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Shabbat

Yeshiva Week in January: a planning timeline for a family trip to Panama

By the Unpacked Panama team Last reviewed 5 min read

The short answer

Yeshiva Week is the January vacation that many Jewish day schools and yeshivas give, and each school sets its own dates, so start from your school calendar. For a January trip to Panama City, book Shabbat meals as soon as your dates are set, flights and a hotel within walking distance of shul in November, and your community security registration in December. January is the dry season: Panama City averages a high of about 92°F with rain on fewer than three days in the month.

When
A week in January; each school sets its dates
January weather
Highs about 92°F; about 3 days with rain
Time zone
Same as New York in winter
Nonstop from New York
About 5½ hours (Copa, JFK; United, Newark)
Candle lighting, Jan 2027
About 5:52 to 6:05 PM
Book Chabad meals
At least a month ahead in the January peak
On this page
  1. What is Yeshiva Week?
  2. Why Panama City works in January
  3. The planning timeline
  4. Shabbat times in Panama City, January 2027
  5. What is the weather like in January?
  6. What changes in the busy weeks
  7. Questions people ask
  8. Sources

What is Yeshiva Week?

Yeshiva Week is the name families in the Orthodox community use for the winter break in January, when many Jewish schools close for about a week and families travel. There is no single date: each school sets its own, so the weeks can differ even between siblings at different schools. Confirm your dates with your school before you book anything.

Because so many families travel the same weeks, the things that sell out in Panama City are the things that were always limited: rooms within walking distance of shul, places at Chabad’s communal Shabbat meals, and seats on the nonstop flights.

Why Panama City works in January

  • Dry season. Roughly mid-December to April is the dry season, and January to March is the driest stretch of the year.1
  • No jet lag from the East Coast. Panama is on UTC−5 all year, the same clock as New York in winter.2
  • Short nonstops. Copa flies nonstop from JFK in about 5½ hours, United from Newark in about 5¼,3 and Copa from Miami in about 3 hours.4 See flights from New York, Miami and Toronto.
  • A full kosher infrastructure. 99 certified places, two kosher supermarkets, several Orthodox shuls and a community eruv, mostly within a few blocks of the hotels.5

The planning timeline

What to do when, for a January trip
WhenWhat to do
As soon as your dates are setBook Shabbat meals: Chabad takes bookings up to six months ahead and asks for at least a month’s notice in the winter peak, so book in November for an early-January trip. Or request meals for your hotel through us.
NovemberConfirm your school’s dates. Book flights (aim to land well before Friday afternoon) and a hotel within walking distance of shul. Check every passport is valid at least three months beyond your arrival.
DecemberRegister with the community security office (DSI) for shul visits; the rule is at least 72 hours before arrival, but don’t leave it that late in January. Buy travel medical insurance.
Two weeks beforeEmail the hotel your Shabbat questions (keys, doors, low floor, fridge). Set up an eSIM or roaming. Get small US bills.
The week beforeCheck this year’s Shabbat times and your shul’s minyan times. Look at the eruv map for your hotel and route.
On arrivalBring your passport and DSI’s QR code to shul. Ask on Friday whether the eruv is up.

Sources for the rules above: Chabad of Panama City for meal bookings,6 DSI for registration,7 and Panama’s immigration service for passports.8 Our Shabbat in Panama City guide covers each step.

Shabbat times in Panama City, January 2027

Shabbat times in Panama City, January 2027
ShabbatCandle lighting (Friday)Ends: Shevet Ahim and Beth El (our reading of their sheets)Ends: Chabad (8.5°)
5:52 PM6:46 PM6:45 PM
5:55 PM6:50 PM6:48 PM
5:59 PM6:53 PM6:51 PM
6:02 PM6:56 PM6:54 PM
6:05 PM6:59 PM6:56 PM
Computed by us for Panama City (UTC−5). Candle lighting is 18 minutes before sunset. The first end time is our reading of the sheets Shevet Ahim and Beth El publish (about 35 minutes after sunset, rounded up); the second is Chabad’s, when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon. Use the time your shul publishes for the week you’re there.

Candle lighting is 18 minutes before sunset, the practice of every Orthodox community here.9 We compute the sunset ourselves from Panama City’s coordinates; Hebcal’s times for the same location agree to within a minute.10 For the weeks ahead, see Shabbat times for Panama City.

What is the weather like in January?

Panama City climate normals, December to February
MonthAverage highAverage lowRainDays with rain
December91.9°F66.6°F4.1 in7.5
January92.1°F65.3°F1.2 in2.9
February93.6°F65.1°F0.4 in1.3
World Meteorological Organization normals for Panama City (rainfall 1971–2000). A day with rain is 0.1 mm or more.

Expect strong sun and heat by late morning, so plan outings early and keep a light layer for the air-conditioning indoors. Our packing list has the rest.1

What changes in the busy weeks

  • Chabad says that in peak weeks its communal meals may move to a nearby hall, and bookings can close before Wednesday when full.6
  • In January, DSI holds its daytime visitor interviews at Ahavat Sion in Punta Paitilla, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with none on Sundays or national holidays (9 January is one).7
  • Day trips that need a boat or a guide, like a partial canal transit or San Blas, fill up too. See day trips from Panama City.

Questions people ask

When is Yeshiva Week 2027?

Each school sets its own January dates, so check your school’s calendar. Our own Teens Unpacked program for boys 13–16 runs January 21–28, 2027.

What is the weather in Panama City in January?

Dry and hot. January averages a high of about 92°F and a low of about 65°F, with rain on about three days in the month, according to World Meteorological Organization normals.

How early should I book Shabbat meals for the January break?

Book as soon as your dates are set. Chabad of Panama City takes bookings up to six months ahead, asks for at least a month’s notice in the winter peak, and closes each week’s booking on Wednesday evening or earlier when full.

What time is candle lighting in Panama City in January?

Between about 5:52 PM and 6:05 PM in January 2027: 18 minutes before sunset, which moves later by a few minutes through the month.

Is Panama in the same time zone as New York in January?

Yes. Panama keeps UTC−5 all year with no daylight saving, which matches New York from November to March.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these sources or from our own research (walking routes, prices and listings we checked). We last reviewed it on 6 November 2026.

  1. World Meteorological Organization, Panama City climate normals. worldweather.wmo.int (read 5 November 2026)
  2. IANA, Time zone database: America/Panama. data.iana.org (read 5 November 2026)
  3. United Airlines, Nonstop flight EWR to PTY (schedule search, 15 Dec 2026). united.com (read 6 November 2026)
  4. Copa Airlines, Nonstop flights JFK, MIA, FLL and YYZ to PTY (schedule search, 15 Dec 2026). shopping.copaair.com (read 6 November 2026)
  5. Kosher Shevet Ahim, Certified establishments. kosher.com.pa (read 5 November 2026)
  6. Chabad of Panama City, Shabbat in Panama: meals and services. chabadpanama.com (read 5 November 2026)
  7. Departamento de Seguridad Institucional (DSI), Visitor registration. visit.dsipanama.org (read 5 November 2026)
  8. Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá, Preguntas frecuentes. migracion.gob.pa (read 5 November 2026)
  9. Chabad of Panama City, Jewish zmanim for Panama City. chabadpanama.com (read 5 November 2026)
  10. Hebcal, Zmanim for Panama City (GeoNames 3703443). hebcal.com (read 5 November 2026)

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