Sukkot, often referred to as the Feast of Tabernacles, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites' 40-year journey through the desert after leaving Egypt. One of the central rituals during Sukkot is the waving of the lulav and etrog. The lulav consists of palm branches, myrtle branches, and willow branches bound together, and shaken together with the etrog a citron fruit. Together, they represent different types of people coming together as one.
Sukkot is actually the festival of Jewish unity; in fact, the Talmud states that “it is fitting that all Jews should sit in one sukkah.”
Just this week I experienced heartwarming Jewish unity. Many orthodox Jews from Montreal to Virginia were visiting the Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville. Many of them approached as they needed a minyan and a Torah as required for communal sukkot prayers. I was glad to work with the management, who graciously provided a room to use, they couldn’t arrange a sukkah on premises with short notice and potential liability. So, I reached out to the Rabbi at the Reform Temple Adas Shalom in Havre de Grace, who worked with their security team and graciously welcomed anyone who wishes to use their sukkah as well as allowed us to add Schach to make sure it is in line with Halacha. The Reform synagogue worked to provide a sukkah for all types of Jews to be able to celebrate.
Yes! This sukkot the spirit of unity prevailed.
I want to encourage everyone to join us Saturday Night at 7:00 PM or Sunday at 10:00 AM as we continue to celebrate the unity. We dance with a closed Torah, symbolizing that the Torah is an inheritance for all, regardless of how much one knows. It was a powerful demonstration of the idea that the Torah belongs to every Jew, and it is the unity of the Jewish people that gives it life and meaning.
Have an amazing Simchat Torah!
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman