Have you ever driven through Brooklyn neighborhoods in the fall and noticed booth-like structures on balconies and in yards? These booths or “sukkahs” are representative of the Jewish Festival of Sukkot (or Sukkos), also known as the Festival of Tabernacles. Following the more serious High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. This usually occurs from late September to late October.
Have you ever driven through Brooklyn neighborhoods in the fall and noticed booth-like structures on balconies and in yards? These booths or “sukkahs” are representative of the Jewish Festival of Sukkot (or Sukkos), also known as the Festival of Tabernacles. Following the more serious High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. This usually occurs from late September to late October.The double significance of Sukkot is a commemoration of the Exodus, noting the dependence of the Israelites on the will of God, and the end of the harvest season. The holiday begins five days after Yom Kippur and lasts seven days in Israel and eight days in the diaspora. For those celebrating in the United States this year, Sukkot began on September 23rd and ended on September 30th.
Central to Sukkot and the first “mitzvah” (or commandment) of the holiday is the building of the sukkah, the temporary shelter reminiscent of tents used by the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from Egypt and also of the temporary huts used by laborers working in the fields during the harvest or ingathering. The sukkah must have three walls and while the sides may be made of any material sturdy enough to withstand the wind (such as wood, fiberglass, or canvas), the roof must be covered with an organic material (usually branches, thatch, or bamboo poles), which provides shelter and shade, as well as a view of the stars.
The second mitzvah of the holiday, also symbolic of its agricultural nature, is the gathering of the four species. These are four plants essential to the Sukkot rite: willow, myrtle, date palm, and citron. After a blessing giving praise and thanks to God is recited, the lulav (the palm in the center bound with the willow and myrtle branches) and the etrog (the citron) are held in separate hands and the lulav is gently and slowly waved or shaken, first facing east and then pointed south, west, and north. The lulav represents a channel of peace and God’s presence from every direction.
The third and final mitzvah of Sukkot is simply to rejoice during the holiday.
I visited with Carroll Gardens residents Emily Reisbaum and Scott Medintz, who construct a sukkah in their backyard each year. Emily and Scott’s sukkah is a family effort with everyone joining in to build and decorate. As in years past, their sukkah was decorated with festive strings of lights and colorful lanterns, but because of rainy weather, paper chains and their children’s artwork were not on display this year. Emily, who celebrated Sukkot with her family while growing up in New Jersey, thinks her children will continue the tradition, noting that “it is one of those holidays that is really fun. You spend a week and eat all your meals in the sukkah… at a time of the year when the weather is nice.” The week-long celebration is also an opportunity to host family, with different relatives sharing meals in the sukkah on different days. Emily’s young cousins Naomi, 11, and Nathaniel, 5, who were visiting from Boston, also agreed that the holiday is fun. Naomi was particularly informative, explaining the lulav and etrog to me, and she told that me in addition to eating in the sukkah, they also sing and sometimes play board games. She, along with Emily and Scott’s daughter, Miranda, 13, actually spent a whole night sleeping in the sukkah this year.
Emily also said that the holiday seems “even more relevant now” because of the awareness of “sustainability, organic products, and being mindful of where your food comes from,” thereby extending the importance of a harvest festival. She likes visiting the local farmers markets when planning what to serve during the holiday. Foods which are served during Sukkot are those which are easily transported from the house to the sukkah and dishes typical to the holiday are often stuffed and symbolic of a bountiful harvest. These include vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, cabbage, and eggplant, all of which are in season during the fall, as well as stuffed kreplach and even stuffed pastries.
Locally, there have also been celebrations at synagogues, especially for those congregants who do not have the outdoor space necessary to build their own sukkah. At Hannah Senesh Community Day School, each grade had a chance to celebrate in a roof-top sukkah; kindergartners held a breakfast with their parents and the fourth graders had in a nighttime sleep-over.
If the festivities of Sukkot were not joyful enough, it is immediately followed by the Feast of Simchat Torah, which marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah and the beginning of the new cycle. An open, annual celebration of singing and dancing with the sacred scrolls took place under the arch at Grand Army Plaza on Monday evening, October 1st.
On the last day of Sukkot, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Mount Sinai, reflected in his weekly radio segment that we often put off doing things, thinking that there is time to wait. For these holidays, he noted, “Instead of next time, we are celebrating this time.”
Happenings/Upcoming Events
Congregation Mount Sinai
250 Cadman Plaza West
Tot Shabbat for ages 0 – 5 on select Saturdays from 11 am – 12 noon. Immerse your child and yourself in Jewish and Israeli culture with song, story times, movement, play and holiday celebrations. Free of charge with kiddush lunch afterward. For more information, call 718-875-9124 or email admin@cmsbklyn.org.
Book Club on Tuesday, October 30 at 7 pm to discuss “Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan” by Ruth Gilligan.
