SUKKOT - SUKKAH - FOUR KINDS - REJOICING
Dear Friends,
I hope that those of you who fasted had an easy one, and that all of you had a meaningful and inspirational Yom Kippur day. We're now on to one of the most joyous periods of the Jewish calendar, that of the festival of Sukkot. Our JCC Sukkah is beautifully decorated thanks to Eileen, Amy, Phil, Jerry, Natalie, Mark, Chloe, Barbara D., and Laura. And our Lulavim and Etrogim have arrived and special thanks to Laura, Jeanna, Barbara D., Marie, and Priscilla for helping to put them together and to exchange our Holy Day Machzorim for the Shabbat/Festival prayer books and Chumashim!
We begin the holiday with our Shabbat service tonight at 7:30 pm on Zoom and in person. The service is a little shorter than usual because the Kabbalat Shabbat (preliminary) service is skipped on Yom Tov. Those of us attending in person will then enter the Sukkah (a few at a time for social distancing) for a brief Kiddush and Motzi and to say the Bracha for being in the Sukkah and the Shehecheyanu prayer for living to partake in the season of our joy once again.
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Erev Sukkot
Time: Oct 2, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4979030958?pwd=YXJPT2FGVTdzVVV2bVQ3c1ZnS1lMZz09
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
Then we continue on Saturday morning at 9:30 am on Zoom and in person with our Shabbat/Yom Tov service enjoying the special songs of the Hallel (psalms of praise) and other holiday additions. Once again, we will have Kiddush and Motzi in the Sukkah once again and of course, again only a few at a time for social distancing.
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Sukkot
Time: Oct 3, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4979030958?pwd=YXJPT2FGVTdzVVV2bVQ3c1ZnS1lMZz09
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
I hope that everyone will have access to a Lulav and Etrog this year and to help accomplish this important Mitzvah, I invite you to visit on Sunday or any weekday Monday-Thursday to my home on Grand Boulevard where I will instruct you on the prayer and how to wave the Lulav and Etrog at the Cotee River. Just call me 727-819-1278 or e-mail me rbecker@emeritus.rutgers.edu to arrange for a time.
Then, please mark your calendars for Friday, October 9th at 9:30 on Zoom and in person to help celebrate the holiday of Hoshana Rabba where we handle the Lulav and Etrog for the last time and at the end of our service, we beat the willow branches from our Lulav until all the leaves fall off, signifying the final casting off of our sins (which began at Taschlich by the river) and the end of the High Holy Day period. We also have our last Kiddush and Motzi in the Sukkah after the service.
A link for Hoshana Rabba will be sent via email on Thursday 10/8.
I hope to see all of you again over this beautiful and enjoyable festival and wish you a Chag Sukkot Sameach (Happy Sukkot)!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader