NYC Gazette

Sukkot, the Jewish festival beginning on October 16 this year, traditionally celebrates the harvest. Jews worldwide build sukkot, small huts symbolizing the tents used by their ancestors in Israel and during their desert journey after leaving Egypt. Families gather in these sukkahs for festive meals.

This year's celebration is marked by a somber reflection. Last Sukkot's final day saw a terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman of Yeshiva University reflects on how to find joy amid such sorrow.

Rabbi Berman explains that the holiday's essence lies in vulnerability, symbolized by the sukkah's structure—solid walls with a roof open to the sky. "We remove ourselves from our seemingly sturdy homes to these shaky sukkot to puncture the illusion of stability," he states.

The rabbi highlights that this vulnerability shifts focus from stability illusions to meaningful relationships. "In these huts, we sit together... God in this holiday is a comforting presence who dwells with us in the Sukkah—not promising that danger will never come but assuring that we will never have to face it alone."

Rabbi Berman shares Sapir Cohen's story, a young woman kidnapped by Hamas last October and held for 55 days before her release. Despite her ordeal, Cohen found strength and purpose by helping others during captivity.

"Even in captivity, she knew she had a purpose: to help others," Rabbi Berman notes. This reflects Sukkot's lesson: finding meaning through giving and openness despite life's challenges.

This year especially emphasizes living with protection while embracing opportunities and purpose amidst fear. Rabbi Berman concludes that if people worldwide work together with good faith amid life's challenges, there is cause for celebration.