Kane Street Synagogue
236 Kane Street
Bialy Rock Music Class for Infants & Toddlers is back every Friday from 10 to 10:45 am. Children accompanied by caregivers will sing, dance and play instruments to English and Hebrew songs, led by Ora Fruchter and her puppet, Ketchup. An excellent way to enrich your child’s musical development. Please sign up on-line at kanestreet.org/bialy-rock. The cost is $25 per class for drop-ins and there are discounted multi-class packs for members: 6 sessions for $70 and 12 sessions for $130; and for non-members: 6 sessions for $125; 12 sessions for $225. For more information, please contact Rabbi Valerie Lieber.
River of God Christian Center
110 Wolcott Street
Bible Museum Trip has been cancelled.
Pastors Appreciation Dinner on October 27.
Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church
Summit & Hicks Street
Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 7 at 1:30 pm in the church courtyard.
Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, Manorville, NY Parish Pilgrimage on October 9, leaving at 8:30 am and returning around 6 pm. Return trip will include stop at a local winery and shopping at Tanger Outlets. Cost is $60. Call rectory for more information.
St. Agnes/ St. Paul’s Parish
Hoyt & Sackett Streets/234 Congress Street
Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 6 at 12 noon at St. Paul.
French Mass on Sunday, October 7 at 10:45 am at St. Agnes to be celebrated by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.
Night of Chances Fundraiser on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Raffles, horse races, gift baskets, door prizes, a Grand 50/50 and MORE! Entrance fee will be $10. Monetary donations to purchase prizes are welcome.
St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
157 Montague Street
Book of Books Book Club will meet on Thursday, October 4th and the first Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30 pm. The goal is to read the entire Old Testament/Hebrew Bible between October 4, 2018, and May 2, 2019. Those who join the group can read the entire thing, read the essential stories chosen from each month’s reading, or read just the few stories/passages that we’ll discuss at the monthly meeting. A reading schedule is available at www.craigdtownsend.com. There is no assignment for the first meeting.
Stained Glass Lecture on Sunday, October 14, at 2:00 pm, renowned stained glass expert, Julie Sloan, will present “Wrecked on the Coast of Color: William Jay Bolton and the Windows of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity.” Sloan pioneered the field of stained glass consulting in 1984. She has worked on some of America’s most important stained glass windows, including those by Tiffany Studios, John La Farge, Frank Lloyd Wright, and other artists. Her work has been recognized by many preservation organizations. Please join us!
Being Christian” Series continues on October 21 (Bible) and November 11 (Church) at 10:15-11 am or 12:45-1:30 pm. What does it mean to be a Christian? How does an Episcopalian approach the Eucharist and the Bible? In what ways do Christian worship, tradition and community draw us closer to God? “Being Christian” is a series exploring the Episcopal Church’s approach to fundamentals of Christian piety. Bring your questions, concerns, visions and hopes about what it might mean to worship God as disciples of Jesus in the 21st century.
St. Mary Star of the Sea Church
467 Court Street
Annual Pet Blessing – Please join us on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Thursday, October 4 at 7:30 pm outside of the church. All pets and their human companions of all faiths are welcome!
Feast of All Saints Day Mass on Thursday, November 1 at 7:00 am and 9:30 am.
Please visit our website www.stmarystarbrooklyn.com and click on the first picture on our home page… that will take you to our latest bulletin with all current events.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Clinton & Carroll Streets
Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 7 at 12:30 after Mass, on the sidewalk in front of the church. Bring your pet to church, then stay for the blessing. Treats for pets and people. All creatures great and small are welcome!
Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble on November 16 at 8 pm. $25 for general admission, $15 for students. Will include the works of American composers such as Elliot Carter and Aaron Copland and American poets such as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes, to name a few, as well as the world premiere of New York composer Susan Kander featuring the poetry of Willliam Carlos Williams.
Visitation BVM Church
98 Richards Street
Free Mammograms on Sunday, October 7 from 2-5 pm for NYC female residents aged 40 -79 years of age. No cost but insurance will be accepted. Mobile Care Clinic sponsored by American Italian Cancer Foundation. For appointment call 718-624-1572 or 1-877-628-9090.
Healing Mass on Wednesday, October 10 at 7 pm in Spanish and Friday, October 26 at 7 pm in English.
Flu Vaccine – Sunday, October 21 from 11 am – 1 pm. Please bring your insurance card.
Koinonia in Mission Congress – October 26-28. Friday from 6-10 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9 am-6 pm. Entire Congress is $35; $15 for those under 18 years of age. For information, call Sr. Frauke at 917-515-4225.
St. John Bread and Life Mobile Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays from 1 pm – 2:30 pm and Fridays from 10 am – 12 noon (except first Fridays of the month).
Extraordinary Minister, Lector and Usher Workshop on Saturday, December 1 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at Bishop Kearney High School, 2202 60th Street. Sign up at rectory.
Thumbs Up for Sister Máire Close – Please visit https://youtu.be/cMADS_uVmCI and “like” the video about the making of Sr. Máire’s CD, “In The Current.”
