runs seven days in Israel, through 28 April. Two practical notes: leave under a month between Purim and Passover in your planning, and check certification carefully — "kosher" and "kosher for Passover" are not the same mark, and a box that is fine in March may not be usable in April. We adapt boxes to Passover requirements on request.

Choose by budget

All prices below include 18% VAT, which is what a private sender actually pays — at roughly ₪2.98 to the dollar, the range runs about $23 to $59. There is no minimum: order any quantity, from one box to several hundred. Nationwide delivery inside Israel is ₪45 before VAT and takes 3–8 days depending on location.

1. Sweet Rosh Hashanah Box — ₪70

Galilee honey and a natural-fruit limoncello or pomegranate liqueur. The most direct answer to the New Year's central symbol, at the lowest entry point. View this box.

2. Shilo Box — ₪91

Cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil from the Gaza-Envelope groves, handmade chocolate or Galilee honey, and date-and-nut bites with no added sugar. Adapts cleanly to Passover. View this box.

3. Autumn Embrace Box — ₪112

Handmade chocolate with Galilee honey, basil-cashew pesto that includes a donation to the security forces, berry preserve, and the Cooking Together cookbook honouring Envelope farmers. Built for Sukkot hosting. View this box.

4. Tal Purim Box — ₪118

Five separate ready-to-eat items — enough to satisfy mishloach manot properly. View this box.

5. Ofir — Light for Hanukkah Box — ₪177

44 memorial Hanukkah candles, an aromatic candle from the Boys of Light project supporting a trauma-recovery farm, handmade chocolate with Galilee honey, fruit preserve and Envelope olive oil. View this box.

The producers behind the holiday boxes

The point of a holiday box from Hibuk Otef is that the money reaches named people. Har Odem Winery, on the Golan Heights, supplies the boutique reds in our larger festival boxes: the Guy Rosh Hashanah box carries its Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend, and the Shavuot box its Cabernet, Nebbiolo and Merlot. Odem sits in the far north of the Golan, one of the areas emptied and shelled during the war on the Lebanese border.

Beeri Printers, the press at Kibbutz Be'eri, prints the Cooking Together cookbook that appears in the Autumn Embrace and Hanukkah boxes — 72 pages of recipes from Gaza-Envelope growers. The press employed around 400 people and accounted for a large share of the kibbutz's economy; it was back up and running in under ten days after 7 October 2023, one of the earliest signs the region intended to rebuild.

The memory game in our Hanukkah boxes is illustrated by Tali Matar, an Israeli artist whose wildflower and landscape work is carried by leading Israeli museum shops including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The deck is bilingual and includes a donation toward Envelope rehabilitation. You can read more about the people behind the products in Meet the Makers, or browse the wider range at our guide to buying Israeli gifts that support real producers.

How far ahead to order — and why customs never applies

The rule that covers every holiday: order two weeks ahead, and three weeks if the gift is going to more than one address. Domestic delivery takes 3–8 days depending on location, deliveries run Sunday to Friday and never on Shabbat, and the days immediately before a festival are the busiest of the year. Shelf life on most items is at least six months, so ordering early costs nothing.

For senders abroad, the decisive point is that we ship inside Israel. A gift bought in New York and posted to Tel Aviv is an import: Israel exempts personal imports under $75, charges 18% VAT between $75 and $500, and treats anything above $500 commercially — and the recipient is the one who deals with it. Because your box is packed in Shilat and delivered domestically, none of that applies and nobody receives a customs bill. Our customs and duties explainer sets out the thresholds in full.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Friday, 11 September 2026 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 13 September. Because it runs into Shabbat, the last practical delivery day in Israel is Wednesday 9 September — order by around 30 August for a single address.

When is Hanukkah 2026?

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, 4 December 2026 and runs eight nights through Saturday, 12 December, with the first candle lit on the evening of 4 December. Order by roughly 22 November.

How far ahead should I order a Jewish holiday gift?

Two weeks ahead for a single address, three weeks for multiple addresses. Domestic delivery is 3–8 days depending on location, and there are no deliveries on Shabbat or on the holidays themselves.

Are the boxes kosher?

Yes — kosher under local rabbinate supervision, and most items carry Badatz certification. For Passover, ask us for kosher-for-Passover options specifically; standard kosher certification is not sufficient for the holiday.

Is there a minimum order, and can I send to several addresses?

There is no minimum — order any quantity. We regularly split a single order across many individual addresses in Israel, which is the usual pattern for families and companies sending to a team.

How to Order

Order on our website, message us on WhatsApp at 054-2207955, or email netalc24@gmail.com and we will come back with a fitted proposal.

Written by Neta Lin Cohen — founder of Hibuk Otef, architect and Bezalel graduate, with 30+ years of experience in culinary gifting.