[hollywoodbabylondean]

anyway here's my jewish commie reading list:

a fire in their hearts - tony michels

nothing so whole as a broken heart (essay anthology) - edited by cindy milstein

no masters but god - hayyim rothman

jewish radicals - tony michels

revolutionary yiddishland - alain brossat & sylvia klingberg

anarchism and other essays - emma goldman

prison memoirs of an anarchist - alexander berkman

[jewishconvertthings]

Beginning Davening: Shacharit

Hey, I feel kinda stupid with this question (hence the private message) but I’d like to do morning prayers and stuff but…I don’t know how to go about it. Like, I don’t know where to find the whole prayer (where does it end?) and there are like little inserts here and there for seasonal stuff and optional things? I just find it really overwhelming? Is there like a “starter” version of morning prayer I could begin with? Thanks!

Hi anon,

Don’t feel stupid! – navigating a siddur and learning how to daven is definitely a process and it can be very intimidating to get started. Having just gone through all this myself (and hey – I’m still learning!) I’ll try to walk you through a few approaches to hopefully help you get started.

So the weekday morning prayers are organized into a service, somewhat similar to Shabbat morning services, except that there are some liturgical differences to account for the weekday/Shabbat difference. It’s not one long prayer, but rather a series of prayers that make up the Shacharit service, which can be done with or without a minyan.

The full outline with every prayer included can be a lot to take in, so let’s just start with the headings first:

Morning blessings

Pesukei Dezimra

Shema

Amidah

Tachanun

[small Torah service on Mondays & Thursdays, if you attend a minyan]

Concluding prayers

Now, of course each section has several things in it, and as you pointed out, there are lots of inserts for holidays, festivals, seasonal changes, etc.

Here is an outline of the full weekday service with no holiday variants:

(1) Morning blessings:

Modah ani

Netilat yadayim

Asher Yatzar

Elokai Neshama

Brachot ha-Torah

Reshit Chokhmah

Mah Tovu

Adon Olam

Yigdal

Brachot ha-Shachar

Ha-ma’avir shenah

Yihi ratzon

Akedah

Offerings

Interpretive Principles of Rabbi Yishmael

Kaddish d’Rabbanon

T’filot ha-Shachar

(2) Pesukei Dezimra

Psalm 30

Baruch Sheamar

Songs of thanksgiving

Psalm 100 

Yehi Kivod

Hallel (Ashrei and psalms 145-150)

Baruch Hashem L'Olam

Vayivarech David

Ata Hu Hashem L'Vadecha

Az Yashir

Yishtabach

(3) Shema

Chatzi Kaddish

Brachot ha-Shema

Kriyat Shema

Emet

(4) Amidah/Shemoneh Esrei (Standing Prayer/Eighteen Benedictions*):

S’fatah tiftach

1. Avot (Ancestors)

2. Gevurot (Might)

3. Kedushot (Holiness)

4. Binah (Understanding)

5. Teshuva (Repentance)

6. Selicha (Forgiveness)

7. Geulah (Redemption)

8. Refuah (Healing)

9. Birkat ha-Shanim (Blessing for the Years)

10. Kibbutz Galuyot (Gathering the Exiled)

11. Din (Justice)

12. Birkat ha-Minim (Heretics)

13. Tzaddikim (The Righteous)

14. Binyan Yerushalayim (The Rebuilding of Jerusalem)

15. Malchut Beit David (The Davidic Dynasty)

16. Kabbalat T’filah (Acceptance of Prayer)

17. Avodah (Service)

18. Modim/Hoda’ah (Thanks)

19. Shalom (Peace)

Yih’yu l’ratzon

Elokai natzor

Oseh shalom bimromav

(*Yes, it’s called Shemoneh Esrei even though there are now 19 blessings because they added the one about heretics shortly after the fall of the Second Temple. There are also four different new years. Don’t worry about it.)

(5) Tachanun:

Vidui

13 Attributes

Lowering the head

+additional Mon. & Thurs.

Shomer Yisrael

Va’anachnu lo neda

Chatzi Kaddish

(6) Torah Service:

(honestly don’t worry about this unless/until you’re leading services because you won’t do it on your own)

(7) Concluding prayers:

Ashrei

Lamnatzeach

U’va l’Tziyon

Kaddish Shalem

Returning the Torah to the Ark (if there’s a Torah service, obviously)

T’filah l’David

Beit Yaakov

Psalm of the Day

Hoshienu

Kaddish Yatom

Kaveh

Ein k’elokeinu

Sacrifices

L-rd of hosts

Kaddish d’Rabbanon

Aleinu

Kaddish Yatom

[Note: this is based off of what my siddur says/what my congregation does; I attend a liberal Modern Orthodox minyan and we use the Koren siddur, nusach Sefard. For the uninitiated, nusach Sefard is not Sephardic – it’s Ashkenazic. I’m honestly not sure about the etymology of the name, but wanted to clarify as it can be confusing.]

There are some changes and omissions if you’re davening without a minyan – whether it’s with a handful of people at shul or on your own. (Here are the prayers omitted when praying without a minyan.) As for where it ends – that kind of depends on the community you’re in, as each seems to have its own way of doing things and some will add final thoughts or readings – but if you’re davening on your own, you can just end with Aleinu.

Getting started can be daunting, so here are a few approaches to try – see which fits best with your current knowledge level, learning style, and your end goal for davening.

Approach 1: Start simple and slowly progress from there.

The first thing I’d suggest trying is starting really small and slowly adding as you master each individual prayer.

Start by saying the Shema in the morning and evening. This will get you in the habit of praying at the correct times, and will help you to start working on the Hebrew a little bit as well. Whether you say the full Shema or the Reform version of it will depend on your branch affiliation, but either way I would suggest getting familiar enough with it that you can say it from memory. [Note: I’m not referring here just to the Shema proper, but the V’ahavta as well.]

To help boost your confidence, I found that memorizing and getting into the habit of saying the brachot helped encourage me in the process of learning to daven as well.

