Hag Sameach everyone

Our next class will be held on October 17th. The location will be confirmed by email. At our next lesson we will learn the Shema and make our own mezzuzah ...

But first, did you know that we will soon be celebrating another holiday. Soon we will be celebrating Sukkoth. But do you know what sukkoth is?

Sukkoth is fun holiday! It's true - it is a jewish holiday where you leave your house to do some jewish camping ! Yes camping, eating and sleeping outside in your garden or on the roof or just there where you can build a booth, a temporary house. BUT to build any house there are rules you need to follow and so there are rules for building our booth which is also called a sukkah. It has temporary walls , but what is special about our booth is that it has an open roof made of branches. The rule is that you must see the sky by day, and stars by night. Yes it could be cold, and it could rain but then we think of and thank God for keeping us safe in our strong houses where we usually stay. The best part of the sukkah is that you get to decorate it. You can draw pictures, hang up fruit and veg and make it colourful. When we stay in the we remember the time when the jews left Egypt and spent a long long time (40 years) in the desert and lived in temporary houses too. It is a mitzvah (that means doing something good) to eat/ sleep and invite friends in your sukkah.

The holiday comes just after the high holy days. It is also the harvest time in Israel. Harvesting is when the farmers work the land and pick the fruit. During the harvest period the farmers used to stay in booths, this way they were able to work late and be there early without having to travel. Clever don't you think.

So to remind us of this time, we use a yellow fruit which look like a lemon, but bigger, and is called an etrog. It has taste and a lovely smell.

We also take branches of three trees which grow in Israel : 1-2-3.

One palm branch :

It is strong and upright. Dates grows on it, so the palm tree has tast, but no fragrance or smell -it is like a person who knows a lot but doesn't do good things.

Two willow branches

This is a delicate tree and grows close to streams and reminds of life giving water. It has neither smell nor taste, like someone who doesn't know much but who doesn't do much either

Three myrtle branches

The myrtle has no taste, but a wonderful fragrance.
Just like someone who doesn't know much but does a lot of good things towards others

These three with the etrog and is like an example of the different kinds or people. These four belong together because the world needs all kinds of people.

And together, they are called the lulav. We say a special blessing and we hold the etrog and lulav together and shake it in all four directions this reminds us the God is everywhere.

At shabbat we greet each other and say shabbat shalom, remember at Rosh Hashanah we say "shanah tovah" and on Sukkot and all other holidays we say "Hag Sameach" which means happy holiday / happy feast...

So come and shake your lulav as we celebrate and learn more about Sukkoth as a community.

Kehilat Gesher Sukkoth party

Sunday, September 26th

Hag Sameach and see you all soon,

Crystal