How to Connect Jewish Calendar to Outlook Calendar

The simplest way: subscribe to the Jewish calendar in Outlook

Outlook can display the Jewish calendar alongside your regular calendar without syncing or importing files. You subscribe to a Jewish calendar feed, and Outlook pulls in the holidays and observances automatically. This is the fastest route if you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or the web version.

The Jewish calendar feed most people use comes from Hebcal, a free service that publishes holiday dates in a format Outlook understands. When you subscribe, Outlook shows Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shabbat times, and other observances on your calendar without you having to enter them manually.

The subscription updates each year, so you do not have to re-add holidays annually. If Hebcal changes a date or adds an observance, your Outlook calendar reflects that change automatically.

Key Takeaways

You can subscribe to the Hebcal Jewish calendar feed directly in Outlook, and holidays will appear automatically without manual entry.
The subscription method works on Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac, but the steps differ slightly between versions.
If subscription does not work for your version of Outlook, you can read the calendar as an .ics file and import it once per year.
Jewish calendar dates change each year on the Gregorian calendar, so a subscription keeps your Outlook current without extra work.
You can customize which holidays and observances appear by choosing your location and tradition when you set up the feed.

Subscribe on Outlook for Windows or Mac

Open Outlook and go to the calendar view. In the left sidebar where your calendars are listed, look for an option to add a calendar. On Windows, right-click in the calendar list and select "Add calendar" or "Subscribe to a calendar." On Mac, click the plus sign next to "Other Calendars" or look for an "Add calendar" button.

When the dialog opens, choose the option to subscribe to an internet calendar or add a calendar from a URL. Paste this URL into the field: https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal.ics. This is the standard Hebcal feed that includes major holidays and observances. Outlook will ask you to name the calendar — call it "Jewish Calendar" or whatever makes sense to you.

After you confirm, Outlook downloads the feed and displays the holidays on your calendar. The calendar appears in your sidebar as a separate entry, and you can toggle it on and off like any other calendar. If you want to customize which holidays appear — for instance, to include or exclude minor observances — you can visit hebcal.com, select your preferences, and copy a different URL to subscribe to instead.

Subscribe on Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account at outlook.office.com and switch to the calendar view. In the left sidebar, look for "Add calendar" or a plus sign next to "Other calendars." Select the option to subscribe to a calendar or add from a URL.

Paste the Hebcal URL https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal.ics into the field. Name the calendar and confirm. Outlook on the web will add the Jewish calendar to your sidebar, and you can see the holidays in your main calendar view. The subscription syncs across all your devices — if you add it on the web, it appears on your phone and desktop Outlook too.

Import the calendar if subscription does not work

Some older versions of Outlook or certain corporate setups do not support calendar subscriptions. If the subscription method fails, you can read the calendar file and import it manually instead. Visit hebcal.com in your web browser and look for the option to read the calendar as an .ics file. You may need to set your location and choose which holidays to include before downloading.

Once you have the .ics file, open Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export (on Windows) or File > Import (on Mac). Select "Import an iCalendar (.ics) file" and choose the file you downloaded. Outlook will add all the holidays to your calendar. The drawback is that you have to repeat this step each year when the Jewish calendar dates change, whereas a subscription updates automatically.

Customize which holidays and observances appear

Hebcal lets you choose what shows up on your calendar before you subscribe or read. Go to hebcal.com and look for settings or preferences. You can select your location (which affects Shabbat times and holiday observance rules), choose between Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions if that matters to you, and decide whether to include minor holidays, fasts, and other observances.

Once you have set your preferences, Hebcal generates a custom URL. Copy that URL and use it to subscribe in Outlook instead of the standard one. This way your calendar shows only the holidays and observances that are relevant to you. If you change your mind later, you can unsubscribe from the old calendar and subscribe to a new one with different settings.

Troubleshooting when the calendar does not appear

If you subscribe to the Hebcal feed but the holidays do not show up, first check that the calendar is toggled on in your sidebar. Sometimes Outlook adds a new calendar but hides it by default — look for a checkbox next to "Jewish Calendar" and make sure it is checked.

If the calendar is checked but still blank, try unsubscribing and subscribing again. On Windows, right-click the calendar name and select "Delete" or "Unsubscribe," then add it again using the URL. On the web, click the three dots next to the calendar name and choose "Delete," then re-add it. If you are using a corporate Outlook account, your IT department may have blocked external calendar subscriptions for security reasons — in that case, the import method is your only option.

Make sure you are using the correct URL: https://www.hebcal.com/hebcal.ics. If you copied a custom URL from Hebcal, double-check that it ends in .ics and does not have any extra characters.

Why the Jewish calendar dates change each year

The Jewish calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian calendar you use for work is solar. This means Jewish holidays fall on different dates each year — Rosh Hashanah might be in September one year and early October the next. A subscription to Hebcal handles this automatically, so you never have to manually update holiday dates.

If you import the calendar as a file instead of subscribing, you will need to read a new file each year before the Jewish year begins. Many people set a reminder in January or February to update their calendar file so they have the correct dates for the coming year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see both the Jewish calendar and my work calendar at the same time?

Yes. Once you subscribe to or import the Jewish calendar, it appears as a separate calendar in your sidebar alongside your work calendar. You can view both at once, and Outlook will show events from both calendars in the main view. You can also toggle the Jewish calendar on and off to focus on just your work schedule when you need to.

Will the Jewish calendar sync to my phone?

If you subscribe to the calendar on Outlook on the web or on your desktop, it syncs to the Outlook app on your phone automatically. The holidays will appear in your phone's calendar view just as they do on your computer. If you imported a file instead of subscribing, you may need to import it on your phone separately depending on your device.

What if I want to add my own notes to the Jewish holidays?

You can create separate events on your work calendar for any holiday you want to add details to. For instance, you might create an event called "Passover prep" on the day before Passover begins, or add a reminder for candle lighting times. The Hebcal feed shows the holidays themselves, and you can layer your own events on top.

Does Hebcal include Shabbat times?

Hebcal can include Shabbat times if you customize your feed to do so. When you visit hebcal.com and set your location, you have the option to add Shabbat start and end times to your calendar. This is helpful if you want to block off time on your work calendar for Shabbat observance.

Can I use a different Jewish calendar source instead of Hebcal?

Hebcal is the most widely used free source because it publishes in .ics format that Outlook understands. Other Jewish calendar websites exist, but most do not offer subscription feeds or downloadable files in a format Outlook accepts. If you find another source that publishes an .ics feed, you can use the same subscription method with that URL instead.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.