Sukkot

A Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. Sukkot also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai. The holiday is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of the month of Tishrei, and is marked by several distinct traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is to erect a sukkah, a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot (in this case, the plural of sukkah) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating, entertaining and even for sleeping.

Sukkot also called Z’man Simchateinu (Season of Our Rejoicing), is the only festival associated with an explicit commandment to rejoice. A final name for Sukkot is Chag HaAsif, (Festival of the Ingathering), representing a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth during the fall harvest.

The Temple Emanu-El Men’s Club builds our Temple sukkah each year on the Temple grounds. Our Sisterhood then decorates the sukkah. Each year, we offer opportunities for members of our Temple community to enjoy our sukkah and fulfill the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah.

Read more about the history and customs of Sukkot.

To learn about other holidays we celebrate at Temple Emanu-El, click here.