Each year, the first time we eat a fruit that only grows at a certain time of year, or when we do something for the first time in a while, we say a special blessing, the shehecheyanu, on this new experience.
בָּרוּך אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וקְִיְמָּנוּ והְִגִיּעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶה
Barukh ata adonai elohenu melekh ha-olam, she-hechiyanu, v’kiy'manu, v’higi'anu la-z’man ha-zeh
Blessed are You, the One who has kept us alive and sustained us so that we could reach this moment.
Sukkot is like a cozy hug, coming just five days after the deep soul work of Yom Kippur. We journey into our backyards or into a pillow fort to remind ourselves of our vulnerability and focus on gratitude. By dwelling in uncertainty, we move from the High Holidays into the rest of the year joyful, reconnected to nature and ready for what comes next.
Use this booklet, with its mix of traditional and reimagined rituals, to guide you through the week of Sukkot. Come back any time during the year when you need to renew, refresh and reawaken.
Emma Goldman: anarchist activist who famously said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution”
Octavia Butler: a Black science fiction writer whose dream of writing bestsellers came true, she wrote that “the only lasting truth is change”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: notoriously beloved first Jewish female Supreme Court Justice
John Lewis: a Civil Rights legend, he coined the term “good trouble” and served in the House of Representatives, winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011
Carrie Fisher: beyond her star-making turn in a galaxy far far away, she spoke candidly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and addiction
Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz: the founder of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, she grounded her activism in Jewish values
Grace Lee Boggs: instrumental in revitalizing community leadership in Detroit, she wrote and spoke about changing yourself to change the world with her husband, James
Sarah: famously pregnant at the age of 90, she became the “mother of nations”
Rebecca: a wily woman, she helped trick her husband Isaac into giving their younger son Jacob the blessing of the firstborn
Rachel: beloved wife of Jacob, she was also crafty enough to hide her father’s idols from him
Judith: she liberated her city from siege by beheading the enemy general, Holofernes
Miriam: sister of Moses, she sang and played the timbrel at the Sea of Reeds
Deborah: a prophetess and the only female judge mentioned in the Torah
Hannah: she literally invented spontaneous, personal prayer (even before Rabbi Nachman!)
In the 16th Century, Jewish mystics created the ritual of ushpizin (Aramaic for honored guests), inviting seven different Biblical figures into the sukkah during the holiday. The traditional list includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David. Modern feminists have added Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Avigail and Esther.
Think of seven people - historical, fictional, ancestral, or virtual (those you wish you could celebrate with this year). For each night of Sukkot, spend a few moments thinking about one of those people, imagining what you’d want to talk about and how their presence would make you feel. You can also use the nights of Sukkot to host a video chat in your sukkah, welcoming friends and family to bring their fullest selves.
Blessing for welcoming ancestral, fictional, historical, Biblical, familial or virtual ushpizin into your sukkah:
Blessed are you, Divine Gatherer, whose presence grows through abundant welcome.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam,borei p’ri hagafen.
We bless You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Each year, the first time we eat a fruit that only grows at a certain time of year, or when we do something for the first time in a while, we say a special blessing, the shehecheyanu, on this new experience.
בָּרוּך אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וקְִיְמָּנוּ והְִגִיּעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶה
Barukh ata adonai elohenu melekh ha-olam, she-hechiyanu, v’kiy'manu, v’higi'anu la-z’man ha-zeh
Blessed are You, the One who has kept us alive and sustained us so that we could reach this moment.
Sukkot is like a cozy hug, coming just five days after the deep soul work of Yom Kippur. We journey into our backyards or into a pillow fort to remind ourselves of our vulnerability and focus on gratitude. By dwelling in uncertainty, we move from the High Holidays into the rest of the year joyful, reconnected to nature and ready for what comes next.
Use this booklet, with its mix of traditional and reimagined rituals, to guide you through the week of Sukkot. Come back any time during the year when you need to renew, refresh and reawaken.
Emma Goldman: anarchist activist who famously said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution”
Octavia Butler: a Black science fiction writer whose dream of writing bestsellers came true, she wrote that “the only lasting truth is change”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: notoriously beloved first Jewish female Supreme Court Justice
John Lewis: a Civil Rights legend, he coined the term “good trouble” and served in the House of Representatives, winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011
Carrie Fisher: beyond her star-making turn in a galaxy far far away, she spoke candidly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and addiction
Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz: the founder of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, she grounded her activism in Jewish values
Grace Lee Boggs: instrumental in revitalizing community leadership in Detroit, she wrote and spoke about changing yourself to change the world with her husband, James
Sarah: famously pregnant at the age of 90, she became the “mother of nations”
Rebecca: a wily woman, she helped trick her husband Isaac into giving their younger son Jacob the blessing of the firstborn
Rachel: beloved wife of Jacob, she was also crafty enough to hide her father’s idols from him
Judith: she liberated her city from siege by beheading the enemy general, Holofernes
Miriam: sister of Moses, she sang and played the timbrel at the Sea of Reeds
Deborah: a prophetess and the only female judge mentioned in the Torah
Hannah: she literally invented spontaneous, personal prayer (even before Rabbi Nachman!)
In the 16th Century, Jewish mystics created the ritual of ushpizin (Aramaic for honored guests), inviting seven different Biblical figures into the sukkah during the holiday. The traditional list includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David. Modern feminists have added Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Avigail and Esther.
Think of seven people - historical, fictional, ancestral, or virtual (those you wish you could celebrate with this year). For each night of Sukkot, spend a few moments thinking about one of those people, imagining what you’d want to talk about and how their presence would make you feel. You can also use the nights of Sukkot to host a video chat in your sukkah, welcoming friends and family to bring their fullest selves.
Blessing for welcoming ancestral, fictional, historical, Biblical, familial or virtual ushpizin into your sukkah:
Blessed are you, Divine Gatherer, whose presence grows through abundant welcome.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam,borei p’ri hagafen.
We bless You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
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