Sukkot is the fall harvest festival of the Jewish calendar and is celebrated just before the earth goes into dormancy for the winter. Like many of our Jewish holidays, Sukkot has two foundations: an historical one and an agricultural one.

Historically, a sukkah (meaning temporary booth; plural is sukkot) reminds us of the temporary dwelling lived in by the Israelites during the 40 years spent wandering in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan (now known as Israel) after the Exodus.

Agriculturally, Sukkot is the last of the three pilgrimage festivals when ancient Jews would pack the best of their seasonal crops and journey to The Temple in Jerusalem. Once there, the Jews offered sacrifices and celebrated as a community, thanking God for the bounty of that year’s harvest.

The best-known traditions of Sukkot are building, decorating, and eating in the sukkah. (Some people even sleep in the sukkah!) It is also during this time of the year that people host “sukkah parties.” They invite friends to not only help decorate the sukkah, but also to eat and to rejoice in the small, temporary hut.

From the tradition of inviting others to the sukkah, we are reminded of the crucial Jewish value of Hachnasat Orhim. Hahnasat Orhim, the act of welcoming a visitor, is a Jewish virtue traced all the way back to Abraham in the Bible. He and Sarah were known for their “open-tent” policy, welcoming strangers into their home for food and rest. (See Genesis 18: 1-5.)

Things you can do as a family

Build a sukkah at home, or take your child to visit someone else’s sukkah.

If someone invites you, go! And if you build a sukkah, be sure to invite others to enjoy a meal or dessert under its beautiful “roof.” The JCC and most synagogues build their own sukkah and usually have an “open door” policy for its use.

Activities you can do in a sukkah with your child(ren) include:

·      Eat a snack or meal there.

·      Recite the special blessing that Jews say to thank God for the privilege of enjoying time in a sukkah: (INSERT HEBREW) Baruh atah ado-nai, eloheinu meleh ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu leishev ba-sukkah. We praise you, Eternal God, Ruler of the world, who makes us holy with commandments, and commands us to sit in the sukkah.

·      Contribute a decoration you make at home.

·      Imagine living in sukkah for several months during the harvest season. Talk about what it might have felt like for the ancient Jewish farmers.

·      Take a photograph of the sukkah with your family inside.

·      Have your child draw a picture of the sukkah, including the decorations found inside.

·      Some synagogue has special children’s services for Sukkot that include a visit to the congregation’s sukkah. Explore the possibilities with your own congregation and spend time in its sukkah. If you do not belong to a synagogue, any would warmly welcome your family.