Sukkot Retrospective (2021/5782)
Yehudah haLevi famously wrote: 'my heart is in the East, though I am in the uttermost reaches of the West.' If I were to reimagine this poetic line, I'd say 'my heart is in the South, though I am in the uttermost reaches of the North.'
I was born in the Netherlands but spent a significant time of my youth in Southern Spain, where I fell into the easy rhythms of the Mediterranean climate. My days were not marked by snow and darkness but by rain or drought. The dry season would stretch from June until October and we would pine for rainfall as communities would be rationed due to severe drought. I knew firsthand the precariousness of living with water scarcity. It is no surprise then that the idea of Sukkot came easy to me; as I too saw pomegranates, olives and grapes ripen on the vine in the early Fall, this Biblical harvest festival felt completely intuitive.
The practice of Sukkot was a little more challenging. I started observing Sukkot in the Northern Europe, as a university student. More often than not, I would not have access to an outdoor space to erect a sukkah. On occasion, I would live in a tiny apartment with an even tinier balcony and I would valiantly construct a sukkah out of poles, duct tape and trash bags. As the Nordic October wind raged about me and icy rain lashed against my skin, all I could do was rush in and out of my makeshift sukkah, quickly say the blessing on dwelling in the sukkah plus on a food item (often a cookie) so that I could rush back in, shivering. It was nothing short from miserable.
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| There's no davening like in the sukkah |
Until that point, Sukkot had proved to be a disappointment in my life; a let-down after the thrill and crescendo of Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur.
However, we were taken from darkness into light, and when my family settled in the United States, we found ourselves renting a house with a wonderful backyard. Before we knew it, we were given a sukkah by a congregational 'empty nester' family and its easy assemblage allowed my husband to pop it up in a few hours prior to the festival. We finally got to dwell in the sukkah!
Since then, our experience of Sukkot has shifted, changed and grown. We started gardening, making us far more connected to the land and the themes of the festival. While the weather was not always consistently dependable, we always manage to get at least a few pleasant days eating in the sukkah. And on occasion, if the High Holidays were early and the weather was mild, I could even sleep in the sukkah with my kids! Despite biting 'no-see-ums' and unpredictable Midwestern weather, Sukkot became a festival we could truly observe and enjoy - a 'z'man simchateinu', the season of our joy!
Framework: A Note on Appreciating American/Midwestern Fall
Before moving to the United States, I had encountered two types of climate: the dreary, grey, rainy autumns and winters of Northern Europe or the temperate, mild autumns of the Mediterranean where very few of the leaves turned. I will never forget the splendor of golds, coppers and bronzes of our first Midwestern Fall--it was a transcendental experience! All of a sudden, I was plunged into a world of pumpkin everything: pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, pumpkin patches and all the pumpkin-related accroutements of the US market economy! The centrality of Fall in the American experience - that period between Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving started making intuitive sense as my family too went on beautiful drives and walks to admire the turning of the leaves and enjoy crisp, cool air after hot summers. In my mind, a Midwestern Sukkot became embedded in this spirit of Fall and even though we can get rained on in our sukkah, the season adds so much texture to an embodied experience of our world.
Preparation:
After the intensity and grandeur of Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot allows for a welcome, down-to-earth (quite literally) retreat. I try to keep things simple outside of setting up and decorating the sukkah, and focus on hosting meals and inviting guests into our sukkah. One major goal I have is to have reusable and water-resistant sukkah decorations: no more 'paper chains' that fall apart after the first lulav-induced rain shower! I keep a special storage container with my Fall-colored Sukkot decor and spend my focus on decorating the sukkah rather than the home (except from some generic Fall decor on my mantelpiece and my wreath on the front door). As someone who grew up decorating Christmas trees, I like to joke with my kids that dwelling in a sukkah is like living inside a Christmas tree for a week!
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| Gold votives can be used for all holidays! |
Esthetics and Projects:
For my reusable, water-resistant Sukkot decor, I utilize what is broadly available on the American market: Fall decor. I purchased Fall-themed reinforced cloth ribbon and foam leaves from Michaels that I suspend from the ceiling of the sukkah and picked up discounted colored outdoor lights after Christmas. A dear friend of mine crocheted me a garland of fall leaves in (water-resistant) acrylic yarn that I suspend along one of the sides of the sukkah and I decorate extensively with (plastic) faux flowers, fruit and berries. With a little care, all of these items can be packed up again, filed away in ziplock bags and stored in the container for next year.
Last year, I ordered a Days United Sukkot craft box for my kids which contained a fun table runner for them to color in. I laid down the table cloth with the runner on top and covered the whole table with a clear plastic cover to protect the paper runner from the elements. The Days United box also contained paper lanterns which were enjoyable but only to be used once.
This year, I committed to making a series of glittering resin stars. I had made resin stars and other art for Hanukkah last year (to be blogged in the future) and decided to add to the collection for Sukkot. Hanging these from the sukkah's ceiling will add some festive luster.
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| One of my children crafting with the Days United Box |
Experience:
During the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Sukkot really proved its worth as a safe way to gather outdoors. Torah learning institute Mechon Hadar even had halakhic instructions on how to build a correct sukkah that maximizes airflow.
As a novice gardener, Sukkot has come to mean so much more to me than previously in my life. I have particularly sweet memories of bringing my literal (garden) harvest into my sukkah to enjoy--very much in the spirit of the festival. And of course, when I can, I will spend at least one night sleeping with my kids in the sukkah, weather permitting. It's a treat they really have come to relish and makes Sukkot extra special (even if it gives me a backache next morning!)
And last but not least, Sukkot also represents the start of 'hot chocolate season' for my family where we will enjoy hot chocolate and treats in the sukkah.
Needless to say, prayer in the sukkah with the 'arba minim' (the four species; lulav and etrog) with the cool, damp air of Fall around me is particuarly magical and gives us an excuse to worship outdoors.
All in all, for busy Jewish families, Sukkot is a time to let your hair down a little and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Once a good Sukkot routine has been established, the rest follows suit--especially if you have lots of leftovers in the freezer from Rosh haShanah.
Dining al fresco is magical, even if it's takeout pizza and my recommendation is to not push yourself too hard during this season. The High Holidays have their own level of intensity and it is very much in the theme of Sukkot to 'decompress' and savor the fading of Summer into Fall and be heartened by a uniquely rustic and democratic vision of redemption.
Exposed to the elements and reconnected to the Earth, all we need is each other and a whole lotta love and joy.
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