Yeshiva students organize year by strict time windows
Religious schools in Israel divide the academic year into specific learning blocks and holidays, with digital tools helping students track daily prayer times to the minute.
By Michael Lombardi ·
Students in Israeli yeshivot and midrashot structure their daily lives around precise time windows known as z'manim. The academic calendar is divided into three main blocks: z'man Elul, an intensive study period before the high holidays; z'man choref, which runs from the beginning of Cheshvan until Nisan; and z'man kayitz, covering Iyar until Tisha B'Av. These periods are separated by breaks called Bein HaZmanim, which occur from Yom Kippur to the end of Tishrei, throughout Nisan, and from Tisha B'Av to Rosh Chodesh Elul.
Daily routines depend on exact astronomical times for activities such as dawn, sunrise, and nightfall. Students use websites and apps to determine specific halachic times for their cities, including the latest time for Shema and Shacharit prayers, midday, Mincha, and sunset. These timestamps govern not only prayer but also Shabbat observance, holidays, fast days, and the laws of taharat ha'mishpacha. Missing a specific z'man can mean losing the opportunity to perform a required mitzvah, including the timing of a chuppah.
The three major pilgrimage festivals are also classified as z'manim. Pesach is referred to as z'man cheruteinu, or the time of freedom. Shavuot is known as z'man matan torateinu, the time of the giving of the Torah. Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah are collectively called z'man simchateinu, the time of gladness. Evening kiddush prayers conclude with a reference to God sanctifying Israel and these festive seasons.
During Chanukah, the lighting of the chanukia includes a mention of the current season, bazman hazeh. This phrase links the historical miracles of that period to the present moment, serving as a reminder of the timing of religious observances.
Source: The Jewish Press