After learning the Shema and the various brachot, I would next move on to adding the morning ritual prayers. That includes:

Modah/modeh ani [modah = f, modeh = m]

[Some add Reshit chochmah here; some say it after the blessings for Torah study – just pick whichever makes the most sense for you and/or whichever is the norm in your community.]

Netilat yadayim

Asher yatzar (assuming you used the bathroom)

Elokai Neshama

[If you eventually wear tzitzit, you’ll say the blessing for it here.]

Blessings for Torah study

[If you eventually wear tallit and/or tefillin, you’ll say the blessings over those here.]

At this point, you’ve finished the ones normally said at home. The following can either be said when davening alone, or will be said at the synagogue if you join a daily morning minyan.

Mah Tovu [if you go pray with a minyan, for upon entering the synagogue; although I’ve heard that some say it regardless]

The following are typically said once you’re at the minyan, but are just fine to say on your own as well.      

Adon Olam

Yigdal

Birkat Ha-Shachar

Hama’avir shenah me’einai u-tenumah me’afapai

Akedah

Pesukei Dezimra [Sefaria: Hebrew version of Pesukei Dezimra]

Psalm 30

Baruch Sheamar

Songs of thanksgiving

Psalm 100 

Yehi Kivod

Hallel (Pesukei Dezimra) (Ashrei and psalms 145-150)

Baruch Hashem L'Olam

Vayivarech David

Ata Hu Hashem L'Vadecha

Az Yashir

Yishtabach

Kriyat Shema

Emet

Shemoneh Esrei/Amidah

Tachanun [Sefaria: Hebrew version]

[If davening in a minyan, there is a brief Torah service inserted here on Mondays and Thursdays. If you’re davening alone, just go to the conluding prayers.]

Ashrei

L'Minatzeach 

U'va L'Tzion

Shir shel yom

Ein k’elokeinu

Aleinu

For an excellent breakdown of the modeh ani prayer, please see this post (click through to the next page for further morning instructions.) For a more disability- and trans-friendly alternative to the traditional Asher Yatzar, please see this link. As for learning these to start out with? I’ve found the Kakatuv sheets to be invaluable, and several of the links in the list above are to these pdfs.

Don’t add these all at once – just go at a pace that feels reasonable and comfortable for you, and then add more things as you become confident with what you’re already doing. Seriously? Add these one at a time. Once you’ve mastered them, then and only then move onto the next!!

Eventually, you’ll work your way up to doing all of Shacharit!

**One final note to add to this section: I would definitely prioritize learning the Amidah along with the Shema. The Amidah is central to every prayer service and you will need to know it. It’s also a little performative/public feeling, because there is a fair bit of choreography to it and some congregations have a custom that people sit when they’re finished davening it. That being the case, you’ll want to know it sooner rather than later! My Amidah-specific post can be found here.

Approach 2: Read your siddur very carefully.

Set aside some time to just sit down and read your siddur. Not to actively daven, but just really read it. I’ve noticed that it’s a lot easier to follow the flow of the text and figure out what the insertions are for when you take the time to sit down and actually really read it rather than trying to do so with the pressure of davening as well.

If it’s still overwhelming, see if your rabbi will sit down with you and go over it. When I first started attending minyan at an orthodox shul, I asked the rabbi if he would go over things with me so that I could follow along better, and he was more than happy to do so. Since then, I’ve found it much easier to track.

Approach 3: Daven with a minyan.

Are you already beyond these steps or just like to dive in headfirst? Try going to a daily morning minyan! I found that after a while of davening on my own and having the full Shacharit take two hours, it was a relief to daven in a minyan that forced me to keep up a normal pace and (in essence) guided me through it. I will say, however, that it can be difficult to find non-orthodox daily minyans unless you live near a more traditionally observant Conservative shul, so that may not be an option for everyone.

Approach 4: Some combination of all of the above.

Personally, this is what I did, which is why I know that each of the above works individually and in combination. I found each strategy helpful in its own way, and you might find that doing a bit of each is more helpful in combination than sticking with only one.

Final thoughts and Additional Resources:

Women’s obligations vary from men’s in an orthodox setting. Please see this wonderful list for women’s specific obligations in davening.

Additional resources to help you figure things out:

Your rabbi – first and foremost, don’t forget that your rabbi will be delighted to hear that you’re trying to daven correctly and will 100% help you to figure this stuff out. He/she will also know exactly which parts your congregation does and which siddur you should buy.

Articles on the prayer services: Aish, My Jewish Learning, Chabad, Jewish FAQ

An excellent book on the traditional liturgy is To Pray As A Jew, by Rabbi Donin

Where the heck do I find that one prayer I’ve been struggling with

http://www.kakatuv.com/prayers.html

https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Liturgy

http://www.zemirotdatabase.org/index.php

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-liturgy

http://opensiddur.org/

https://www.ritualwell.org/morning-service

Google it. (Seriously.) Usually if nothing else, Chabad will have a translation, transliteration, and Hebrew iteration of it laid out nicely, and often with audio if you’re struggling with pronunciation, but often others will have it, too.

Important caveat to all of the information I’ve given here: While I’ve tried to provide reputable sources and links for everything here, I am not a rabbi or any kind of authority whatsoever, so please take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt. If your rabbi tells you something different, if your community does something different – heck, if your siddur tells you something different, you should go with that, and not what I’ve said here!!

[Note: Good-faith, sourced corrections are welcomed and deeply appreciated!] 

The bottom line:

You gotta start somewhere – try some of this out and see what works for you! If you have any follow up questions, please feel free to ask me specific questions and I’ll do my best or at least try to point you in the right direction!!

Followers – other suggestions? Things that worked well for you when you were starting out?

