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Explore content in our extensive library and pull it together into your own Jewish ritual booklet that honors and recognizes whatever life has brought your way.
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Support us
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Help us build moments of meaning and connection through home-based Jewish rituals.
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High Holidays in Five Senses
As the light and the weather shift in this sacred time of transition, we're invited to enter a new season and a new year. Take a deep breath as you consider how each of your senses connects to the High Holidays.
What do the High Holidays smell like?
They smell of freshly-baked sweet challah, the vanilla-y pages of an old book, your grandfather’s aftershave, the tang of the etrog and the perfume of lulav branches.
What do the High Holidays feel like?
They feel like fists beating on chests, shifting your tush on a wooden pew in an unairconditioned sanctuary, running your fingers through the fringes of a tallit, dropping crumbs into the water as you cast your sins away, sticky honey dripping onto your fingers.
What do the High Holidays taste like?
They taste of honey, pomegranates, apples, dates, carrots and squash, sweet challah with raisins, tsimmes and taiglach, shirin polo and khoresh fesenjan, hoppin john and greens.
What do the High Holidays look like?
They look like a room of people wearing their best new outfits, palm branches carefully placed on top of a tiny hut, the entire scroll of the Torah unrolled and encircling everyone, your grandmother’s china hauled out from its secure hiding place and arranged on the table.
What do the High Holidays sound like?
They sound like the blast of the shofar, the crunch of newly-fallen leaves, the mumbles of people stumbling through prayers said sporadically, shouts of “Shana tova!” and hymns at once deeply familiar and utterly foreign.
Sukkot is a joyous seven-day festival often connected to being thankful for the fall harvest. It takes place on the 15th Hebrew month of Tishrei. Sukkot also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah in Mt. Sinai. It is a rejoicing and the only festival in which we are commanded to do just that: rejoice. Sukkot, the plural of sukkah, translates to “huts” or “booths.” Sukkot are temporary dwellings we erect that have open walls and open doors. During this time, we invite friends and new friends to eat, rest, and rejoice.
Uzhpizin is Aramaic for “guests,” a reference to the founding figures of the Jewish people who are symbolically invited into the sukkah, along with their divine attributes (a wink at the Sefirot of Kabbalah). For 7 days, a set of biblical figures is invited, and their divine attributes are commemorated.
And.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Latin festival celebrating and remembering loved ones no longer with us. The festival is a two-day celebration from November 1 to 2, sometimes around the same time as Sukkot. It is believed that on Día de los Muertos, the bridge between the natural and spiritual worlds opens so our deceased loved ones can return and visit us. While the festival is usually associated with Mexico, it is celebrated in different Latin countries in various ways. Families commonly gather in cemeteries at night, light candles, and place flowers on the burial sites of their loved ones. One would think this time to be one of sadness. Yet, it is a time when families sing, laugh, dance, eat, and celebrate their ancestors.
A big part of preparing for Día de los Muertos is the creation of temporary ofrendas (altars) in the home. Stemming from the Aztec practice of leaving food and water for the deceased to help them on their journey to the land of the dead, Latin families decorate ofrendas with flowers (often marigolds in Mexico), pictures of deceased loved ones, souvenirs, and loved one’s favorite foods. The belief is that the offerings help invite the deceased ancestor from the land of the dead; it is a call that gets louder the more one is remembered.
You can find a more detailed explanation of Sukkot and Día de los Muertos on Jewtina y Co.’s Jewish Holiday Resources page and Cultural Ritual Page, which served as a primary reference point for this ritual.
I am a Salvadoran Jew and, for years, have been exploring how I can observe Día de los Muertos in a way that honors my Jewish life. During a leadership retreat at Urban Adamah, a peer shared with me the Indigenous belief that when we heal, we heal the 7 generations that preceded us and the 7 generations that will follow us, likely derived from Lakota tribe beliefs. My journey as a Latin Jewish leader in Los Angeles took me to reconnect with my family line and heal the many scars of colonialism, war, racism, misogyny, and immigration. My ritual aims to honor that process by honoring my ancestors during a time when I am commanded to rejoice.
Step 1: In the days leading up to Sukkot, reflect on 7 ancestors or deceased loved ones you wish to honor. Will you honor them chronologically based on where they are in your family line? Will you honor them based on the divine attributes and how they embody that trait? Will you honor them next to specific founding Jewish figures? This is your practice and your ritual; lean on what feels authentic.
Step 2: Create an ofrenda! You can refer to this Recustom Altar Making Guide or Jewtina y Co.’s Día de los Muertos guide.
An ofrenda generally includes:
Step 3: Make your ofrenda sacred with a blessing. I use the blessing during Havdalah that marks the separation of the holiness of Shabbat from the ordinariness of the rest of the week.
Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil bayn kodesh lechol.
Blessed are You God, who separates between the holy and the ordinary.
