On Wednesday, October 3, Ms. Robbin and the sixth grade students visited the home of Mrs. Lisette Beraja to celebrate the Jewish feast of Sukkot.  Sukkot is a weeklong fall celebration of the harvest.  Jewish families build sukkahs, or hut-like structures, in their backyards to commemorate the temporary dwellings that the Israelites lived in as they wandered in the desert after leaving Egypt.  During the seven days, families eat their meals under the sukkah, giving thanks for the plentiful harvest and remembering their ancestors who wandered in the desert with Moses.

 

Mrs. Beraja’s family builds a sukkah every year and follows all the traditions associated with the holiday.  The students enjoyed the opportunity to gather under the Beraja’s family sukkah to share lunch.  Before eating, Mrs. Beraja prayed a blessing over the food, speaking the words of the prayer in Hebrew.  Then after lunch, she shared some of the history and traditions associated with Sukkot.