KA* Heide a Conde is flit I ( * * 0 V 1994 Atuttiof Fag* Pie, I ildat Sitafea . Cetehatum! aid opeittag sofk, Ste, Attgubt 21 • 5:30 p.lit. NIIIP 11111110r NM/ w low ea/4E41aq Eke Great Satuulb Rail -.•111111/ 1611111 ► Corlett & 9a3It 9it. r iffitiafit ► e Ga21 • Rafietitartitg • Tim lifigidg Ithutpkit Paula Range's • and Muck Maul aid "a. Paget Fitkia' gad'Picini Suppex eta ky Miteij Reaealleg Ketite, Catvthcg Due to file kilo Kaalvutt, extij beed pukthasect Imo. Ike Symagagua PAMPA NUuj ke eatet at tite R es in Nat Skate* iteadieta and p► tepective Nowbvta wilt Ha it kit Itegiakaihmt itotaia luj * Auguat 196t1 9trituke aft atiluitlea, eAtiabaixattxt and setweitio I Adat Slides Sgsucgggue Fat iitiavaafiaa, cat 851-5100. 29901 lit iitffetiEft Recut fauftiqtya Riffs Samantha Erin Rosen Nursery School Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel Moses 5075 W. Maple Rd. W. Bloomfield, MI 48322 EXPGRENC.E WI—IAT A WARM 1\fT1NIATE SOA-100L CAN BE LIKE F012 YOUR Ci—ILD Developmentally appropriate nursery program for children 2 to 5 years of age. Two, three, four and five day sessions available. EXTENDED WOURS BEFORE AND AFTER NLPSERY SG-100L Special Programming • Parent /Toddler Gasses ages 16 months and up • Energetic Tots - "By-Myself Gass" ages 24 months and up Speci-a ' I erichment classes - ages 3-6 for further info, contact Joyce Epstein. Nurcenj Director 8E4-6880 Learn how to take better care of yourself and your family, call Red Cross. American Red Cross A Public dS ve olT c oh ut n s cN ilewspaper e r y tit s ci e ng P32 833-4440 Well Help. Will You? A Perfect Family Gift... A Subscription to the Jewish News. 810-354-6620 Building Su kkahs Brings Family Joy RABBI DAVID A NELSON SPEC ALTO THE JEWISH NEWS o one consulted me when the Jewish calendar was set up. Had the Almighty spoken to me, I would have suggested waiting a little longer between Yom Kippur and the onset of Sukkot. Two weeks, at the very least, would have helped considerably in preparing for "the most joyous of all festi- vals," as the Bible describes it. However, it is clear from reading the Torah that Sukkot comes on the heels of Yom Kippur, and the custom arose of knocking in at least one nail of the sukkah upon the completion of Yom Kippur. For several years, following the Ma'ariv service, surrounded by young children, I have picked up a hammer and proceeded to be- gin the building of the Beth Shalom sukkah. I am always re- minded, when I do that, that one is always actively involved and engaged in preparing for the next holy moment in Jewish life. We never remain static. N •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • t wasn't until I built my own Sukkah... that I discovered that Sukkot was really fun. I interpretations that fill many books on the significance of the lulav and etrog. Traditionally, it has been seen as the symbol of Jewish unity— the combination of three differ- ing species of fruits into one—the branches of palm (lulav), the boughs of myrtle (hadassim) and the willows of the brook (aravoth). The Midrash explains the sym- bolical significance of the four plants which are held together: • The etrog has both taste and fragrance • The palm has taste but no fragrance. • The myrtle has fragrance but no taste. • The willow has neither taste nor fragrance. Similarly, the comparison is thus made that: • Some Jews have both learn- ing and good deeds (etrog). • Some have learning— taste but no good deeds (palm), fragrance (longer lasting) • Others have good deeds (myrtle) but no learning. • Still others (willow) have nei- ther learning nor good deeds. Therefore, God said: "Let them all be combined together and they will atone one of the other (Leviti- cus Rabbah (30:12). Hence our view that the four species sym- bolize the four types of people, who though different in charac- ter, must live in unity and mu- There was a time, when I was tual understanding, if not complete agreement. Today, growing up, as the son of a Con- more than ever, we need all four servative rabbi in Bridgeport, species to be held together. Conn., that hardly anyone con- It is a source of great pride in structed a family sukkah. Natu- each congregation to see a long rally, our synagogue put one up, and beautiful procession in the but it was very rare to see a synagogue with lulav and etrog. sukkah in someone's backyard. For family involvement there is It wasn't until I built my own no greater opportunity than sukkah, and if you know how tal- ented I am as a carpenter, you Sukkot. Imagine building your know that it was my wife Alicia, own sukkah. You can consult the Catalogue or you can de- who built it, that I discovered that Jewish sign your own individual cre- Sukkot was really fun. All those ation. This is one of the best years I thought I was having fun, Jewish do-it-yourself projects rejoicing with the lulav and et- with which I am familiar. Even rog. Truthfully, there's only so in Michigan, our children, when much fun you can have with a they were younger, slept in the lulav and etrog. We tried so hard. sukkah and thereby special mem- We even made jelly fro the etrog, ories were created that, I'm cer- which was beyond awful. When will always be linked in their we lived in Brazil, we used to im- tain, minds with the joy of Sukkot. port "religious lemons," which I love going to synagogue, but was the way we described them when I lived "BMOS" (before my for the customs authorities. own sukkah), Sukkot meant spe- Of course, there are beautiful cial programs in the synagogue and the special kiddush. the ex- citement is in the sukkah, even is the Rabbi David A. Nelson in Michigan where you can safe- spiritual leader of . Congregation Beth Shalom. SUKKAH page P34