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REBUILD & REBUILD & REJOICEREJOICESukkotSukkotisraelforever.org/sosmom
MOM MOM SOSSOSA Message FromFor a whole week we are expected to sit in the Sukkah, but the Sukkah is really a part of our hearts all year long. It is a reminder of how so much of life is temporary, and that it takes a lot of initiative to build and rebuild ourselves each year. You may not know the halacha, the prayers or the names of the ushpizin. You may not know any special songs to inspire you and your Sukkah, but you know it’s something you want more of. You want the opportunity to fill otherwise empty space with the joy of being a Jew in the world. That space begins at home, and that is what we at SOS MOM will continue to try and help you do. In this kit there are three recipes for your Sukkot table. There are also information sheets about celebrating Sukkot, including some relevant blessings. Lastly, we have included some fun Sukkot activities that will add to the beauty and creativity of your Sukkah. These activities are fun for the whole family and a great way for your kids to express themselves as well as help each other in creating a beautiful product. As this holiday is one that gives us the opportunity to create our own sukkah we hope you will infuse yours with symbols that help you and your family connect and pass on our unique legacy to the next generations. From our heart to yours, from our holy hut to yours, as we welcome this unique Jewish holiday, let us be reminded the power goal is to be under one sukkah of unity. We also encourage you to invite friends and family over to indulge in your dinner as it is a tradition to have guests on Sukkot (for more information check out Who Are Your Ushpizin? on the Israel Forever website).We ask that you don’t cook any of these recipes on Shabbat, and that you don’t turn your oven on on Sukkot to cook them. We also ask that you print any articles you plan to read on Sukkot before the holiday begins. We ask the same of any articles you plan to read on Shabbat. Please do not engage in the arts-and-crafts activities on Shabbat or the first/last days of the holiday itself.israelforever.org/sosmom
Sukkot: Rebuild & RejoiceThe festival of insecurity, the reminder of how all things are temporary… There is something about this holiday that every mom can identify with. As our kids grow up, it isn’t always easy to keep them interested. Sometimes, all we can do is help connect the dots from the past to the present in creative and imaginative ways. What would have been of the Jews without Sukkot as a reminder? What would have been of the Jews if we forgot, if we stopped our efforts of memory, if we stopped building our temporary huts each year so that we could see the stars in the sky above? What would be if we stopped the tradition of the lulav and etrog?Today, many Jews don’t understand what these items truly symbolize. Because without them all that would be left is a show of what it has meant to be a part of the nation of Israel for the thousands of years we have carried with us our sukkot; our lulav, hadas, arava, and etrog; our faith; our joy… Sukkot is a holiday, rich in symbolism and rituals designed to convey deep messages in a simple way. The Sukkah connects between the two aspects of the holiday –1. The journey of the children of Israel towards the promised land, following God through the desert, to the unknown, dependent entirely on God for survival.2. The harvest gathered by the farmers of ancient Israel In both cases the people of Israel dwelt in impermanent dwellings but one tells of the journey to the other – from impermanent and uncertain existence in the galut to the land where Jews can put down roots and reap the fruit of their labors.Unless overtly religious, Orthodox or whatever stream, most just don’t know why each of these species make a difference. They don’t know what are the Hoshanot, or even what is the balagan at the Kotel that they keep seeing pictures of on Facebook. Why be a Jew if you don’t know what it meant since the birth of our people?israelforever.org/sosmom
To use a Sukkah for symbolic fun is great. Deepening that connection is essential, and can grow each year with the efforts of every parent, grandparent, as well of course as our educators and community leaders. They have their own platforms and communities, whereas educators have to navigate the difficult landscape of political correctness in a classroom. At home, we can shake our words to the feelings of our heart, to the memories of the Sukkot we have grown up in every year since our own childhood. It is up to us, each one of us, with our kids, our friends, with our colleagues. It begins at home, it begins in the heart. israelforever.org/sosmom
Eating in the SukkahAt every meal eaten in the Sukkah say the following blessing:רֲֶא ,ם ָלֺוע ָה ךֶלֶמ ני ֵהֱא ָיְי ה ָ ַא ר ָ .ה ָֻ ַב ב ֵי ֵל נָֽ ִצְו וי ָתֺוְצ ִמְ נ ְָֽ ִקBaruch ata Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kiddishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu le-shev ba-sukkah.Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah.Waving the LulavLift the lulav in your right hand and hold the etrog in your left. Make sure the pitom, the brown stem of the etrog (or stem end) is pointing down.רֲֶא ,ם ָלֺוע ָה ךֶלֶמ ני ֵהֱא ָיְי ה ָ ַא ר ָ .ב ָלל ת ַלי ִטְנ ל ַע נָֽ ִצְו וי ָתֺוְצ ִמְ נ ְָֽ ִק Baruch ata Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kiddishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al netilat lulav.Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us about waving the lulav.Turn the etrog so the pitom end is pointing up. (Be very careful, especially with younger children, not to break this stem o!) Make sure to press the lulav and etrog together and shake in all 6 directions - left, right, front, back, up, and down.israelforever.org/sosmom
