The simple Sukah inspires a sense of nostalgia of ancestors in the Shtetel, who made do with less. A simple wooden hut and a covering of straw sufficed for a large family. Down comforters and running water, who ever thought of them? Yet they were happy. Content to make do with their lot. They knew how to count their blessings. I breathe in the sweet scent of pine, mingled with the rich aroma of bamboo and I contemplate a time when less was actually enough.. It is then that I notice the gleaming candlesticks and fine china that adorn my simple table. The colorful decorations and beautiful lights that decorate my simple Sukkah. (1) They are an incongruous sight. They don't seem to belong!    more »

here are two Mitzvahs that are specifically intended for the holiday of Sukkos, eating in the Sukkah (outdoor hut covered with S?chach, tree branches) and the blessing of the four species. The mitzvah designated for the holiday of Simchas Torah is the dancing and rejoicing of young and old with the sacred and precious Torah scrolls.   more »

The holiday of Sukkot has held a special place in my heart since the earliest memories of my childhood. Sukkot meant festivity, joy, celebration and of course an ad hoc family gathering of amateur Sukkah builders. My father would erect the walls of our little Sukkah hut and for eight days we would take all our meals in this hut and weather permitting we would sleep there as well. To me, as a child, this was all very exciting, there was a magnetism about it that captivated me; it drew me in with a tangible force   more »