to the Family Guide to Sukkot

Sukkot
Shmini Atzeret
Simchat Torah
YOUR FAMILY'S GUIDE
TO THE HIGH HOLIDAYS ‑ PART II
Five days after Yom Kippur we go from a solemn season of repentance to a season of rejoicing and
renewal with the celebration of Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. On Sukkot we rejoice in
God’s protection of the Jewish people during our 40 years of wandering through the desert.
For families, Sukkot is rich in practices and traditions. Building, decorating, or spending time in a sukkah
for meals and with family and friends is exciting for adults and children alike, and helps create the
kinds of memories that keep Jewish tradition alive.
On Simchat Torah we rejoice in the ending and beginning of the reading of the Torah. We dance and
sing and, as a community, revel in the excitement of completing and beginning the reading of the Torah.
We hope you will take the opportunity to spend time rejoicing with family and friends during this
festive season.
Chag Sameach!
Your
friendsatatJFamily
J.E.F.F.
Your friends
Jewish Experiences for Families
To help you celebrate Sukkot, you will need to gather together the following:
• Candlesticks with at least 2 candles
• Kiddush cup
• Wine or grape juice
• Round challah with challah cover
• Lulav - Consists of a palm branch, willow branch and myrtle branch*
• Etrog - Looks like a lemon, but has a tip called the Pitom*
• Sukkah - Build your own, visit a friend’s sukkah, or visit your
synagogue’s sukkah
* You can get information on purchasing your own lulav and etrog from your synagogue, a local Jewish bookstore,
or online.
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2
— Part Berman
II 2014© Jewish
Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the jewishdetroit.org/jeff
express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
As Jews, we celebrate the
seven-day holday of
Sukkot, during the
Hebrew month of
Tishrei. Sukkot is one
of the Shalosh Regalim,
the three pilgrimage
holidays observed by
Jewish people (Sukkot,
Passover, Shavuot). The
chag (holiday, festival)
starts five days after
Yom Kippur and marks the beginning of a period
of rejoicing. Sukkot literally means "booths" and
is often called the Festival of Booths. Booths
refer to the portable huts the Israelites lived in
during their forty-year trek through the
desert. Today we remember the makeshift huts
we called our homes by
building Sukkot on our
decks or in our yards.
The festival of Sukkot
also has three other less
known names:
Chag Ha-asif, which
means “The Festival of
Ingathering” because of
Sukkot’s roots as an
agricultural holiday;
Ha Chag, “The Festival”,
because it remembers the end of the Israelites’
wandering and their entry into the Promised Land;
and Z'man Simchateinu, “The Season of our
Rejoicing,” a reminder to end the somber feelings
from Yom Kippur and to rejoice, enjoy our harvest,
and remember the end of the Israelites’ wandering.
BUILD YOUR OWN SUKKAH:
Bring the holiday and its traditions home by building your own. It’s a fun family project!
Use the following guidelines:
• Your sukkah must be less than 30 feet high.
• The walls must be strong enough to withstand ordinary gusts of winds.
• The s’chach (overhead covering) must be made of any natural materials that are no longer part
of the live plant (Use evergreen branches, dried corn stalks, bamboo, or other native species).
• The s’chach must provide for more shade than sun, but the stars must still be able to be seen at night.
• There must be at least 2 ½ makeshift walls, from wood or plastic (put holes in the plastic so the
wind can blow through without knocking down your sukkah!). You can use one side of your
house but the rest must be part of the sukkah structure. You can create your own pattern or
purchase a sukkah from a sukkah manufacturer (They come in all different sizes and materials,
ranging from wood to plastic. Most are relatively easy to put together, but it is likely you will
have to provide your own s’chach.)
• Hang decorations from the ceiling. Fruits, gourds and Indian corn are often used to remember
the fall harvest. Decorate the walls with old Rosh Hashana cards, pictures of Israel, paper chains,
children’s artwork, etc…. be creative!
Don’t forget that you can always visit a friend’s sukkah or the one at your
congregation as a start to your holiday traditions!
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
MITZVOT (COMMANDMENTS)
There are two Mitzvot linked to the Festival of Sukkot in the
Torah that Jews everywhere strive to fulfill. They are:
Live in the Sukkah
Many people not only eat in their sukkah to observe this
Mitzvah, but they also study Torah and sleep in their sukkah!
We say the Kiddush, the blessing over the wine, and Hamotzi,
the blessing over the bread, on the first two nights of Sukkot in
the sukkah. But don’t worry…you do not have to sleep or even
eat in the sukkah if the weather is bad!
Gather the Arba Minim (Four Species)
The Arba Minim are four species mentioned in the Torah: lulav (palm), hadasim (myrtle),
aravot (willow), and etrog (citron). The lulav is created out of the three branches. The
etrog (citron) looks like an oblong lemon with a little tip which is called the pitom. Be
careful not to break it off, or the etrog is no longer able to be used for the blessings!