[jewish-tutter]

jews with tattoos 😌

[yidquotes]

It’s a fundamental principle of Judaism that you are not obligated to do more than you can manage. “Says the Compassionate One: ‘Just do! And whatever it is you find to do, it will be pleasing to me’” (Talmud Bav’li, Bechoros 17b). In ancient times, if you couldn’t make it to Passover rites on the 14th of First Moon because your donkey had a flat hoof, then you’d try on the 14th of Second Moon (Numbers 9:9-11). If you couldn’t bring a sheep for your sin-offering, two doves would do. And if your doves flew the coop, a bag of matzah meal would do (Leviticus 5:6-11). Likewise, if you can’t visit your friend in the hospital because you blew a tire, a phone call will do (Ig’ros Moshe, Yo’reh Dey’ah, Vol. 1, No. 223). So if you can’t make it to shul, you can Google a shtiebel. In the words of the ancient rabbis: “The Holy Blessed One says, ‘When you pray, pray in the synagogue that is in your village. If you cannot pray in your synagogue, pray in your field. If you cannot pray in your field, pray in your house. If you cannot pray in your house, pray on your bed. If you cannot pray on your bed, think it in your heart’” (Midrash Tehillim 4:9).

Rabbi Gershon Winkler

[progressivejudaism]

I’m really thinking of this text as we enter into Passover amidst the cloud of Covid-19. Friends, please be safe and support yourself in this strange time : and make sure to celebrate o ur Festival of Freedom in a way that brings you as much spiritual awakening as you can, while being as safe as you can.

[shalom-babe]

Jewish Curriculum

If you’re like me and felt overwhelmed as a convert trying to work out what to learn, I’ve made a checklist on google sheets which you can make a copy of and use to guide your learning. It includes:

Prayers and songs to learn

Historical events to research

Jewish theological topics

Important Biblical and modern figures

Jewish holidays

Book and film recommendations

Jewish values

Judaica to buy

Some resources that have helped me

I hope it helps :)

[abstract-woman]

It is written: "When you will see the donkey of your enemy collapsing under its burden, and you are inclined to refrain from aiding him, you shall nevertheless aid him" (Exodus 23:5). The Baal Shem Tov applied this instruction to the body and the material self (chamor, "donkey", also means "materiality"). Initially - the Torah is saying - you may see your body as your enemy, resisting your soul's objectives, collapsing under the "burden" of the mitzvot. You may therefore be inclined to fight the body by denying its needs and mortifying it. Says the Torah: You must aid your soul's "enemy". Purify the body, refine it, do not break it.

Thirty-Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov

[ladinolearner]

Learn Ladino

Ladino, otherwise known as Judeo-Spanish or Judeo-Espanyol is a minority language spoken almost exclusively by Sephardic Jews. It’s main influence is Old Castillian Spansih, and anyone who speaks Spanish won’t have too much difficulty in understanding it, but it is also influenced by Hebrew, Turkish, and Arabic. Because it is only spoken by between 60,000 and 400,000 people, resources for learning Ladino are scarce, so I wanted to share the online (free!) resources I’ve found for those who would like to learn

Online Courses

Endangered Languages Online Course - a series of videos that take you through conversational Ladino

A Beginner’s Course to Ladino - I cannot recommend this course enough, the lady who does the videos is so sweet and helpful. There is homework and resources. If you want to learn Ladino, you should definitely check this out

Ladino Language and Song - this course is being run at the moment so if you’re quick you can be a part of the live sessions!

Social Media Accounts

@ladino_hoy on Instagram is a Spanish account aimed at teaching common Ladino phrases

@SephardicBrothe on Twitter often posts resources in Ladino and is definitely worth following to stay updated on new resources coming out

@SarahAroeste on Twitter makes music in Ladino and often posts resources as well

Basics

Getting started - an introduction to grammar and phrases in Ladino

Diksionario de Djudeo-Espanyol a Inglez - an essential resource, this is a PDF Ladino and English dictionary

Ladino Phrasebook - A very basic introduction into greetings in Ladino, helpful for beginners

Kan Ladino - A regular radio programme in Ladino, complete with music and conversation, very helpful

I aim to be posting more about Ladino because it is such a beautiful language, and definitely deserves more recognition, but I hope this can help people get started! Shalom!

[murdershegoat]

don’t wanna start a conspiracy but i think paul mccartney might be the moshiach

[jewish-burrito]

@tshuvh , @punkyiddishkeit, @just-odradek If I have to see this, you have to too.

[tzippi]

I just bought Hanukkah masks specifically to wear to work since everyone i work with won't stop talking about Christmas

[progressivejudaism]

“THE UNIVERSE BEGAN WITH A HUM. A HUM… AND THEN A BANG. And each day it grew larger and larger and contained more and more. We cannot live each new day in the same way we lived the last, for we have all of the experiences and memories of the previous day filed away in our internal memory bank. And so each day is created anew, filled with new opportunities. And each day, we have the potential to become partners with God in the act of creation, adding to the world in a way that only you can. The words for this prayer are about creation. “The Holy One, who lights up the world and all of her inhabitants with mercy.” The key here is light. The first act of creation, mentioned first, and inherently interwoven with the divine attribute of mercy. And then this: “And in the Divine’s goodness, every single day, She renews the act of creation.” And in thinking about creation and rebirth, Coleen Dieker and I were immediately drawn to the feminine. Hebrew is a gendered language, and most of the time in liturgy the masculine suffix is used for God. But here, praying for rebirth and renewal, we wanted to sing to The Divine in the feminine, and so we changed the suffixes to reflect that: Hame’irah, Uv’tuvah, Mechadeshet. This week we begin the cycle of reading the Torah again. Now is the time for us to be partners with God again in creating a better world. As we enter this Shabbat, may we continue to merit to be partners with the Holy One. Grant us the capacity to value our friends and family, and to enrich the lives of those whom we love. Change happens every day. Sometimes it’s hard to see and hear, like a hum, but if we all hum together, we can move mountains. Shabbat Shalom”

— Josh Warshawsky Music

[progressivejudaism]

“Chosenness is not a privilege to boast of but a task to be undertaken. It is to keep constantly in mind the words of the prophet Micah: ‘It has been told you, O mortal, which is good, and what the Eternal requires of you– Only this: to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.’”

— Rabbi David J Wolpe (b. 1958), Mishkahn Hanefesh for Yom Kippur page 61

[progressivejudaism]

[witch-of-the-diaspora]

Unfurling the entire Torah scroll for Simchat Torah, 5777.

[progressivejudaism]

hello PJ, what is the difference between Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?

Hi there!

Shemini Atzeret, the last day of Sukkot, is almost like a micro-holiday where we have a special ritual to officially end the High Holiday season.  As Jews, we believe that the gates that close at the end of Yom Kippur, remain opened just a little bit until the end of Shemini Atzeret to give us just a bit of extra time to say our slichot prayers before the start of Simchat Torah and the *real* start to the New Year.  The Shemini Atzeret service is known as Hashanah Roba, where we traditionally make seven dances with the Torah in our communities.  This ends with the shmashing of our lulavim (our palm branches from Sukkot).

Simchat Torah is a joyous holiday dedicated our Torah.  Literally meaning “Joy of the Torah,” we also dance with the Torah (traditionally several times in what are known as hakafot in Hebrew).  The big moment comes when the last few lines of Deuteronomy are read (Moses atop Mount Nebo overlooking Israel) to the first few lines of Genesis (the Creation Account).  Simchat Torah signifies an *official* start of the New Year. 

Although technically Rosh Hashanah is the New Year, we need a month of holidays to reset our Jewish clocks!  Rosh Hashanah is when the calendar officially shifts (as per the instructions in the Torah); the entire slichot process, the Ten Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur help us to fully complete (or really almost complete) our reset spiritually; Sukkot helps us remember several parts of our tradition that ground us as Jews (such as nature, the Exodus account, Welcoming Guests etc); Shemini Atzeret completes the final reset in conjunction with all of those parts of our tradition that we hold near and dear; and Simchat Torah is the last part of this grounding, and resets our Torah reading cycle to the beginning!

Please note that the Reform Movement celebrates Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah as one day, unlike more traditional movements in which Simchat Torah is the day after Sukkot.  And because we celebrate harvest festivals for seven days as opposed to eight, our calendar looks a bit different!

I hope that this helps!

Shana Tov v’chag Sameach!

PJ

[hamonsale]

Happy sukkot!

[jewish-kulindadromeus]

So You Want to Celebrate Sukkot

This post is for people who are Jewish, converting to Judaism, seriously interested in Jewish conversion, or are Jewish-Adjacent (part of an interfaith family, etc.). It is **not** for gentiles who wish to “deepen their connection to Jesus” or any similar reason uninvolved with genuine interest in becoming a part of the tribe or participating with loved ones, as that is a form of cultural appropriation. Thank you for your understanding. Gentiles CAN, however, reblog!

You’ve celebrated Rosh Hashanah. You observed the Days of Awe. You fasted on Yom Kippur. And suddenly: wait! There’s another holiday! Here comes Sukkot! 

Educate Yourself on what Sukkot Is 

Sukkot is one of the Shalosh Regalim - the Three Pilgrimage festivals! 

These are the three holidays when, in Temple times, individuals would bring part of their harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem, to be sacrificed to HaShem by the High Priest 

The origin of Sukkot is that it was (and still is!) a harvest festival, celebrating the summer fruit harvest. This leads it to having the name Chag HaAsif, the Festival of Ingathering 

Though the three pilgrimage festivals have their ultimate origins in the turn of the harvest in israel, each is ascribed a specific meaning from the stories of the Torah 

Sukkot is known as the Festival of Booths, leading to its common name, Sukkot (or Chag HaSukkot) 

These booths commemorate the huts that the ancient Israelites dwelled in while wandering the desert for 40 days 

Historically, booths were also what farmers dwelled in while completing the harvest, as they needed to be out in the fields as much as possible 

Today, we still commemorate by building booths! There are a lot of laws about building the booths, known as a sukkah 

Some goyische people call it the Feast of the Tabernacles, but this is a misnomer, as the Tabernacle is the precursor of the Temple, the portable sanctuary in the desert, which is not the same as the booths the wandering Israelites lived in (or the ones farmers would live in during the harvest). So, don’t use this term. Please. 

It’s also called the Season of our Rejoicing, or Z’man Simchateinu 

In the Torah, language indicates that this was the highlight of the Jewish calendar during Biblical times

In fact, the text seems to indicate that the Sukkot festival was the new year at one time, rather than Rosh Hashanah (called Tzeit Hashanah, the Departure of the Year) 

Rosh Hashanah, then known as Yom Teruah or the day of Horn-Sounding, would gather people in to prepare for the turn of the year 

Then Yom Kippur would lead to everyone’s purification

Only then, on Sukkot, could rejoicing at the new year begin 

It is still, today, a good continuation of the New Year celebrations 

Though it seems counter-intuitive to “rejoice” while we have to pick crops and live in huts outside, it still makes sense - it’s a harvest festival! What’s more fun than a harvest festival? 

We’re glad of the success (hopefully) of the harvest 

We’re glad that we were provided for in the wilderness

We’re glad to be connected to nature 

We’re glad for our lives, here, on this Earth, though we are reminded of the fleetingness of it all by living in the Sukkah 

Also, living in a hut is fun. Our inner child enjoys blanket forts and tree houses. This is basically the same thing 

Dwelling in the Sukkah is, in the end, a break from the materialism and complexity of our world; and this is symbolized by the entirety of the festival 

We also wave around some plants 

These plants symbolize so many things I probably should just leave it for their specific subsection 

They can represent the different parts of the body 

Or the different types of Jews

Or the ubiquity of Nature

Or the ubiquity of HaShem in Nature 

Nature! Plants! Plants and Nature! Yup 

Sukkot is probably one of the most festive times of the year, as it doesn’t really commemorate anything serious or tragic - just living out in nature with HaShem 

The festival lasts for… a certain amount of time 

If you live in Israel, the festival is seven days long 

If you are of a certain type of reform out in the Diaspora, the festival is seven days long

If you are any other kind of Diasporic Jew, the festival is eight days long 

If you are more traditional and in the Diaspora, the first two days of the festival are Yom Tov - days when work is forbidden (like Shabbat) and festive meals are preceded by Kiddush (blessing over wine) 

