Shmita - Since The Establishment of The State

Since The Establishment of The State

The first Shmita year in the modern State of Israel was 1951 (5712 in the Hebrew calendar) Subsequent Shmita years have been 1958-1959 (5719), 1965-1966 (5726), 1972-1973 (5733), 1979-1980 (5740), 1986-1987 (5747), 1993-1994 (5754), and 2000-2001 (5761). The last Shmita year began on the Jewish New Year in September 2007, corresponding to the Hebrew calendar year 5768. The 50th year of the land, which is also a Shabbat of the land, is called "Yovel" in Hebrew, which is the origin of the Latin term "Jubilee", also meaning 50th. The Jubilee Year is not observed in modern times because it only applies when representatives of all twelve tribes have returned and a majority of the world's Jews live in the Land. In 2000, Sefardic Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron withdrew religious certification of the validity of permits for the sale of land to non-Jews during the Shmita year following protests against his endorsement of the leniency by members of the Haredi community.