Hava Nedaber Ivrit: Celebrating Sukkot In Israel
Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Hebrew lesson
entitled, "Hava Nedaber Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose aim is to
encourage further study of Hebrew. The lesson will include a brief story
utilizing the Hebrew words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English
translations and a family activity which involves using the new words. The
lessons will be prepared by Nira Lev, associate professor of Hebrew
language and literature at the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. Mrs.
Lev also teaches Hebrew language and literature at the Community Jewish
High School at the United Hebrew Schools.
Following is this month's lesson:
Rachel, visiting her mishpachah in Yisrael for the chageem, does not
need a luach-shanah to remind her that Sukkot mitkarev. Everyone Rachel
sees around her, mevoogareem and yeladeem, are busy building sukkot.
She sees anasheem carrying schach for the sukkah from special
mekomot set up by the city to provide people with schach for Sukkot.
Yeladeem wait eagerly for Motzaey Yom Kippur when, traditionally,
b'neeyat hasukkah starts. Rachel smecha to participte in b'neeyat
hasukkah in the chatzer of the apartment building where her kroveem
live. Since not every mishpachah has enough makom on the mirpeset to
build a sukkah, in many neighborhoods in the city b'neeyat hasukkah
becomes a mivtzah for all the yeladeem of the neighborhood, or for the
dayareem of the bait meshootaf. Naturally, all of the yeladeem
participate in this enjoyable mivtzah.
Rachel envies her Israeli chavereem who have harbe zman to devote
to building and decorating their sukkot because they have a long choofsha
starting on Erev Sukkot until Simchat Torah. A special tacharoot, in many
communities, adds to the simchah and the excitement of b'neeyat
hasukkah. This is a tacharoot organized by the local council to choose
the most beautiful, best decorated sukkah. Harbe anasheem visit
neighborhood sukkot to try to guess who will be the winner.
The simchah and chagigot of Sukkot culminates on Simchat Torah
when all Batey Haknesset are full and you can hear the singing and
rejoicing as you walk in the rechovot of the city.
Vocabulary (Meelon)
family
holidays
holiday
calendar
approaches,
comes near
adults
mevoogareem
adult
mevoogar
children
yeladeem
child
yeled
people
anasheem
branches used
schach
as the sukkah
roof, thatch
places
mekomot
place
makom
Motzaey Yom Kippur night following
Yom Kippur
building of the
b'neeyat hasukkah
sukkah
happy (feminine)
smecha
happy (masculine)
sameach
a yard, backyard
chatzer
relatives
kroveem
relative
karov
veranda, porch, balcony
mirpeset
project
mivtzah
tenants
dayareem
a tenant
dayar
a co-operative
bayit meshootaf
apartment complex
mishpachah
chageem
chag
luach-shanah
mitkarev
friends
a friend
a lot of time
many, much, a lot of
vacation
contest
joy, happiness
more than one
sukkah (booths)
celebrations
chagigot
celebration
chagigah
synagogues
Batey Haknesset
synagogue
Beit Haknesset
streets
rechovot
street
rechov
chavereem
chaver
harbe zman
harbe
choofsha
tacharoot
simchah
sukkot
Family Activities
Plan to build a sukkah with
your family or offer to help build a
sukkah with a friend or at the
synagogue.
Research the different laws and
customs related to the sukkah.
Invite some of your non-Jewish
friends to share the holiday with
you. Ask them about the holidays
they celebrate in the fall.
Decorate your sukkah (or your
house) with verses from the Bible
relating to Sukkot.
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
we could still accomplish decorations are time consuming,
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