Festivals | Tishrei
Sukkot: Activity Ideas for Class and Group
by Dov Goldflam & Gila Ansell Brauner
Background
Sukkot [Tabernacles] lasts from the 15-22 of Tishrei
in Israel [23rd in the Diaspora]. The origins are to be found
in Vayikra [Leviticus] Ch.23., v.34, where the people are
commanded to sit in booths for seven days as a reminder of the
booths in which the People of Israel dwelt in the desert. The
explanation is that this is an act of thanksgiving to the Almighty
for His miracles and protection in the desert and ever since,
as the original sukkot were an act of faith in the desert.
Another name for the festival is "Hag Ha'assif",
the harvest festival. Sukkot is rich in symbols, especially the
Arba'a Minim [the Four Species], and those of
the Ushpizin [hospitality], the traditional seven
eminent biblical guests who are said to honour us by visiting
our sukkah.
For younger children:
In Israel, it is possible to go to a Four Species market and gain
hands-on learning about the species, their meaning and their use
- as well as to buy sukkah parts and decorations. In most areas
of the Diaspora, this is not possible.
Invite a guest to your class who can demonstrate the Four Species
[with a film, too] and talk about their significance. Spend the
rest of this - or the next lesson making a Four Species market,
with two stalls from each class. Set up in a large hall, with
activities, such as making sukkah decorations [or selling commercial
ones], hassidic music, special food, etc.
For intermediate and older children:
Getting to know each other better
Prepare name slips, each with the name of one student. Each student
receives a slip [not with his or her own name!]: this is the student
he or she will invite to their sukkah. Allow students time to
talk to each other about how small/large their sukkah is; how
it will be decorated; where it is; who else visits them on sukkot
etc...
Erev Simhat Bet Hashoeva
Sukkot was the time [16 Tishrei 5730/1949] of "Operation Magic
Carpet", when 30,000 Yemenite Jews were flown to the new State
of Israel in a massive attempt to save the community.
Make Yemenite Jewry the theme of your special evening in the sukkah,
with special stories, songs, costume and food.
Tikkun Leil Hosha'na Rabbah
Hosha'na Rabbah is the last of the intermediate
days of Sukkot, falling 10 days after Yom Kippur, and completes
the cycle of atonement, as the last opportunity to repent one's
ways.
The traditional study programme the evening of Hosha'na
Rabbah is to study all of Dvarim [Deuteronomy] and recite
all of Tehillim [Psalms], in the same sort of format as is used
on the night of Shavuot [Pentecost] - which commemorates
the night before the Giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.
If you cannot make this an all-night activity, try for a session
or two as late as students will be allowed, with a guest speaker
and light refreshments.
Acknowledgments
The activities below were adapted and extended from a monthly
series on Teaching Israel, produced and edited by Mr. Yitzhak
Zucher at the former Pedagogic Center of the Department for Torah
Education and Culture in the Diaspora.
[Tishrei Holidays] [Top
Homepage]