Dear Friends,
For months now, we have been aching to get out more. Sheltering at home is premised on the idea that our homes protect us from all the elements, especially the virus. Well, this week gives us ample opportunity to step out of that shelter into another, but more flimsy, form of home. The festival of Sukkot invites us to consider that even the most sturdy of houses is actually little more than transient.
I’ll speak more about this idea on the second morning of Sukkot. To both entertain and challenge you to consider the meaning of Sukkot, check out this 2016 song by Israeli rock star Eviatar Banai called “Pergola,” which is architecturally similar to a Sukkah.
On Shabbat morning, the first day of Sukkot, I’ll explore the universalist message of Sukkot through the lens of Israel’s recent normalization agreements with some of the Gulf States.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom, Hag Sameah, and as always good health,
