34 | OCTOBER 6 • 2022 

S

ukkot Sounds returns this 
October with a full festival 
lineup.
Held at Jam Handy in Detroit on Oct. 
16 from 3:30-9 p.m., Sukkot Sounds 
Festival, which began as a grassroots 
initiative in 2021 to pair local musical 
artists and educators with the Jewish 
community, is back in a bigger, more 
expanded format to celebrate the final 
day of Sukkot.
The day-long festival will feature live 
musical performances, food trucks, 
interactive art installations, games and 
immersive activities. There will also be 
exclusive merchandise for sale.
“Sukkot Sounds is all about 
reinventing the ancient holiday of 
Sukkot, which is a harvest festival, 
into a music festival,” explains The 
Well’s director of operations 
Marisa Meyerson. The Well, 
which aims to build an 
inclusive Jewish community 
for local young adults, is 
powering the event.
Still, the ancient harvest 

traditions that define Sukkot will shine 
through during the festival, even if it 
leans toward a more modern approach 
to the holiday. Sukkot Sounds Festival 
will mark the last and seventh day of 
Sukkot, one of the most joyous and 
celebratory times in the Jewish calendar.
“In biblical times, the holiday was the 
place to be,” Meyerson explains. “It was 
this huge communal festival with food, 
music and dancing. A lot of times, that’s 
what a modern-day music festival feels 
like, so the idea is to really bring back 
that piece of the culture.”

FOUR GUIDING VALUES
As a new twist on an ancient 
celebration, Sukkot Sounds Festival and 
the greater Sukkot Sounds initiative 
is centered around four core values: 
inclusion, balance, nature and music. 
“These values are universal and really 
reflected upon in Sukkot,” says Rabbi 
Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of 
The Well. 
Bringing the community together, 
environmental awareness, being able 

to reflect and enjoying live 
music are all integral to the 
holiday, he explains.
“These values are going 
to be heavily integrated 
into our programming,” 
Meyerson says. “We want 
people to have an amazing 
experience, but also take 
away something substantially Jewish.”
Sukkot Sounds Festival is made 
possible with local partnerships, such 
as an ongoing collaboration with the 
Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity.
“This has been a central one for 
us not only this year, but last year,” 
Stombaugh says. “We are also looking 
to the community to help sponsor 
the festival, which is something that’s 
ongoing.”
The festival’s recently released 
musical lineup includes rock band The 
Greeting Committee; hip-hop artist 
stoop lee; and piano songwriter Juliana 
Parker. 
“There’s really something for 
everybody,” Meyerson says. “Regardless 

SUKKOT

Sukkot Sounds is back as a full-fledged festival 
complete with music, art and food.

Marisa 
Meyerson

Rabbi Jeff 
Stombaugh

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Music of the Holiday

Last year’s 
Olivia Dear 
Concert in 
Charlevoix

