The Memories of Sukkot

There are holidays that celebrate a moment, and there are holidays that seem to carry the entire history of a people within them. For me, Sukkot has increasingly become one of those holidays.

Sukkot is among the most ancient Jewish festivals, rooted in the Torah and connected both to the agricultural cycle of the Land of Israel and to the journey of the Israelites after the Exodus from Egypt. For seven days Jews are commanded to dwell in temporary shelters, the sukkot, remembering the vulnerability of their ancestors during their journey through the wilderness.

There is something extraordinarily Jewish about that commandment.

Leave the security of your house. Sit beneath a fragile roof. Understand that walls are never an absolute guarantee of safety. Remember where you came from. Remember those who walked before you. Then eat, celebrate, welcome guests and give thanks anyway.

That last word matters.

Because Jewish history could almost be summarized by it.

We suffered, and we lived anyway.

We were expelled, and we rebuilt anyway.

We were persecuted, and we celebrated anyway.

We buried our dead, and eventually we planted another tree, built another home, raised another child and danced again anyway.

Sukkot itself has witnessed extraordinary chapters of Jewish history. According to the biblical account, King Solomon gathered the people of Israel during the festival season for the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Centuries later, after exile and destruction, Jews returning to their homeland again celebrated Sukkot. The Book of Nehemiah describes the people building booths and rediscovering the commandments of the........

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