We shake the lulav every day of Sukkot to remind us that all of nature can praise
God and is a part of God’s gift to the Jewish people.
SYMBOLISM OF THE NUMBER 4 ON SUKKOT
The Talmudic Rabbis taught us that the four species (the lulav and etrog) are symbolic of our body parts,
so that when we’re shaking the lulav and etrog we are praying with our whole self. The lulav is compared
to a person’s spine, the willow to their lips, the myrtle to their eyes and the etrog to their heart.
Other Rabbis taught that the four species represent four types of people in the world:
•
People who are like the etrog… which has taste and fragrance, who
possess learning and do good deeds.
•
People who are like the palm tree… which has taste and no fragrance, who
possess learning and do not do good deeds.
•
People who are like the myrtle…which has no taste and has fragrance, who
do not possess learning and do good deeds.
•
People who are like the willow… which has no taste and has no fragrance,
who do not possess either learning or good deeds.
By tying the four species together, we symbolically pray that God will redeem
all human beings.
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
SPECIAL SUKKOT BLESSINGS
Besides the traditional blessings over the candles, wine, and challah,
there are specific blessings we say for Sukkot.
Sitting in the Sukkah:
Have a seat anywhere in the sukkah and say the
following first blessing; add the Shehechianu
blessing the first night only.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam
Asher Kidshanu Be’mitzvotav Ve’tzivanu Al
Netilat Lulav.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the
Cosmos, who has sanctified us by Your
commandments, and has commanded us to
take the lulav.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam
Asher Kidshanu Be’mitzvotav Ve’tzivanu Ley’shev
Ba Sukkah.
We add the following blessing on the first night
of Sukkot:
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the
Cosmos, Who has sanctified us by Your
commandments and has commanded us to
sit in the sukkah.
Shaking the Lulav:
• Hold the lulav (right hand with the willow
to your right) and the etrog (left hand) together.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam
Shehechiyanu Ve’kiymanu Ve’higianu
La’z’man Ha’Zeh.
• With the pitom facing down, say the blessing.
• Now turn the etrog around with the pitom
facing up and shake the lulav to the east…
to the west… to the south… to the north
and then finally up and then down!
Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the Cosmos,
who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled
us to reach this season.
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
SHMINI ATZERET
Now it is time to take an imaginary journey back in time:
(the desert in Southern Israel) tending to your
family and your crops.
Take a moment to breathe in deeply and close
your eyes. Imagine yourself living in the times of
the Temple. You’ve traveled a few days on foot
or on your camel to make your pilgrimage to the
Temple in Jerusalem to offer your first fruits (the
bounty of your harvest) for Sukkot. The holiday is
coming to a close after seven days of celebration
and it’s almost time for you to begin your trek
back home. Then you remember that God decided
that the celebration should continue for the
Israelites for one more day. This day is called
Shmini Atzeret (the Eighth Day of Assembly) in
the Torah because God asked us to stay and be
close to Him. Atzeret in Hebrew means to tarry
or holdback. So, we hold back for one more day.
• Where do you get drinking water?
• How do you water your crops if you
are in the middle of the desert?
• What if there were no rain?
• What would you do?
Our ancestors didn’t survive on bottled water
and modern irrigation systems. What did they
do instead?
They turned their prayers over to God, asking
for blessings of rain during the rainy season
(our winter). Today we continue this ritual by
reciting the prayer for rain (Tefillat Geshem)
during services in the synagogue. We do this
because holiday rituals are tied to Israel’s
seasons and not the weather outside of Israel.
Since in Judaism everything has more than one
meaning or purpose, take another moment to
close your eyes…you are back in the Negev
SIMCHAT TORAH
Eitz Chayim He L’machazikimbah, V’tomcheha Me’ooshar” –
It is a tree of life to those who cling fast to it and all who support it are happy.
This “tree of life” is the Torah, the five books of Moses, which we read from every week in
the synagogue. The Torah is so important that we as Jews read it over and over again from
year to year. We finish reading and start re-reading the Torah on the same day – Simchat
Torah– to show that our learning of the Torah never ends.
Until the early middle ages, it took congregations three years to read through the Torah,
but once it was switched to the annual cycle people began celebrating the accomplishment
of completing the reading of the end of Devarim (Deuteronomy), the last book, and the
beginning of Bereishit (Genesis), the first book. Jews sing and dance with the Torah while
circling the synagogue seven times (called hakafot).
A modern custom is to wave special flags honoring the Torah as we sing and dance.
It is a common misconception that Simchat Torah is a children’s holiday. The truth is that
Simchat Torah is a holiday for everyone! The morning of Simchat Torah everyone in the
synagogue is expected to receive an Aliyah (the Honor of being called up to the Torah) from
the oldest adult to the youngest child in the congregation. Traditionally, the last Aliyah is
saved for the children. All those under the age of Bar or Bat Mitzvah go up to the Bima and
say the Brachot (blessings) over the Torah while adults hold Tallisim (Prayer shawls) over
their heads. Traditionally, this is the only time of the year that children are called up to the Torah.
