Hava Nedaber lvrit: Celebrating Sukkot In Israel
friends
chavereem
a
friend
chaver
Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Hebrew lesson
a
lot
of
time
entitled, "Hava Nedaber Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose aim is to
family harbe zman
mishpachah
many,
much,
a
lot
of
encourage further study of Hebrew. The lesson will include a brief story
holidays harbe
chageem
vacation
choofsha
utilizing the Hebrew words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English
holiday
chag
contest
translations and a family activity which involves using the new words. The
calendar tacharoot
luach-shanah
joy,
happiness
lessons will be prepared by Nira Lev, associate professor of Hebrew
approaches, simchah
mitkarev
more than one
language and literature at the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. Mrs.
comes near sukkot
sukkah (booths)
Lev also teaches Hebrew language and literature at the Community Jewish
adults
mevoogareem
celebrations
High School at the United Hebrew Schools.
adult chagigot
mevoogar
celebration
chagigah
Following is this month's lesson:
children
yeladeem
does
not
chageem,
synagogues
in
Yisrael
for
the
Rachel, visiting her mishpachah
child Batey Haknesset
Everyone Rachel yeled
synagogue
Belt Haknesset
people
need a luach-shanah to remind her that Sukkot mitkarev.
anasheem
are
busy
building
sukkot.
streets
yeladeem,
and
rechovot
mevoogareem
sees around her,
branches used
schach
street
rechov
She sees anasheem carrying schach for the sukkah from special
as the sukkah
for
Sukkot.
schach
mekomot set up by the city to provide people with
roof, thatch
when, traditionally,
Yeladeem wait eagerly for Motzaey Yom Kippur
places
mekomot
b'neeyat
b'neeyat hasukkah starts. Rachel smecha to participte in
place
makom
kroveem
hasukkah in the chatzer of the apartment building where her
night
following
Motzaey
Yom
Kippur
mirpeset to
live. Since not every mishpachah has enough makom on the
Yom Kippur
Plan to build a sukkah with
build a sukkah, in many neighborhoods in the city b'neeyat hasukkah
building
of
the
your
family or offer to help build a
b'neeyat hasukkah
of the neighborhood, or for the
sukkah sukkah with a friend or at the
becomes a mivtzah for all the yeladeem
dayareem of the bait meshootaf. Naturally, all of the yeladeem
happy (feminine) synagogue.
smecha
participate in this enjoyable mivtzah.
happy (masculine)
sameach
Research the different laws and
to
devote
Rachel envies her Israeli chavereem who have harbe zman
a yard, backyard customs related to the sukkah.
chatzer
choofsha
to building and decorating their sukkot because they have a long
relatives
kroveem
Invite some of your non-Jewish
starting on Erev Sukkot until Simchat Torah. A special tacharoot, in many
relative
karov
friends
to share the holiday with
b'neeyat
and
the
excitement
of
communities, adds to the simchah
veranda, porch, balcony you. Ask them about the holidays
mirpeset
organized
by
the
local
council
to
choose
tacharoot
hasukkah. This is a
project
mivtzah
they celebrate in the fall.
the most beautiful, best decorated sukkah. Harbe anasheem visit
tenants
dayareem
neighborhood sukkot to try to guess who will be the winner.
Decorate your sukkah (or your
a tenant
dayar
house)
with verses from the Bible
The simchah and chagigot of Sukkot culminates on Simchat Torah
a
co-operative
bayit meshootaf
when all Batey Haknesset are full and you can hear the singing and
apartment complex relating to Sukkot.
rejoicing as you walk in the rechovot of the city.
Vocabulary (Meelon)
Family Activities
Celebrating Sukkot As A Family, Single•Parent Style
By HARLENE WINNICK APPELMAN
I have always looked at the
celebration of Sukkot as a golden
opportunity. It makes such good
sense! It has always been an
opportunity to build a new
environment to which the entire
family could contribute.
As a parent, building a sukkah
with my children has been a source
of learning. Whether it was when
they were little, and all they could
really do was watch and adorn the
finished product with scribbles, or
as they became older, and the feat
became a truly team-building effort,
the event has continually given me
new insights about them. To one
child putting the branches on top,
just so, was extremely important. To
another the colors and nature of the
decorations was paramount. To
each of us the guests we would
invite to share the holiday were very
important.
When we became a single-
parent family, putting up the sukkah
was a special challenge. It meant
that all of us needed to help, or we
would not physically be able to build
the structure. It meant that
sometimes we needed to ask for
help from a neighbor (who wasn't
important piece of advice is to keep
it simple, inexpensive, and as light
weight as possible. Invite friends
and family to help build the sukkah
with the promise of simple
refreshments in return. When
considering decorations, make
"We needed to know that things as large as possible. Small
decorations are time consuming,
we could still accomplish
and get lost in the sukkah. When
things as a family unit. It
the walls of the sukkah are up, tack
wasn't always perfect . .." up a big sheet of butcher paper or
light colored wrapping paper. Let
the kids paint a mural right in the
Building the sukkah was an
event. Celebrating Sukkot inside the sukkah: no mess and it's already in
place. Hang wind chimes in your
sukkah was a mitzvah — another
sukkah.
They make lovely music
opportunity. The planning of special
and can be saved for next year. Of
menus, the concern about the
course, traditional fruits and
weather and the bees, and making
vegetables cannot be neglected.
certain that our sukkah was
Events in the sukkah can also
beautiful helped in the team
build the feelings of family bonds. -
building that strengthened our
family ties. We needed to know that One of my all time favorites is a
talent show in the sukkah. During
we could still accomplish things as
biblical times Sukkot was a time for
a family unit. It wasn't always
grand celebration and juggling,
perfect, and I sometimes truly
acrobatics and street shows were
questioned the energy that it took,
not uncommon. Invite families to
but the feeling of accomplishment
that it produced, as it stood there in celebrate in your sukkah, admission:
a family or individual act. Then
the backyard, was really quite
serve dessert. Ushpizin or the
unique.
invitation to guests from Jewish
Building a sukkah is a
history to join us in the sukkah is
challenge for any family
also a Sukkot tradition. We invite
configuration. Probably the most
Jewish) or from someone from the
synagogue who had never built a
sukkah before. We all learned from
those occasions — the gentile, the
Jew, and our own family.
these guests from the past to give
us a feeling of continuity with our
Jewish ancestors. A modern
variation of this could be a game of
biblical charades (charades
centering around Bible characters)
or favorite Jewish heroes or
contemporary figures played in the
sukkah.
If you are first time sukkah
builders, here are some important
things to remember:
• Things don't have to be
perfect. This is not a contest for
"Jewish Home Beautiful."
• Don't be afraid to ask for
help. Whether it's help in building
from the local youth group, or
asking guests to bring a decoration
or a dish to pass, sukkah building
and celebrating should be a group
experience, and friends and
relatives just need a little direction
to help out.
• Do relax and enjoy yourself.
Remember that this is a time to
celebrate a special season: To
harvest your family, if you will, by
building important Jewish memories
and bonds.
Harlene Winnick Appelman is
coordinator of Jewish Experiences
For Families.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
L-5