Hi, thanks for using Hebcal.
Candle-lighting and Havdalah times are derived from sunset times, which are approximated from a location (latitude, longitude) and day of year. As of August 2020, Hebcal.com calculates zmanim (halachic times) using an algorithm published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA solar calculator is based on equations from Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus.
Since 2013, Hebcal.com has been using lat/long definitions from GeoNames.org, which is available under a Creative Commons license. For the USA, we purchase a commercial ZIP code database from zip-codes.com that provides latitude and longitude for the “center” of each zipcode.
For more details, see this page:
https://www.hebcal.com/home/94/how-accurate-are-candle-lighting-times
Adding CandleLighting minutes used to RSS reply
Alternatively, perhaps making the default used when 'm=on' an attribute of the location block. So that it can be reported as an explanation of the time.
I am allowing the user to provide an int value (1..59) in which case I send `b=${candleMin}` and if empty - `b=on`. But it would be useful when I display the reply to include for the user what time was used. In Beit Shemesh, for example, there are sub-communities using 40 (because it is in Jerusalem district), 30 (I don't know why) and 20 min (a common Israeli alternative to 18) before sunset. So someone may guess the wrong default.
Adding Hebrew name to an exising entry not coming up on our calenadr
Trying to add the Hebrew name when orignally we entered only the english name on the yarzeit list. We add it on the Yarzeit list but it's nt adding to the calenedar on our phone
After making a modification to an existing Hebcal Yahrzeit + anniversary calendar, it takes 24-48 hours for these changes to show up on your mobile phone. This delay is caused by the calendar app which only checks for updates to the Hebcal personal calendar feed at most once per day.
paid link
I see there's a "paid link" to the JPS B'nai Mitzvah Commentary pamphlets.
Can I talk to someone about setting up a link to my TropeColor website? What's the cost?
I am the Torah and Megillah Tropes Specialist at Rabbi Jack Pressman Academy at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, CA, going into my 8th year there, and I've been teaching B'nai Mitzvah for 53 years, using my color-coding system.
Rick Muller (310) 486-5515
Sorry, we aren’t accepting new paid links at this time. We try to keep advertising on Hebcal.com to a minimum to cover our web hosting costs
Account keeps going missing
Hello. For some reason the Hebcal is no longer visible on my google calendar. This happened last year also. When I search by my email it said there is no associated email. How do I find all of the Yarhzeits that I have entered over the years? Thanks
Cannot create 2026 calendar to subscribe on Apple devices
Good day,
I've created a 2026 calendar with all the settings I used for 2025. The resulting link given to subscribe on my Apple devices is:
webcal://download.hebcal.com/v4/CAEQARgBIAEoATABUAFYh439AWoBc3AjeBKAAQGIAQGYAQGgAQG4AQHIAQHQAQE/hebcal_bay_harbor_islands.ics?color=%23b25dd3
However, when I subscribe to it, it gives me the 2025 calendar with all the options I customized. What am I doing wrong?
Also, is there a way to create a multi-year perpetual calendar to subscribe?
Thank you.
Hi, thanks for writing to Hebcal. We're sorry to hear that you're having difficulty getting a 2026 calendar on your Apple device.
Calendars exported from Hebcal via our subscription feeds (using iCalendar format) are typically “perpetual”. That is, they contain events for the current year (Gregorian or Hebrew) plus some number of years into the future. Most downloads (including Apple, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook) support these perpetual calendar subscription feeds.
When you create a custom calendar on Hebcal.com, you are presented with a dialog box that look like the screenshot below. Even if you enter a future year like 2026, you'll see text that says something like this (highlighted in yellow in the screenshot below):
This subscription is a 4-year perpetual calendar feed with events for the current year (2025) plus 3 future years.
You will also see a grey button that says something like Download 2026 only (highlighted in orange in the screenshot below). Click that button to download a 1-year .ics file and then import it into your calendar app, taking care to create a separate calendar and import Hebcal events into that new, separate calendar (lest you unintentionally add hundreds of events to your personal calendar).
Most users prefer the perpetual calendar feed because it's much easier to use and they can subscribe once and the calendar will be up-to-date for many years to come.
Also perhaps relevant reading:
https://www.hebcal.com/home/1398/number-of-years-in-calendar-feed-subscriptions
How do I make a contribution for you expenses?
How do we make a contribution to assist, even in a small amount, to cover the costs of the work done for this information to be available and the costs of running this site?
thank you! We are very grateful for your support.
https://www.hebcal.com/home/about/donate
Thank you also for choosing Hebcal for your Jewish holiday and calendar needs! If you have any ideas or suggestions for how we could continue to improve Hebcal, we’d love to hear from you.
Note: donations to Hebcal.com are not tax-deductible. The website is developed and maintained by Michael Radwin, a private individual
Erev Rosh Chodesh
How can I get all Erev Rosh Chodesh dates?
P.S. I love this site.
Thank you
Customer support service by UserEcho
