JCC Fall Program Guide - Flipbook - Page 20
Sukkot: The Time of Our Joy
Sukkot is a week-long holiday celebrating the annual harvest season, and the protection that God
provided the Jewish people for 40 years as they wandered the dessert after leaving Egypt. Sukkot
is known as “the time of our joy,” referring to both the gratitude we have for a plentiful harvest, and
the happiness we feel after doing the hard work of reflecting and asking for forgiveness on Yom
Kippur.
The Hebrew word Sukkot means “booths,” or “small huts,” referring to the temporary and portable
shelters that the Jews lived in while traveling through the dessert. During Sukkot many families build
a Sukkah and spend time throughout the week eating and enjoying the company of family and
friends in their own temporary shelter. On Sukkot it is also customary to say a blessing with the
Lulav and Etrog. The Lulav is made up of a palm branch, a willow branch, and a myrtle branch,
while the Etrog is a citron. Together they represent the diversity of Jews across the world and the
unification of the Jewish people near and far.
Celebrate Sukkot at home:
1. Build an edible Sukkah! Try this* recipe, or imagine your own using what you already have at home.
2. Go apple or pumpkin picking to celebrate the harvest season! Bake something delicious
with your harvest, or create a centerpiece for your table with your picked goods.
*Scan here
for the recipe:
3. Go stargazing! In order for a Sukkah to be considered “kosher” for use during the holiday it must
have a roof that you can see the stars through. In the spirit of that tradition, take time with family to
get outside and look at the stars, with or without a sukkah, and think about your connection to the
world around you, and the blessing of being with family, friends, and community.
Simchat Torah: Rejoicing in the Torah
The Jewish High Holiday season ends with Simchat Torah, where we celebrate the annual completion
of the Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one. On Simchat Torah many people celebrate
by dancing and singing with the Torah, and coming together with friends, family, and community.
On Simchat Torah some people also attend synagogue to hear the reading of the very last portion
of the Torah, followed by the very first portion as the Torah scroll is rolled all the way back and
reading is started again from the beginning.
Celebrate Simchat Torah at home:
1. Have a family dance party to some of your favorite Jewish holiday music.
2. Get crafting! Make your own Torah scroll* or flag to dance and celebrate with.
3. Read your favorite book together as a family, and when you reach the end,
immediately start over to imitate the annual Torah reading cycle.
*Scan for the
Torah Scroll activity:
