September 26, 2007, - 3:57 pm
To My Readers: On the Jewish Holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles)
By
To my friends and readers:
Tonight at sundown, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins (and ends next weekend – it lasts seven days). Therefore, in observing it for the next two days, I will be out of blog commission, but I have some things I’ve written ahead of time to be posted in the next two days, including my movie reviews on Friday. Stay tuned for those. I’ll be back full-time on Monday.
A bit about the holiday: Sukkot (also called Sukkos, Succos, or Succot) is called Tabernacles in English. It is one of the three Jewish harvest festival holidays, and we commemorate the Jews’ temporary existence (and temporary dwellings) in the Sinai desert. To do so, Jews build temporary huts (called “Sukkot” for plural) outside their homes. They decorate the Sukkah (singular of the word) and eat all meals there during the holiday. (My father used to sleep in it, too.) It is very fun for kids because they also visit other Sukkot in the neighborhood and get candy and other treats there, sort of like on Halloween.
I will miss the Sukkah my father built every year and the many decorations he put up. , my favorite was a laminated aerial photo of the Old City of Jerusalem with thick white tape covering up the mosque built atop the Temple Mount.
More on Sukkot here, here, and here.
Tags: Debbie Schlussel, Halloween, harvest festival, Jerusalem, Sinai desert, Sukkot, Temple Mount
Hi Debbie,
I pray that the blessedness of this holiday which looks back to the time when your ancestors dwelt in nomadic dweelings in the dessert–but also looks forward to the day when G-d himself will dwell (tabernacle) among us in our midst–the curse of sin and death forever crushed at the greatest reunion ever–will be especially sweet and meaningful for you and your family.
I also pray that you will sense the presence of your dad with you as you celebrate this wonderful holiday!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!
BB on September 26, 2007 at 5:58 pm