Rabbi's Messages

on Sunday, 05 October 2014.

That's right, you heard me.

It feels funny to say, coming off of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but I think there's something really special about the holidays that come next. Sure, I appreciate the holiness and importance of the High Holy Days. It is awe inspiring to have our entire community together in the room, and to pray and repent and work toward a good new year. But in stark contrast to the solemnity of Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah are fun! And in many ways, they are exceedingly relevant to our modern lives.

On Sukkot, we celebrate nature: we build a sukkah, decorate it with fruits and grains, and enjoy all the beautiful world has to offer us (before it is swallowed up by winter). It's a reminder that as modern people, we need to work harder to be in touch with the earth that gives us life.

On Simchat Torah, we celebrate completing the annual reading of the Torah. We unroll the entire Torah around the room, and we dance, and dance, and dance. It reminds us that we should always be learning, always growing, and never standing still.

In ancient times, Sukkot was one of the three pilgrimage festivals – the Shalosh Regalim – during which our ancestors would travel to Jerusalem to bring offerings to God. It was one of the most important festivals of the entire Jewish year.

Today, we no longer make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and we know that we no longer offer sacrifices. But our holidays remain as relevant as they have ever been. It is an extraordinary thing about Judaism, ancient traditions can be renewed and imbued with new meanings.

As a congregation, we will celebrate Sukkot together on Wednesday evening, October 8 at 6:30. Join us for a service, followed by a potluck dinner with sukkah decorating. We will celebrate Simchat Torah the following Wednesday, October 15, at 6:30 PM, with dancing, celebration, food, and even a DJ! I look forward to seeing you there.

Chag Sameach -  Happy Holidays!

Rabbi Micah Streiffer