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
USHPIZIN AND USHPIZOT (Aramaic for guests:)
As Jews, we cannot imagine a celebration without lots of guests to share it with us! The origin of the
custom of welcoming ushpizin is the example Abraham set by inviting others, including strangers, into his
tent. The Kabbalists (Jewish Mystics) of the 16th century took the idea of inviting guests a step further
based on a line from the Zohar (The primary source on Jewish Mysticism) which reads:
When a person sits in his sukkah the Shechina (God’s Divine presence) spreads its
wings over it from above and then Avraham together with the other five Tzadikim
(Righteous Men- in this case: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Aaron) and King David
dwell together with Him.
These seven biblical characters came to be known as Ushpizin (Aramaic for guests), and every year we
invite one of them each night to join us as we dwell in the sukkah. Special words of welcome are recited
to honor their presence. Many people have also added the tradition of inviting the ushpizot (female
counterparts: Sara, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, and others such as Miriam, Devorah, Hannah, Hulda,
Avigail and Esther).
Try it in your home or Sukkah!!!
CREATIVE CUSTOMS FOR INVITING USHPIZIN…
• Along with the seven Ushpizin, spiritually
invite seven members of your family who
are no longer living, and read or tell something
about their lives and personalities.
• Designate and decorate a special chair, left
unused, for the honored Ushpizin of the
evening (a Sephardic tradition).
• Set a plate filled with food for the
Ushpizin and then donate the food to
someone in need.
• Try to imagine the honored guest for the evening
as having a live presence at your table. What
do you think he or she would contribute to your
conversations? What type of hospitality would
you extend to the Ushpizin if they were alive?
• Invite seven guests who are hungry to
join your Sukkot dinner, whether or not
you have a sukkah.
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Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
IDEAS FOR FAMILY FUN
SUKKOT DECORATIONS WITH A TWIST!
Many people hang paper chains, drawings, old cards, and fruit from the ceiling of
their sukkah. Try some of these ideas to put a new twist on your traditions:
•Pestproofyoursukkahbyhangingplasticfruitsand
vegetables.Orcreateyourownwithpapermache.
•Paintholidaythemesaroundtheedgesofoldwindow
shades.Haveguestssignyour"guestbook”with
permanentmarkers.Rollthemuptostorethemfor
nextyear.
•Dyepastawithfoodcolormixedwithalittlevinegar(to
makeitpermanent).Letitdryovernight.Havefamily
membersorguestsstringthemandhangthemfromtheceiling.
•Createasunshinehanger:Layapieceofwaxedpaperon
yourironingboard.Coverthecenterofitwithtinychips
ofcrayons,smallpiecesoftissuepaper,and/orpiecesof
yarnorcoloredstring.Placeanotherpieceofwaxed
paperoverthetopofyourcreations.Coverthe“sandwich”
withaclothandpressitwithawarmironuntilthecrayonchipsaremelted.
•FillsmallzipperbagswithJewishconfetti,smallbeads,or
otheritemsofyourchoosing.Zipclosedandhang.
•Goonanaturehuntandgonatural!Decoratepineconesas
birds,createnaturemobiles.
•Laminatepostersorpicturesthatfamilymembershave
createdbeforehangingthem.Framethemwithstickstied
togetherintoaframe.
•HowWe’veGrown!Eachyear,makeacollageoffamily
picturesbeginningfromthepastyear.Laminatethemand
hangtheminyoursukkah.Fromyeartoyear,you’llsee
howmucheveryonehasgrownandchanged!
TASTY SUKKOT TREATS!
Try making these in your sukkah:
•CreateaGrahamCrackerSukkah."Glue"together3grahamcrackerswithfrostingtocreatethewalls.Use thinpretzelstickstomaketheroof.Anddecoratewithyourfavoritecandiesorcereal.
•CelebratetheHarvest:Haveguestseachbringtheirfavoritefruitinabagsoitcannotbeseen.Everyone
takesturnsguessingwhat’sinthebags.CutupthefruitintoyourHarvestSalad.
•MakeaStuffedPumpkinCenterpiece.Cutoffthetopofapumpkinandcleanouttheinsides.Clean,salt,and
roasttheseedsina350.ovenuntiltheyaretoasted.Letcool.Linetheinsideofyourpumpkinwithaluminum
foil.Fillitwithamixtureofthecookedseeds,nuts,raisins,andchocolatechips.
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jewishdetroit.org/jfamily
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YourFamily’sGuidetotheHighHolidays-PartII©2009JewishFederationofMetropolitanDetroit.
Your Family’s Guide to the HIgh Holiday2 — Part II 2014© Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
No part of this guide may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit..