Succot

Another Jewish holiday, this one in honor of the harvest. It is celebrated in a Succah (booth), a temporary structure whose roof is made loosely of limbs, palm fronds, or such, to allow one to see the stars. A Succah is decorated with fall harvest foods such as apples and gourds.

We joined CHAI, the same Jewish group we met in Essex Junction at the beginning of our trip, though not the same people. We all celebrated the holiday as well as the Sabbath together. For Succot a lulav (palm frond, willow and myrtle stems) and an estrog (citrus fruit) are included in the prayers and ceremony. We observed the beginning and end of the Sabbath with ritualistic wine, candles and challah (braided bread). Although it is traditional to eat meals in the Succah, we did not because it was too small for our group. We did join together for breakfast and dinner.

In a serendipitous moment, we were joined by a family of five from Israel who were as surprised to find us as we were to meet them. They rented a Class C motorhome and have been visiting the east coast for the past month. They were a delightful addition to our group.