JEWISH COMMUNITY CELEBRATES
UNITY ON SUKKOS
Following the solemn High Holiday season, marking the beginning of the New Year and the “Days of Awe,” the atmosphere of the Jewish community transforms to prepare for the joyous Jewish holiday of Sukkos (sook-OAS), the Festival of Booths. Beginning this year at sundown on Friday, October 6, the biblically-ordained Holiday (Leviticus 23:26-32), also known as “Celebration of the Harvest” and “Time of Rejoicing,” is observed through Sunday, October 15.
The Sukkos holiday, celebrates G‑d's kindness to His people during the Exodus and has been marked for over 3,300 years by eating meals and celebrating in the Sukkah, a temporary hut or booth covered with palm or other branches. The fully encompassed booths commemorate the “clouds of glory” which protected the Jewish people in the dessert, following their Exodus from Egypt in 1313 B.C.E.
It is also marked by worship services and blessings over the “Four Kinds,” – the Lulav, Esrog, Hadassim and Aravos (a palm branch, citrus fruit, three myrtle and two willow branches).
“The Sukkos holiday imparts the all important lesson of unity,” explained Rabbi Yosef Y Kalmanson, Executive Director of The Jewish Discovery Center in Mason, and spiritual leader at Cedar Village. “Each of the four kinds is emblematic of the four general types of human personalities. The biblically ordained act of binding the ‘Four Kinds,’ which can only be performed when putting them all together - symbolically uniting every unique character - teaches us that we are incomplete without each other.”
“Among the virtues of the Sukkah not shared by any other biblical commandment, is its most salient characteristic; it is unique in its encompassing nature,” added the rabbi. “Unlike other commandments where only a part of our being is involved in the action, when it comes to the Sukkah, we must actually enter into it, thereby allowing it to encompass every part of us, and anyone else found in the Sukkah. The Sukkah erases socioeconomic differences, as even the rich leave their mansions to camp out at the grace of the elements.”
Although the holiday is celebrated for 9 days, only the first two days and the last two days are Holy Days, marked by additional festivities and feasts. The last day (this year, Sunday, October 15) is called “Simchas Torah,” and is celebrated by festive dancing with the ancient Torah [Bible] scrolls, upon completion of its yearly cycle.
The Jewish Discovery Center (www.JDiscovery.com) offers numerous classes and educational opportunities to study more about Sukkos and all areas of Judaism and its relevance to the post-modern Jew. A large Sukkah, specially constructed by The Jewish Discovery Center for this holiday, is open to the entire community without charge. They also make available a full line of Sukkos products, including various sets of the “Four Kinds,” the famous “Pop-Up Sukkah,” as well as detailed instructions on how to construct your own Sukkah, on their website, www.JDiscovery.com, or by calling 531.DISCOVER (531.3472). JDiscovery.com also maintains an online library with numerous interactive resources.
The traditional Jewish greeting during this Holiday is “Chag Samay’akh” or “Gut Yom Tov”.
