Sukkot's Lessons, Lost on Us?

Rabbi Stern, Just a note of appreciation for making a further connection between tradition and present social cocerns. Homelessness has come into the spotlight in the city where I live and has become a means by which to measure the eficacy of our public leaders. In fact, homelessness has been turned into a significant issue in the current state election for governor. Because our circumstances as a people has changed, we have less "organic" means to keep us on track with traditional values of compassion, ethics, community, etc. Thank you for the reminder that our sense of security should be examined and not taken for granted and that we need to be mindful of those who exist in a state of vulnerability.

Actually, why stop at Sukkot? Most American Jews are unaffiliated or minimally Reform and thus Sukkot is one of many Jewish holidays/rituals that they fail to observe. Most Jews have a global religious fatigue.

It looks like Sukkot has a lesser command in Leviticus 23:33-36, 1st and 8th day holy convocation-no laborious work (for those outside Eretz Yisrael,) than 23:39-40, those who are able to "gather in the crop of the land, you shall celebrate Hashem's festival for a seven-day period ...and you shall rejoice before hashem, your God, for a seven-day period. We have a lesser command BECAUSE we are homeless and exiled from the land!!

I question Anonymous's Assertion that we are exiled from the land. as the State of Israel was declared in 1948, some of us CHOOSE to not live in Israel. I can say for example thatI was born jewish, but if I walk into a room of Orthodox jews, I am immediately pegged as an outsider, and Given a could shoulder. My feeling, is that Israel is gradually becoming like a Jewish Iran, a Modern Theocrasy(but that's fior another post) As for Sukkot, when I can i try to have at least one meal when possible in a Sukkah...I've never built one myself, but at least in the NE part of the USA, we tend to get a good bit of rain those weeks, which can make it difficult to enjoy the Holiday.

Richard, "Today homeless people moving into an urban Suckah, to partake of the bountiful sacrifice would get their next comfort from the city or county jail. I don't know how ready the urban Jewis to personally confront a needy neighbor." Most of us in Urban areas, know that the Homeless have different reasons for their state, ranging from a missed job to drug use to mental illness. The reality is that because of this you really don't know why people would come to your Sukkah uninvited, and if they were dangeroues, and one put onesself at risk then what? I know that my congregation Joined up with a group of other religious communities in baltimore that help out the homeless(Baltimore Interfaith Hospitality Network) http://baltimoreihn.org/ and I have agreed to help during my congregation's turn during our week of volunteering. Then again, when i was a kid, I used to go with my Mom to deliver Meals on Wheels. Ps. Richard, what is the URL for your homepage? nothing seems to come up when i click the link

I just wanted to say that many Jews ARE celebrating Sukkot and the picture may not be as bleak as it seems to some. In fact, in my Reform congregation, we put up two huts, one sukkah outside and one inside. We put up two because we live in Alaska and often it is simply too cold to stay outside without harm. We decorated the sukkot with decorations made by the young school aged children of construction paper and recycled odds and ends. The children belong to a fun group called "Re-creation" in which they have recreation by learning about recycling and creating fun, decorative, and somtimes functional items through recycling a large variety of items. The items may be used right away such as their sukkah decorations or there is a table where they sell items they have made. I admit some of the items are quite gaudy, but people purchase them anyway to support the group. Anyway, I just wanted to say Sukkot is fully celebrated at our temple and I imagine that is the case at many many other temples as well.