If you are of a certain kind of reform, or in Israel, it’s just the first day for Yom Tov 

The last day, Hoshanah Rabbah, is typically observed more specially, but not as a full Yom Tov (and it’s also technically the last day of judgement - sort of a “if you missed your chance on Yom Kippur here is your LAST POSSIBLE DAY OF ATONEMENT, more on that in a bit) 

The holiday is then followed by one or two more Yomim Tovim depending on if you’re reform/Israel or Diasporic; you either separate these days into Simchat Torah and Sh’mini Atzeret, or you celebrate them together as one thing. But more on that in my next post 

The intermediate days (technically including Hoshanah Rabbah) of Sukkot are called the Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days of the festival, where work is permitted for the most part except of certain types of work, it really depends, though sometimes businesses will close for the whole week 

The typical greeting for this holiday is Chag Sameach, meaning Happy Festival; or Chag Sukkot Sameach, meaning Happy Sukkot Festival 

Go To, or Build, a Sukkah 

If you have a yard, a balcony, a courtyard in your building that lets you do weird stuff in it, a nearby park, anything, try to build a sukkah! 

If you can’t afford to, are too nervous to, or don’t have the real estate necessary, just skip ahead to the next black bullet point 

Building a sukkah is a very hallowed mitzvah, and a pretty fun one too! Again, appease your inner child 

There are many ways to build a sukkah, but there are some fairly clear basic requirements: 

At least 2 and a half walls made of a material that won’t blow away in the wind, such as canvas covering nailed down, or wood, etc. 

Only 1 wall can be something at already exists, like the side of your house 

The materials should largely be temporary ones

It must be large enough for you (and whoever else in your household) to fulfill the commandment of living in it - ie eat within it 

The roof must be made of s’chach - something that grew from the ground and was then cut off such as bamboo, sticks, corn stalks, or tree branches; this material must be loose, rather than tied together or tied down, and put sparsely enough on the roof so that you can see the stars through the foliage (though this is actually minhag, not halacha! Weird, right?), but it also shouldn’t be so sparse that there are holes greater than ten inches across, or more light than shading. This is also the last part to be put on top 

You shouldn’t, if you’re following halacha closely, let there be balconies/tree branches above your sukkah

There are sukkah kits online!!!!! Kind of expensive though :( You can also just make your own using wood or other materials that are appropriate 

Sukkah Bikes exist. I love this. I don’t know how one would make one though. 

Once you have built the sukkah, you should decorate it! 

Decorating a sukkah is a big deal, and it’s often been compared to Xmas tree decorating. So if you’re jealous of goyim, just rub it in their faces with your fancy hut 

You can put posters on the walls, hang fruit and other plants, put up fairy lights, origami, paper chains, gourds, whatever you want - just don’t waste food!!! 

A big thing are Ushpizin Posters - I’m going to get into Ushpizin in a sec, but these are posters showcasing the traditional invited Biblical guests for the Sukkah 

You can also add a carpet and - if you feel the need - a portable air conditioner, believe it or not 

Then, dwell in your sukkah! 

The mitzvah involves eating your meals in the sukkah (for more liberal movements, at least once a day) 

A meal being anything with, you know, bread - though many eat snacks in the sukkah too. There is a specific blessing to say over eating a meal in the sukkah! 

But it’s a good thing to spend as much time as you can in the sukkah! Live there! Read books, play games, talk to friends, do your homework - whatever! 

Yes, you can sleep in the sukkah. Bring a sleeping bag! Be sure to check the weather. If it looks like it’s going to rain, make precautions! You can put a rain cover on top of the sukkah, but it won’t count as a sukkah, technically, if you do 

Have fun with it! 

Go to someone else’s sukkah! 

If you can’t build a sukkah, there are often ways to find the ability to fulfill the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah! 

If you can build a sukkah, hospitality is a major part of Sukkot, so you should still visit other peoples’ sukkot - and you should invite people to yours! 

Synagogues often make a sukkah, provided they have the lawn space (they usually do. I go to an inner-city synagogue and even we make the room). They let people come and eat and do things in the sukkah, and often have special programming and activities for those who wish to come 

Jewish Community Centers and Park Systems often have sukkot as well - check and ask around! 

You can also, of course, go to a friend’s sukkah!!!! Or just ask the community you’re a part of (hopefully) if anyone has a sukkah you can use. Part of the values of Sukkot are hospitality after all! 

Then, use the sukkah! 

You can do all the fun dwelling activities I listed above, except perhaps sleeping in it, at least, ask before you try to do that 

You also can fulfill the mitzvah of hospitality through the tradition of ushpizin 

It is traditional to welcome guests into the Sukkah, no one more so than Biblical figures 

Each day of Sukkot has been commonly associated with a man from the Tanach 

We invite that individual into our sukkah, and then act as though they are eating the meal with us 

This tradition differs based on your custom, of course, with notable differences between Sephardic and Ashkenazic custom. 

It goes as follows:

Abraham on the first day (For Loving-Kindness)

Isaac on the second (For Strength)

Jacob on the third (For Splendor)

Moses on the fourth (For Eternity)

Aaron on the fifth (For Glory)

Joseph on the sixth (For Foundation) 

David on the seventh (For Sovereignty) 

There is also now a growing tradition to invite Jewish/Biblical women! There isn’t an established set of women but some good candidates include 

Sarah

Rebecca

Rachel

Leah

Miriam

Tzipporah

Devorah

Ruth

Tamar

Vashti

Hadassah

SO MANY WONDERFUL WOMEN 

Honestly this is my ideal: 

Sarah 

Rebecca who might be genderqueer wait whoops

Rachel

Leah

Miriam 

Ruth 

Hadassah 

Though, of course, you can invite as many people into your sukkah as you want - not just Biblical figures, but also people you admire from the past, like Civil Rights leaders and Scientists and anyone you want 

You can then put their names up and their pictures up in your sukkah (hence the Ushpizin posters) to invite them in! 