Step 4: It’s Sukkot! Use the chart below to structure each day for the Ushpizin ceremony. You can refer to this booklet by 18Door for a brief review of Sukkot. If you’re building a sukkah, consider the symbolism of building it around your ofrenda. If you cannot build a sukkah, consider the power of your ofrenda and how your ancestors/deceased loved ones are connected to you, with or without a temporary dwelling.
Day
Ancestor or
Deceased Loved One
Divine Attributes
Founding Jewish Figures
1
Chesed, loving kindness
Abraham & Sarah
2
Gevurah, strength
Issac & Rebecca
3
Tiferet, splendor
Jacob & Leah
4
Netzah, eternity
Joseph & Rachel
5
Hod, glory
Moses & Miriam
6
Yesod, foundation
Aaron & Deborah
7
Malkhut, royalty
David & Ruth
Step 5: Ushpizin. Before the meal, we invite these special guests to join us in the sukkah. Although all the names are mentioned each evening, we make a special call to a special guest each night. If that is your practice, you can refer to this excerpt by the Rabbinical Assembly, which has the Ushpizin blessings in English and Hebrew.
Step 6: Take a moment to reflect on the invitation. Speak about the ancestor or deceased loved one you are remembering. Refer to your ofrenda and share a story, idea, or question about them. Reflect on the divine attribute of that day. How did this person embody that? Think about the founding Jewish figure being honored; what traits do they possess similar to the person you remember?
Step 7: Eat! Rejoice! Your sukkah or home is full of so much love and respect. Acknowledge the power you possess by honoring your ancestors or loved ones. You are the link between them and your future generations. They’re with you, always.
My Practice
Below is what my ritual looks like.
Ofrenda:
Ancestors & Deceased Loved Ones (Z”L):
Day
Ancestor or Deceased Loved One
Divine Attributes
Founding Jewish Figures
1
Jaime Salvador Carrillo Torres (Father)
Chesed, loving kindness
Abraham & Sarah
2
José Luis García de León y García (Maternal Grandfather, Mexican Army Veteran)
Gevurah, strength
Issac & Rebecca
3
Afredo Carrillo (Paternal Grandfather, WWII U.S. Army Veteran)
Tiferet, splendor
Jacob & Leah
4
SPC Kaleb Loyer & SPC Matthew Hester (Soldiers I served with in the U.S. Army)
Netzah, eternity
Joseph & Rachel
5
Francisco García de León Hidalgo y Costilla (Great Paternal Grandfather, he fought alongside Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution)
Hod, glory
Moses & Miriam
6
The women in my family line who did not have agency or a voice during their time
Yesod, foundation
Aaron & Deborah
7
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Ancestor, Father of the Mexican War of Independence)
Malkhut, royalty
David & Ruth
Ritual by Luis Rene Carillo
Ushpizin | Los Siete Invitados: Sukkot and Día de los Muertos
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To The Forces of Kindness and Mercy, wherever you may be:
Please pour out your blessing on this land,
our citizens and elected officials,
in whose hands we’ve entrusted with the public good.
Enlighten us all with the rules of justice,
so that peace, tranquillity, happiness and freedom
stretch throughout our land.
Please bestow the spirit of humanity amongst all of us,
and plant love, fellowship, and friendship
between the different communities and faiths that dwell here.
Uproot from our hearts all hate, animosity, jealousy and strife,
in order to fulfil the longings of all our nation’s inhabitants,
who aspire for dignity.
And so may our land be a blessing for all who live on earth,
and that fellowship, mercy and liberty will dwell between us all.
Establish the vision that
“Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Sukkot is a joyous seven-day festival often connected to being thankful for the fall harvest. It takes place on the 15th Hebrew month of Tishrei. Sukkot also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah in Mt. Sinai. It is a rejoicing and the only festival in which we are commanded to do just that: rejoice. Sukkot, the plural of sukkah, translates to “huts” or “booths.” Sukkot are temporary dwellings we erect that have open walls and open doors. During this time, we invite friends and new friends to eat, rest, and rejoice.
Uzhpizin is Aramaic for “guests,” a reference to the founding figures of the Jewish people who are symbolically invited into the sukkah, along with their divine attributes (a wink at the Sefirot of Kabbalah). For 7 days, a set of biblical figures is invited, and their divine attributes are commemorated.
And.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Latin festival celebrating and remembering loved ones no longer with us. The festival is a two-day celebration from November 1 to 2, sometimes around the same time as Sukkot. It is believed that on Día de los Muertos, the bridge between the natural and spiritual worlds opens so our deceased loved ones can return and visit us. While the festival is usually associated with Mexico, it is celebrated in different Latin countries in various ways. Families commonly gather in cemeteries at night, light candles, and place flowers on the burial sites of their loved ones. One would think this time to be one of sadness. Yet, it is a time when families sing, laugh, dance, eat, and celebrate their ancestors.