Which of the Arba Minim Are You?Historically, Sukkot represents the wandering of the Israelites and dwelling in booths until their entry into the land of Israel. In addition to the sukkot themselves, the main symbols of the holiday are the arba minim, the four species - lulav (palm), etrog (citron), hadas (myrtle) and arava (willow). The four species can represent many things. Some say it reflects the four types of Jews, according to the senses: • The etrog (having both a taste and smell) represents a person who studies Torah and fulfills the mitzvot, • the lulav (having taste but no smell) represents one who studies Torah but does not perform mitzvot, • the myrtle (having smell but no taste) represents one who fulfills mitzvot but does not study Torah, • and the willow (having neither taste nor smell) represents a Jew who neither studies Torah nor observes mitzvot. It is important to note that, according to this interpretation, these therefore represent a symbol of national unity, since we need all four together in order to properly complete the mitzvah.Others say that the four species are symbolic of ourselves - the lips (arava), heart (etrog), spine (lulav) and eyes (hadas) - all elements of how we see, act or speak, think and feel.According to the RaMBaM (Maimonides), the Four Species are symbols of our journey. The date palm, a source of sustenance for desert nomads to this day, evokes the oases where the Israelites encamped in the Sinai Desert. The willow, growing on the banks of the Jordan River today as in antiquity, recalls the Israelites’ crossing the Jordan into the land of Israel. When they entered the land and settled in its hills, the Israelites found forests and thickets where myrtle proliferated. After many generations of clearing, terracing, plowing, and planting, the Israelites could grow grain and fruit and even the demanding citron.ACTIVITY 1: Write a quiz together with this title, modeled after those from teen/tween magazines, that you can print and have as a fun activity for any of your guests throughout Sukkot!israelforever.org/sosmom
Coloring page by Vicky Katzman, courtesy of AdobeStockACTIVITY 2: Print and color this page, and discuss why these dierent body parts are important and how they can add to Jewish practice or identity.israelforever.org/sosmom
DIRECTIONSDIRECTIONS INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS Luscious Lemon and Herb Chicken ThighsDIRECTIONSDIRECTIONS INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS Fun With Figsby Natasha Rosenstock Nadelisraelforever.org/sosmom
DIRECTIONSDIRECTIONS INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS B’TEAVON AND ENJOY!!B’TEAVON AND ENJOY!!Rosemary Focacciafrom the chefs atPuzzle Israelisraelforever.org/sosmom
ACTIVITYCloth PrintThis activity is to decorate a cloth that you will hang in your sukkah or use as a tablecover. This activity is great for little kids to get excited for the chag, as well as a great way for your older kids to engage their artistic sides and do something o their screens. It’ll also be a great memento for years to come. SUPPLIES: • Pomegranates• Forks• 1 large cloth • Paint and brushes• Plastic plates for paintDIRECTIONS:1. Lay the cloth onto a table or floor2. Cut the pomegranates into half. 3. Stick a fork into the rounded uncut side and press into the paint color of choice.4. Make an impression on the cloth of the painted pomegranate, either in random places or a specific pattern - such as a border, or a Star of David, or the word Chai/יח.FOR NATURAL DYE you can squeeze the juice of a pomegranate into a bowl and use that to make the colored impressions. This ancient practice of dying with natural materials can open up a conversation for you and your family about how the Jews have decorated their Sukkot for thousands of years! israelforever.org/sosmom
ACTIVITYMake Your Own Challah CoverHave your kids create their very own challah cover with personal touches to be used at Shabbat or holiday dinners!SUPPLIES: • 2 pieces of 11”x 17” fabric• Fabric markers• Scissors• Hot glue• 3-5 Shabbat or holiday images you want to include ex: challah, Star of David, kippah, siddur (prayer book), Torah, candlesticks, Israeli flag, kiddush cup, lulav and etrog, etc.DIRECTIONS:1. Look up, print and cut out the Judaic symbols you want to include on your challah cover2. Trace desired images onto one of the pieces of fabric with a fabric marker3. Cut out images from fabric4. Use the hot glue to adhere the images onto the other piece of fabric5. Let glue dry on a flat surface so the images stay in place before moving onto the next step6. Write בוט םויו תבש or םולש תבש with fabric or with a fabric maker7. Draw extra details onto the almost finished challah cover8. Allow time to fully dry before using on ShabbatNOTE: We love the collage eect, but if you have younger kids or don’t have hot glue, you could always use 1 piece of fabric and trace directly on to it. Also feel free to experiment with puy paint or other fabric paints, instead of or in addition to the markers. Just have fun with it, and make your kids proud of their contribution to your table.israelforever.org/sosmom
Simchat TorahAs Sukkot comes to an end, we celebrate the Torah as the tree of life. Simchat Torah is the joyous celebration of the gift that changed our people and, in turn, changed the world.• Make your own flags every year - no one is ever too young or too old to raise their flag for Jewish pride!• Explore the beauty of the Torah in this powerful photo essay.Where Can I Find More?Sukkot• Learn more on Israel Forever• Get beautiful art posters celebrating Jewish unity• Download your favorite images and add Israel to your sukkahA true example of someone who loved the Jewish people, we are always inspired by the words of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, OBM, the former chief rabbi of England. We recommend you take some time to read his words.The Festival of Insecurity: A Message for SukkotDance with the Law: A Message for Simchat Torahisraelforever.org/sosmom