Jewish worldwide sunrise blessing set for April 8

Jewish people from around the world will share a rare experience Wednesday, April 8, at sunrise - Israel time - when they gather to bless the sun. The world will be 5769, the exact time when the sun and the Earth converge to the same position they were at the time of creation.

One who sees the sun at its turning point should say, “Blessed is he who re-enacts the works of creation,” according to ancient Hebrew Talmudic law, or “Blessed are you, lord our God, king of the universe, who re-enacts the works of creation.”

Jews believe the Earth and the sun converge every 28 years, during the spring equinox, in the Jewish month of Nissan. The sun is believed to have completed a cycle and returned to its precise position at the time of creation. This year, 5769, it occurs on Erev Passover, or Passover Eve, between 6 and 7 p.m., Israel time, or 8 a.m., local time. It is a special mitzvah - or good deed - this year because it is on Passover Eve.

Whether Jews pray in groups or alone, their prayers come together as a group. On the morning of April 8, when Jews around the world will come together in prayer to thank God for creating the Earth and sun, they will renew their commitment to him to do a better job as stewards of his planets and hand them off to the next generation in better shape than they are today.