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