If you can’t make it to a sukkah, don’t worry! There are a lot of other ways to observe the holiday. And there’s always next year! 

Wave Plants! 

During Sukkot, it is customary to do fancy waving things with the Four Species, a group of highly symbolic plants found and grown in Israel 

There is the Etrog, the fruit of the Citron tree, a giant yellow lemon-like fruit that is decidedly not good for eating please don’t eat it 

Then the Lulav, the frond from the date palm tree 

The Hadass, boughs from the myrtle tree 

And finally the Aravah, branches from the willow tree 

The three tree branches (lulav, hadass, and aravah) are grouped together and just called the lulav, so that’s why you hear of the Lulav and the Etrog 

Together, all four are called the Arba Minim - the four species

There is so much symbolism surrounding these plants 

The idea that each of the species alludes to the nature of HaShem: 

The Etrog is the fruit of the goodly tree, connected to the idea that HaShem is clothed in Glory and Majesty (Psalm 104) 

The Lulav is because the righteous bloom like a date palm (Psalm 92) 

The Hadass because HaShem is said to have stood among the myrtle trees (Zechariah) 

And the Aravah because HaShem is said in Psalm 68 to ride on the clouds, and the word for cloud and the willow tree are the same, Aravah 

The idea that each of the species symbolizes one of the four letters in the name of HaShem

Yud corresponds to the Hadass 

The first Heh corresponds to the Aravah 

The Vav to the Lulav 

and the second Heh to the Etrog 

(Meaning that when we shake the species, we say HaShem’s name) 

The idea that each of the species refers to a part of the body 

The Etrog is the heart, where we understand and are wise 

The Lulav is the backbone, symbolizing how we are to be upright in our deeds

The Hadass is the eyes, indicating enlightenment 

And the Aravah are the lips, symbolizing prayer 

The idea that the four species symbolize the four types of Jews - taste indicates the learning of Torah, and smell indicates the doing of mitzvot 

The Etrog, which has both taste and smell [please don’t eat it], symbolizes Jews who study Torah and perform mitzvot 

The Lulav, which has taste but no smell, symbolizes Jews who study Torah, but do not perform mitzvot 

The Hadass, which has smell but no taste, symbolizes Jews who do not study Torah, but do perform the mitzvot 

And finally the Aravah, which has neither, represents Jews who neither study Torah, nor perform Mitzvot

By bringing them all together, we acknowledge that the Jewish people needs all kinds - the Jews who study Torah and those who don’t, the Jews who perform the mitzvot and those who don’t, of all combinations and kinds 

The idea that the four species each represent to a particular habitat in Israel; all connected to water, indicating the need for water in Israel 

The Etrog grows on any water, even that from irrigation, and doesn’t depend on natural water to grow 

The Lulav grows nears fountains of water 

The Hadass depends entirely on rainwater 

And the Aravah grows near brooks and streams 

Then there is symbolism surrounding how we shake the Arba Minim; which I’ll get into in my shaking section  

You should try and get a lulav and etrog set if you can afford them! Do this early though, eventually it’s too late to get them

You can order them from online 

You can pick them up at various places where you live, your synagogue or Jewish Community Center can help

You can get them from your local Chabad center, if you’re comfortable with that (I don’t want to get into the politics of Chabad right now, sorry) 

If you can’t get a set, that’s totally understandable! See if your synagogue lets people borrow a set you 

When shopping for a set, remember, beautifying a mitzvah elevates that mitzvah - you want to get the most beautiful set you can 

If you have the species - wave them! Don’t just wave them randomly though there’s an art to it

First, hold the etrog with the pittum (stem) pointed down. In theory, your Lulav (in total, not the individual palm) should be pre-assembled, but for your reference: 

Put two Aravah on the left; one Lulav in the center; and three Hadass on the right. Feel free to bind them  

You can now see why we call this structure just the Lulav - the palm is definitely the biggest part 

Hold the etrog in your left hand and the Lulav in your right hand 

Then, you say the blessing over waving the lulav and etrog 

After you’ve said the blessing, point the stem (pittum) of the etrog up in your hand 

Stand facing the East 

Hold the lulav in front of you, facing East, and shake it three times by drawing it into you - reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in 

Repeat it three times to the right, going south 

Three times behind your shoulder, going west 

Three times to the left, going North 

Three times raising it above you (up)

Three times raising it below you (down

Do all of this slowly and deliberately. If you’re in the synagogue saying the Hallel prayer, it goes with specific parts of the prayer: 

Hodu (East) 

L’Adonai (No shaking) 

Ki (South) 

Tov (West) 

Ki (North)

Le-olam (Up) 

Chasdo (Down) 

And then again: 

Yomar (East)

Na (South)

Yisrael (West)

Ki (North) 

Le-olam (Up) 

Chasdo (Down) 

And finally: 

A-na (East on first syllable, South on second) 

Adonai (No Shaking) 

Ho-shi-ah (West first syllable, North second, Up third) 

Na (Down) 

Don’t shake the species on Shabbat, generally speaking 

Be sure to keep your lulav and etrog safe!!! There are even etrog boxes to keep them unharmed 

The waving in all these directions symbolizes how HaShem is literally everywhere - in all directions 

It also is kind of a symbol of theoretical physics, symbolizing the unity of space and time 

They also symbolize complete immersion in the holiday

Another symbol is the fertility of the land, and desiring rain 

Also, the arousal of joy, thanksgiving, and praise of HaShem during the holiday of Sukkot 

They can be waived any time of the day, in addition to the Hallel prayer (especially if you can’t attend service for whatever reason) 

This is a highly symbolic mitzvah, and one just as characteristic of Sukkot as the Sukkah

Go Outside! 

