The Sukkot holiday, now upon us, was meant to remind the
Jewish people of our time as a homeless nation, living in tents, on the way to
the promised land.
I have lived through many Sukkots, and it doesn’t seem to do
any such thing.
During the Great Depression, large shantytowns popped up all
over the land. They were nicknamed
“Hoovervilles,” in reverse honor of the then president, Herbert Hoover (1929-1932)
whose misfortune was to usher in the economic downturn. Today, our cities have homeless encampments
that don’t even get to be categorized as huts. They are tents stretching for
miles.
As such, the
commandment to dwell in tents that have porous roof covers (“Sukkot” in Hebrew)
could be a reminder of those who do not have solid roofs over their heads. But
as I have witnessed all my life, these happy super decorated lovely sukkots
are a place to party, leisurely sipping outsized drinks and hors d'oeuvres. They are
nothing if not lovely excuses for garden parties.
It’s nice, but no longer serves as it was intended.
I’m honoring Sukkot by being grateful for the roof over my
head. I’m skipping the party.
5 comments:
Alas, too many holidays are no longer holy. I'm glad you honor the spirit of Sukkot. I'm grateful too, for a solid roof over my head.
Yes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, bombings,...leaving so many people without a roof over their heads. Thank you, Mirka, for reminding us to be grateful for the blessings we have.
My friend used to have Sukkot parties (mostly) for that reason: it was held in her garden and so she could invite everyone she didn't have room for inside her house. I miss those parties...
Garden parties are very nice. We used to have mini ones on July fourth. I honestly think Sukkot isn't the time for them, as what it's about is lost.
P.S. I can just see it now: I'm the Grinch that's stealing Sukkot ;P
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