The Torah commands us regarding Sukkot: "You shall rejoice in your festival" (Deuteronomy 16:14). Not simply observe it, not merely acknowledge it, but rejoice in it. This is our only holiday explicitly called "Zman Simchateinu," the Season of Our Joy. Yet for many American Jews, Sukkot becomes the holiday we skip, the celebration that falls victim to depleted vacation days and the exhaustion of the High Holy Days.
But herein lies a profound spiritual challenge. We allocate our precious time off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, days of introspection, fasting, and chest-beating. We show up for the solemnity. Then, when joy arrives, when we're invited to dwell in fragile booths under the stars, to shake the lulav with abandon, to simply celebrate being Jewish, we opt out.
There's a Hasidic teaching that asks: Why does Sukkot follow immediately after Yom Kippur? Because after we've done the hard work of teshuvah, of return, Gd wants us to know that Jewish life isn't only about atonement, it's about joy, community, and engagement.
Consider the difference between being part of something and being engaged with it. When you're in the stands at a game, you can leave when the score disappoints. But the players on the field? They're committed. They're engaged. They cannot, and would not, walk away.
Sukkot asks us: Are we spectators in Jewish life, or are we players? The sukkah itself is a metaphor for engagement. It's temporary, vulnerable, exposed to the elements, yet we're commanded to dwell in it fully, to bring our meals, our celebrations, our very lives into its embrace. We don't just visit the sukkah; we inhabit it.
The choice is ours. We can dip our toes in the shallow end, attending only when convenient. Or we can dive deep into the fullness of Jewish community.
Join us. The WCA and MCA offer year-round opportunities to be engaged, through sporting activities, shared meals, active learning, and communal celebration. Explore the Jewish Book Festival, Naples Jewish Film Festival, the Sharon and Paul Stein Israel Speaker Series, or the Elliott Katz Lecture Series.
There's a place for you on this team. Step into the sukkah. Step into engagement. Because we are Stronger Together!
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