Regardless of whether or not you’re actually able to do things in a Sukkah, you definitely should go outside for the express purpose of celebrating Sukkot 

Since this holiday is all about nature, being outside with HaShem, and the fact that we are connected to the turn of the universe, being outside is in general a good call 

Go for a walk! With friends, with family, or by yourself - don’t put on headphones, but rather, let the turn of the world around you be your music 

Go to the park! Sit on a bench, or in the grass, or on a step, and just watch the world around you - the people walking about, the flying of the birds, the movement of the clouds, the swaying of the branches of the trees

Have a picnic! Especially if you can’t eat in the sukkah, this is a great way to get a similar feel, even if it’s not quite the same - you’re outside, eating, connected with nature and HaShem 

Go swimming in the lake! Or at the beach or ocean. I do mean a natural water source, though - let the water touch your toes and your skin, feel it surround you, take in the flow of the water around you and through you 

Climb a tree! Or a mountain. Go for a hike! Climb as high as you can. Reach up to the sky, and realize that HaShem isn’t just there, but all around you. Do stay safe though

Remind yourself that our world of computers, buildings, cars, and electronics is as temporary as the sukkah - but the universe has existed for billions of years, and will continue to exist for billions more after us

Read Traditional Texts! 

HECK YEAH ITS TORAH TIME 

So there are five scrolls of the Torah - Bereshit (Genesis), Shemot (Exodus), Vayikra (Leviticus), Bamidbar (Numbers), Devarim (Deuteronomy) 

But did you know that in the Writings (Ketuvi’im), there are the Five Scrolls, kind of like a counterpart? 

Much shorter, these scrolls contain stories or philosophical writings that are each connected with a holiday of the year 

The connection typically has to do with the “theme” of the holiday 

So we have the Song of Songs (Shir ha-Shirim) for Pesach; Ruth (Rut) for Shavuot; Lamentations (Eikhah) for Tisha B’Av; Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) for Sukkot; and Esther (Ester) for Purim 

So, on Sukkot, we read Ecclesiastes (Kohelet)! 

This book is a series of philosophical musings

Most, it’s about the temporary nature of life, and the philosophical questions that arise from that reality - such as, what’s the point? How does one find meaning in life, due to the existence of death? 

The book then struggles extensively with the meaning of life and death, the vanity of trying to amass knowledge, goods, anything to create a permanence on this Earth 

And it discusses how, ultimately, all of these things you amass will one day be gone, as will you - so what is the point? 

It’s not all pessimistic though, and it embraces this temporal nature, looking at the need to savor the moment and focus on where you are as a source of joy - to embrace the transitory nature of life

Hmmmmmmm this sounds a lot like the themes of Sukkot I’ve talked about doesn’t it? Yes, yes it does. So we read it on this holiday! 

We also, of course, read Torah Portions! These portions discuss Sacred Time, the Pilgrimage festivals (of which Sukkot is one), Sukkot specifically, Thanksgiving offerings, and the various specific offerings on Sukkot itself 

Day 1: Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44 & Numbers 29:12 - 29:16 

Day 2: Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44 & Numbers 29:12 - 29:16 

Day 3: Numbers 29:17 - 29:22 

Day 4: Numbers 29:20 - 29:25 

Day 5: Numbers 29:23 - 29:28 

Day 6: Numbers 29:26 - 29:31 

Day 7: Numbers 29:26 - 29:34 [THIS IS HOSHANAH RABA FYI] 

Note: What day Shabbat Falls on is Importante 

If it falls on Day 1 or 2, we read the same things, just with more Aliyot (separations for the readings) 

If it falls on Day 3 - 6, we read Exodus 33:12 - 34:26 in addition to whatever Numbers portion we are to read that day 

There are Haftarah Portions Tooooooooooo! DAMN I love Torah 

Day 1: Zechariah 14:1 - 21 

Day 2: 1 Kings 8:2 - 21 

If Shabbat falls on Days 3 - 6, there’s a Haftarah that day too, Ezekial 38:18 - 39:16 

This is a lot of readings so be sure to pace yourself and set reasonable amounts to study! 

Eat Autumnal Foods! 

On the first and second days of Sukkot, it’s traditional to have a huge festive meal, as it is a Yom Tov! This is complete with bread, such as challah; and grape-related drink products, such as grape juice or wine 

Given it’s a Yom Tov, have a big dinner with your family, friends, or Jewish community!!!! Invite people over, even if you don’t have a sukkah - hospitality is a universal Sukkot value! And just a Jewish value in general but, you know, it’s especially great on Sukkot 

Throughout the holiday, though, it’s traditional to eat fall foods! 

At least, in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, switch this up for the Spring!

Keep dipping that challah in honey because you gotta make sure it’s going to be a sweet new year (just, do this until Tishrei is over, unless you don’t want to follow that custom!) 

Eat stuff with Pumpkin! 

Pumpkin Mousse! 

Pumpkin Pie!

Pumpkin Bread!

Pumpkin Challah! 

Pumpkin Pancakes! 

Pumpkin Custard! 

Pumpkin Casserole! 

Pumpkin Sufganiyot! 

Pumpkin Ravioli! 

Eat things with fresh fruits and vegetables, especially seasonal ones for the harvest! You can look up what’s seasonal in your area online!

Eat corn! CORRNNNNNN. I have a great corn casserole recipe if anyone wants it, very festive. Also, of course, Corn bread! 

Eat other squashes besides pumpkin! You can put butternut squash with apples for a very seasonal treat 

Eat stuffed dumplings, aka Kreplach! Apparently they’re good for Sukkot, though they’re also found on other holidays 

Eat food you eat on Thanksgiving? I mean, in all seriousness, this is basically thanksgiving but earlier in the year and less associated with a problematic country history 

Enjoy that damn Pumpkin Spice Latte. Don’t let ANYONE judge your joyful life choices. 

And, of course, feel free to have your festive meals OUTSIDE! 

Rejoice! 

This is the SEASON of OUR REJOICING! REJOICE! 

We’ve gotten through the Yamim Noraim, through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Now we can really focus on the joy of beginning the new year! Start the year the way you want it to carry on - joyfully! 

Do things that make you happy, each day of the chag - both the Yom Tovim and the intermediate days, the Chol HaMoed 

Give thanks to HaShem, give thanks to Nature, give thanks to Life, give thanks to Everything! Rejoice! 

