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Sukkot

סוכות
Fall — 15-21 Tishrei

Chag Sameach!

What is Sukkot?

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a seven-day harvest festival that commemorates the temporary shelters (sukkot) the Israelites lived in during their 40 years of wandering in the desert.

It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals and is called "Z'man Simchateinu" — the Season of Our Joy. Families build and decorate a sukkah and eat their meals inside it under the open sky.

The Four Species — the etrog (citron), lulav (palm branch), hadassim (myrtle), and aravot (willow) — are waved together during services, symbolizing Jewish unity.

Traditions & Customs

1
Building and decorating a sukkah
2
Eating meals in the sukkah
3
Waving the lulav and etrog (Four Species)
4
Ushpizin — inviting spiritual guests into the sukkah
5
Hoshanot — circling the bimah with the Four Species
6
Simchat Torah — celebrating the completion of the Torah cycle

Learn More About Sukkot

Celebrate Sukkot with L'Chaim Center

Join our community for Sukkot programs, events, and celebrations on Chicago's North Shore.