Right after Yom Kippur is over, Jews throughout Israel and the rest of the world busy themselves building temporary “huts” called sukkot (plural; the singular is sukkah). The sukkah can range from a basic design decorated with posters and paper chains to more elaborate structures adorned with draperies and chandeliers. Most of the requirements…
As we celebrate the holiday of sukkot, we are reminded that many people in our community lack shelter and food. This year the Eastside Jewish Commons is holding a sukkot open house event each night of the holiday (October 13-20). Each night one or more eastside families will open their sukkot to the community for…
Photo: Celebrate the holidays like a true Israeli family. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90 By Naama Barak You’d think that with summer finally being over and the kids firmly placed back in school, life would be back on track here in Israel. If only. This is because we’re gearing up toward one of the most complex…
Photo: From left, Temple Emek Shalom Rabbi Joshua Boettiger (blue T-shirt) and master timber-framer Robert LaPorte (yellow hat) help congregants lift a post and beam section of the sukkah they built without nails. By Mary Silva The sukkah is designed to be both sturdy and vulnerable – offering shelter, but open to the…
September in Tucson brings many things I love: cooler temperatures permitting long walks in Sabino Canyon, intermittent rains that drench my garden and the Jewish holidays that kick off the new year. A sense of optimism, of new beginnings and opportunities, fills the air. In stark contrast, I began September with a horrendous car accident….
On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering. Numbers 29.35 Growing up in America, I always knew about the concept of “yom tov sheni shel galuyot.” According to this tradition, for each holy day of a festival, two are celebrated by those Jews living outside of Israel. I always wondered, however, about the…
The last couple of months will go down in the record books as one of the warmest summers the Pacific Northwest has had in some time. While Oregon is typically recognized for an abundance of rain, this summer’s unusual string of consecutive sweltering days makes most of us eager for a more temperate forecast. Although…
Come celebrate Sukkot in one of six sukkahs created by design teams from Italy, California, Maine and Oregon for the annual SukkahPDX exhibit. These sukkahs evoke the best of the Sukkot holiday: the opportunity to welcome guests into the sukkah. Events include a Shabbat dinner, an event for families and a music concert centered around…
A Guide to Jewish Holidays Note: Jewish holidays start at sundown the day before the first day of the holiday. Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 25-26, 2014) Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated each year on the first day of Tishrei, early in the fall. The day is a special time of rejoicing as we…