There’s a Water Drawing Ceremony that you can do, indicating the start of the rainy season (at least, in Israel) 

When sacrifices were offered at the Temple, wine was poured on the alter

During sukkot, water was also used, as a request for rain 

Today, many have nighttime celebrations with singing and dancing, in reminiscence of this custom, which during Temple times included a lot of joyful gymnastics and excitement as the water was drawn for the Temple  

Play games with friends and family! 

Sing songs, especially Jewish ones like Niggunim! 

See movies, especially movies in the park, if you can find something like that near you! 

Watch Ushpizin - yup, there’s a movie about Sukkot! 

Give Tzedakah, especially to charities about the natural world and for the homeless!!! 

Do fall things like going to a Harvest festival, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze - whatever is near you! 

Make fall-themed decorations!

Jump into a leaf pile! 

Throw your cares away for a week - sure, you’ll have to work, especially on the Chol HaMoed, but carry that feeling of rejoicing in your heart, as much as you can 

Depression is unfortunately a thing that I, the writer, and possibly you, the reader, have. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go into the week trying your hardest to see the goodness around you - maybe it’ll even help you out for a week 

Mark Hoshana Raba! (And Get Ready for Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah) 

The Last day of Sukkot is extra special, called Hoshana Raba (The Great Hoshana 

This stems from the fact that, in the synagogue, each day of Sukkot there is a procession around the Bimah (the part of the synagogue where the temple is placed and read after removal from the ark), called the Hoshanah - literally Hosha Na, meaning Please Save Us 

The seventh one, on the seventh day of Sukkot, is given great importance, because, you know, seven 

As such, it’s called the Great Hoshana, Hoshana Raba 

Seven circles are made around the Bimah 

After these are completed, willow branches (Aravah) are beaten against the floor five times, shaking loose many of the remaining leaves 

This is considered agricultural 

The idea is that the rainy season is Israel is about to begin, and the leaves symbolize the desire for rain 

Interestingly enough, starting the next day, instead of saying “Morid Hatal” (You rain dew upon us) during the Amidah (main prayer of Judaism) we start saying “Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem” (You cause the wind to shift and the rain to fall) literally the next day, on Sh’mini Atzeret 

So, we bring in the start of the rainy season that day, by beating the willows

The prayer will return to Morid Hatal on Pesach, which is kind of the opposite festival of Sukkot in some ways (well, just in terms of when it occurs in the yearly calendar, really) 

There is some symbolism associated with Hoshana Raba and the High Holidays! 

On Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life is opened; on Yom Kippur, the Book of Life is sealed; and on Hoshana Raba, the fates for the new year are put into place 

This symbolism indicates that it’s really the last time for teshuvah, so I swear to HaShem, you better have returned, random tumblr user!!!! RETURN AGAIN TO THE LAND OF YOUR SOUL - 

All the Torah Scrolls are also taken out and circled around the Bima during the Hoshana of the day 

There’s a song posted right above that’s actually the Hoshana prayers!!!!!! My friend @starlightomatic loves it

Literally the next day there are two more holidays: Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah! 

They are either the same day if you’re in Israel or of a certain group of reform Jews; or Sh’mini Atzeret is the next day and then Simchat Torah is the day after that if you’re any other Diasporic Jew 

Check with your synagogue or community to see which protocol is being followed for you 

Prepare for those holidays! They’re celebrations in their own right 

Sh’mini Atzeret is a bit philosophically hard to understand, but it’s a completely separate holiday from Sukkot 

Except some people consider it the eight day of Sukkot

I don’t know anymore that argument is beyond my pay grade

It symbolizes an extra day for the Jews to remain with HaShem, with the other days of Sukkot being the days we were originally invited for - the ones for all of mankind, and then the Jewish people get an extra day 

Simchat Torah is the completion of the Torah readings and the starting of a new Torah Cycle 

These are important holidays, and they will be described further in yet another post - but, for now, make plans for these chagim, and ways to mark them differently from Sukkot - and also, get excited for Simchat Torah!!! It’s fun, trust me!!! 

You are Not Alone!!!! 

Celebrate with your community - with friends, or family, or your synagogue, or Jewish Community Center, or Hillel - you get my point 

This is a season of rejoicing - even if you prefer to be alone, in a lot of ways, it’s easier to rejoice with a friend 

If you feel confused, or lost, or like you can’t do anything without a sukkah - just get outside! Get your friends together and go for a walk! Or even skype/discord with internet friends while sitting underneath a tree

Don’t feel afraid to reach out if you’re new!!! The community sukkah is there to be used - use it!!!! 

Use this time to connect with your community, with life, with HaShem, and with nature. Mark the holiday in your heart, all seven days

Don’t Just Listen to Me 

I am only one Jew who aligns herself with the reform movement sitting in a pile of cockatiel feathers 

I have only MY perspective and MY studies to offer!!! I am not perfect!!! I miss things!!! I misrepresent things!!!!!!! Other people would include other things or tackle the information differently, so talk to other people and get their perspectives!! I beg of you - 

LEARN FROM ALL THE MOVEMENTS AND ALL THE CULTURES OF JUDAISM!!! EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY AND INFORM ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY!!!!!!! 

Read, Engage, and question question question question!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK, and CHAG SAMEACH!!!!!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!חג שמח

Buy the author a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/kulindadromeus

[yekkes]

Hallelujah in Shrek>every Xtian cover ever

[yekkes]

Shrek is an inherently Jewish story about Jews not being able to own land (land under the domain of the king, this is an actual and factual thing that has happened in Jewish history), being seen as less than human, perhaps monstrous. “Shrek!” Is a children’s book by a Jewish author, “shrek” is a Yiddish word meaning “fear or fright.” While admittedly the book doesn’t have these same elements of the movie (Shrek’s parent’s kick him out) the movie legitimately makes perfect sense as a parable for antisemitism and anyways I like both Shrek and Leonard Cohen and hate Xtian covers of the song :)

[koshercosplay]

"Shrek is an inherently Jewish story" is not the take I ever expected to read but damn if it isn't interesting now that I think about it