About Sukkot
By Rabbi Mark Blazer • October 9, 2009 
Whether through natural disaster, health challenges or economic tribulation, life throws us some curves. The holiday of Sukkot is a yearly reminder of this truth. According to Jewish law, the Sukkah structure we build during this festival, must be fragile and impermanent. It must be able to collapse under a strong wind. Basically, the sukkah is built to be a metaphor for the fragility of life and human endeavors.
Coming immediately after the High Holidays Sukkot continues the prime message of the ‘Days of Awe’. But the fragility of life should not lead to despair. On the contrary, the symbol of the ever-fragile sukkah, prone to even a casual rainstorm, teaches us to see the importance of every day, every moment. Sukkot opens our eyes to the truth that even though we live in the shadow of death we can still truly live joyously, when we make the most of every possibility.
Once again this year we have several opportunities to take part in the mitzvot surrounding the holiday. Several upcoming events at Temple Beth Ami will be held in our ‘Super-Sukkah’ and lulav & etrog sets are available for purchase through our congregation. A Sukkot holiday guide is also available at the Temple.~ Join us Sunday night, Oct. 4th at 6:00 PM our annual wine and cheese Adult Social will be held at another sukkah, the Blazer Family Sukkah.
Then comes Simchat Torah. The holiday ranks with Purim for unbridled fun and craziness. The Torah Scrolls are taken from the Ark and carried in a parade of dance and song, called Hakafot, around the bimah. The Hakafot are performed seven times. Throughout the world just before each new Torah is opened for the year, the congregation rises and recites: “Chah-zak, chazak, v’nit’cha-zek, Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen each other.”
Join us this year at Temple Beth Ami for Simchat Torah in what is always a raucous good time. We rejoice with the Torah with music, dance, food and drink Tuesday night, October 10th at 7:00 PM. Take part in unrolling the entire Torah scroll as we complete the yearly cycle of reading, and begin a new one. For those who are able to come early, we will be having pizza at 6:00 PM.
As part of our ongoing connection to the Bible, our amazing Tanakh study class meets each Tuesday at 9:00 AM, and we are studying the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel during the coming months, and later will be moving in to Psalms and the later books of the bible. And our ongoing Talmud study is open to learners of all backgrounds and meets every Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. Very few synagogues in the entire country offer this type of learning opportunity, and we invite members and nonmembers alike for what is a fantastic journey of knowledge, spirituality and self-discovery.
CHAH-ZAK, CHA-ZAK, V’NIT’CHA-ZEK. BE STRONG. BE STRONG. MAY WE ALL BE STRENGTHENED.
B’Shalom
Rabbi Mark Blazer
rabbi@templebethami.org
Revised: October 09, 2009
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