To retrieve the name of the parashat haShavua, we recommend you use the Jewish calendar REST API – a JSON interface for fetching Jewish calendar data (holidays, Torah readings, candle lighting times, etc).

For just an individual Shabbat:

https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal?v=1&cfg=json&maj=off&s=on&leyning=off&start=2025-04-26&end=2025-04-26

For an entire year:

https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal?v=1&cfg=json&maj=off&s=on&leyning=off&year=now

If you need the actual Torah reading details, use the Leyning (Torah Reading) API – full kriyah leyning on Shabbat and holidays, Triennial (optionally) for Shabbat, and weekday readings on Mondays & Thursdays.

Thanks for the additional detail on the CalenGoo app.

Although we don't have an ability to toggle descriptions on/off, here is the workaround we can suggest:

1. Create your custom calendar at https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal

2. Download as Legacy CSV format as described in the first few steps on this page https://www.hebcal.com/home/12/outlook-csv-jewish-holidays

3. Open the CSV file in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet app

4. Remove the description column and save the .csv file

5. Upload that modified .csv file to Google Calendar using a variation of the instructions described on this page (replacing .ics with .csv file) https://www.hebcal.com/home/59/google-calendar-alternative-instructions

6. Sync CalenGoo with Google Calendar - you will no longer see holiday descriptions

Sorry, we're not familiar with the concept of the "lords meal with the apostles".

Hebcal (pronounced HEEB-kal, as in Hebrew calendar) is a free Jewish calendar and holiday web site.

Our mission is to increase awareness of Jewish holidays and to help Jews to be observant of the mitzvot.

What kind of phone and calendar app are you using? Can you send us a screenshot so we can see what you mean by "the holiday descriptions take up too much space on my phone's calendar?"

There is no year 0 (zero) in the Gregorian calendar. If you enter 0, this is interpreted as 1 BCE. If you enter a negative number like -1, this is interpreted to be 2 BCE. The year -99 is interpreted to be the year 100 BCE.

Also, please note: results for year 1752 C.E. and earlier are guaranteed to be inaccurate.

Hebcal does not take into account a correction of ten days that was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII known as the Gregorian Reformation. ^[1]

Thanks for your messages.

Pesach for Hebrew Year 5785 begins in the Diaspora at sundown on Saturday, 12 April 2025 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 20 April 2025.

Thank you for the suggestion! We will consider this idea for a future on the website. 

In the interim, there are a few great countdown apps available for Apple and Google mobile devices. 

Most of the advanced REST APIs allow the client to specify a desired location using GeoNames.org numeric ID, United States ZIP code, or latitude/longitude. See the location API page for further details on how to enable/disable the optional elevation for sunset calculation.

Here is how you'd do a Friday - Sunday using the Jewish calendar API

https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal?cfg=json&v=1&c=on&maj=on&s=on&zip=90210&start=2026-09-11&end=2026-09-13&leyning=off

And here is the equivalent using the Shabbat API

https://www.hebcal.com/shabbat?cfg=json&zip=90210&gy=2026&gm=9&gd=11&leyning=off

The results are nearly identical. You can specify an end date using the Jewish calendar API but you cannot with the Shabbat API.

As we mentioned before, the Jewish calendar API also gives you a bit more control. In the example above, you will note that the Jewish calendar API doesn't display fast times or minor/modern holidays (because we didn't set those URL parameters to on).

That strategy would work almost all of the time, but not quite all of the time.

For example, on Friday September 11, 2026 is Erev Rosh Hashana. You'll have a candles event that day.

Saturday, September 12, 2025 is Rosh Hashana 5787 and that evening is the 2nd erev. Although it's Saturday night, there will NOT be a havdalah event. Instead, you will have yet another candles event on Saturday night. (and then you'll have a havdalah event on Sunday night September 13 when the 2nd day of RH concludes.