SUKKOT : Building
Consider: The High Holy Day season does not end after Yom Kippur but continues with Sukkot, when we build booths (sukkot, or in the singular, sukkah) where we sit, eat, and some even sleep! One of the requirements of a Kosher sukkah is that the stars must be visible through the “roof.” In other words, this is not a typical dwelling place, completely sheltered from the elements. But this change enables us to look at our world differently. Reflect: What do you hope to build in the coming year? It could be something physical, or a personal practice, or something else. What might you look at differently in this new year? What stars have always existed in your world, and how can you make more time to look at them? How might exploring the natural world impact your ideas about what you hope to build? Act: Take a walk in nature. Notice how trees provide shelter, shade, and habitat. Consider how animals, and other humans, experience this environment. What natural shelters exist without us, and natural processes rely on us? To expand this activity and explore with your family, use these prompts to begin a conversation while on a nature walk: What is the role of the trees, birds, and animals in this natural space? Where do we see them? What is our role in this natural space? What can we do to care for this and other natural spaces around us? If you do any of these activities, let us know by sending an email to hello@sanctuaryny.org ! Comments are closed.
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Rabbi Bethie Miller writes periodic reflections on the state of our world and the Jewish project. She also writes about creative ideas for combining Jewish wisdom with our modern lives. Here are links to previous ones:
Looking for Hope at the Seder Table (4/13/22) Happy 9th Night of Hanukkah (12/6/21) The Healing is in the Return (8/18/21) Time to Pray (11/2/20) The Secret to At-One-Ment (9/27/20) Taking a Sharp Left Turn into 5781 (9/15/20) Waking Up One Day At Time (8/31/20) This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared (8/18/20) The Day is Short (6/16/20) Spiritual Mountain Climbing Without Leaving the House (5/14/20) Shabbat Peace, Love & Light (3/20/20) Sources of Connection as We Practice Social Distancing (3/16/20) Purim Has Never Felt So Resonant (3/9/20) The Miracle of Chanukah (12/20/19) To Be Jewish is To Be Grateful (12/2/19) What I Learned During the High Holy Days (10/16/19) New Year, New Project - Welcome to Sanctuary (10/3/19) |