Family Action: Sukkot

By SHARON HALPER

"You shall live in booths seven days, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God."

(Leviticus 23)

We lived in booths.

Jews don't just celebrate--we re-enact the cause for celebration. We don't talk about history. We live it. Sukkot is a time to remember what we learned when we lived in booths (or "sukkot"), and to practice living those lessons.

When we lived in booths, God provided food for us.

When we wandered in the desert God provided manna for us. We can be like God when we provide food for others.

Contact a local Meals on Wheels program. Find out how you can help provide meals for days when meals are not delivered. Often, Meals on Wheels provides boxed meals of staple food items for weekends, snow days (when deliveries aren't possible) and holidays.

Provide your child(ren) with a sum of money to periodically plan and provide such a meal. An older child might plan the meal, while another can do the research and budget. Younger children can decorate the box and create a greeting card to be enclosed. This tikkun olam project might be a good way to enrich school assignments in nutrition or math with Jewish values!

When we lived in booths, we learned to care for one another.

We lived in booths when we were farmers harvesting our fields. We left the corners of our fields

Our peot, our corners, often contain the overflow of our bounty. Our gleanings, that which we overlook, can bring joy to others.

Establish a peah habit in your house! Look for the items that settle silently into the corners of your home and closets, your toy boxes and bookshelves. The items that we no longer need can bring joy, warmth and learning to others.

Label a box "peah" and "leket" (corners and gleanings) to acknowledge the teachings of the Torah, and get your family into the habit of examining their "fields." What can you do without? What hasn't been off the hanger or shelf recently?

When we lived in booths, we knew that our fate depended upon our community.

Living in booths makes it impossible to close our doors on one another. Help open doors in your community by involving your children in the work of your Jewish community. Encourage your synagogue's Social Action Committee to include youth members. Teach your children about the work of your Social Action Committee, and suggest that there be an intergenerational component of the Committee's work. Tikkun olam muscles have to be exercised to be strong.

Live history this Sukkot!