A big part of preparing for Día de los Muertos is the creation of temporary ofrendas (altars) in the home. Stemming from the Aztec practice of leaving food and water for the deceased to help them on their journey to the land of the dead, Latin families decorate ofrendas with flowers (often marigolds in Mexico), pictures of deceased loved ones, souvenirs, and loved one’s favorite foods. The belief is that the offerings help invite the deceased ancestor from the land of the dead; it is a call that gets louder the more one is remembered.
You can find a more detailed explanation of Sukkot and Día de los Muertos on Jewtina y Co.’s Jewish Holiday Resources page and Cultural Ritual Page, which served as a primary reference point for this ritual.
I am a Salvadoran Jew and, for years, have been exploring how I can observe Día de los Muertos in a way that honors my Jewish life. During a leadership retreat at Urban Adamah, a peer shared with me the Indigenous belief that when we heal, we heal the 7 generations that preceded us and the 7 generations that will follow us, likely derived from Lakota tribe beliefs. My journey as a Latin Jewish leader in Los Angeles took me to reconnect with my family line and heal the many scars of colonialism, war, racism, misogyny, and immigration. My ritual aims to honor that process by honoring my ancestors during a time when I am commanded to rejoice.
Step 1: In the days leading up to Sukkot, reflect on 7 ancestors or deceased loved ones you wish to honor. Will you honor them chronologically based on where they are in your family line? Will you honor them based on the divine attributes and how they embody that trait? Will you honor them next to specific founding Jewish figures? This is your practice and your ritual; lean on what feels authentic.
Step 2: Create an ofrenda! You can refer to this Recustom Altar Making Guide or Jewtina y Co.’s Día de los Muertos guide.
An ofrenda generally includes:
Step 3: Make your ofrenda sacred with a blessing. I use the blessing during Havdalah that marks the separation of the holiness of Shabbat from the ordinariness of the rest of the week.
Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil bayn kodesh lechol.
Blessed are You God, who separates between the holy and the ordinary.
Step 4: It’s Sukkot! Use the chart below to structure each day for the Ushpizin ceremony. You can refer to this booklet by 18Door for a brief review of Sukkot. If you’re building a sukkah, consider the symbolism of building it around your ofrenda. If you cannot build a sukkah, consider the power of your ofrenda and how your ancestors/deceased loved ones are connected to you, with or without a temporary dwelling.
Day
Ancestor or
Deceased Loved One
Divine Attributes
Founding Jewish Figures
1
Chesed, loving kindness
Abraham & Sarah
2
Gevurah, strength
Issac & Rebecca
3
Tiferet, splendor
Jacob & Leah
4
Netzah, eternity
Joseph & Rachel
5
Hod, glory
Moses & Miriam
6
Yesod, foundation
Aaron & Deborah
7
Malkhut, royalty
David & Ruth
Step 5: Ushpizin. Before the meal, we invite these special guests to join us in the sukkah. Although all the names are mentioned each evening, we make a special call to a special guest each night. If that is your practice, you can refer to this excerpt by the Rabbinical Assembly, which has the Ushpizin blessings in English and Hebrew.
Step 6: Take a moment to reflect on the invitation. Speak about the ancestor or deceased loved one you are remembering. Refer to your ofrenda and share a story, idea, or question about them. Reflect on the divine attribute of that day. How did this person embody that? Think about the founding Jewish figure being honored; what traits do they possess similar to the person you remember?
Step 7: Eat! Rejoice! Your sukkah or home is full of so much love and respect. Acknowledge the power you possess by honoring your ancestors or loved ones. You are the link between them and your future generations. They’re with you, always.
My Practice
Below is what my ritual looks like.
Ofrenda:
Ancestors & Deceased Loved Ones (Z”L):
Day
Ancestor or Deceased Loved One
Divine Attributes
Founding Jewish Figures
1
Jaime Salvador Carrillo Torres (Father)
Chesed, loving kindness
Abraham & Sarah
2
José Luis García de León y García (Maternal Grandfather, Mexican Army Veteran)
Gevurah, strength
Issac & Rebecca
3
Afredo Carrillo (Paternal Grandfather, WWII U.S. Army Veteran)
Tiferet, splendor
Jacob & Leah
4
SPC Kaleb Loyer & SPC Matthew Hester (Soldiers I served with in the U.S. Army)
Netzah, eternity
Joseph & Rachel
5
Francisco García de León Hidalgo y Costilla (Great Paternal Grandfather, he fought alongside Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution)
Hod, glory
Moses & Miriam
6
The women in my family line who did not have agency or a voice during their time
Yesod, foundation
Aaron & Deborah
7
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Ancestor, Father of the Mexican War of Independence)
Malkhut, royalty
David & Ruth
Ritual by Luis Rene Carillo
Ushpizin | Los Siete Invitados: Sukkot and Día de los Muertos
Preview
More
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