Sukkot is a holiday with many mitzvot, shaking the lulav and etrog and building a sukkah are easily the most prominent. Yet, my favorite mitzvah on Sukkot is the commandment to be joyful. Yes, on Sukkot, we are commanded to be joyful! However, this joy is not like Chanukah, Purim, or Pesach. Typically, Jewish holidays that emphasize joy also emphasize drinking, but not so in the case of Sukkot. Our sages teach us that Sukkot is different. Our joy on Sukkot should not come from wine or any kind of alcohol. Instead, our joy should come from service to God. One interpretation of how we serve God best on Sukkot is to welcome guests into our Sukkah. At Temple Emanu-El, we take this commandment to welcome guests seriously.
Earlier this week, thirty Temple Emanu-El members celebrated Sukkot with dozens of members from the Istanbul Cultural Center in Alpharetta and St. Luke’s Presbyterian in Dunwoody. In the spirit of the holiday, we celebrated outdoors by the sukkah, ate a harvest-themed dinner, and shared some of our traditions with our guests. There is immense power when people of different religious traditions unite for a common cause. In our case, that cause is peace.
The relationships that we’ve formed between our three organizations have led to many more conversations, moments of learning, and opportunities for understanding. As a rabbi, the best part of the evening was to watch thirty Temple Emanu-El congregants tour our guests around the sanctuary. The shared smiles between new friends lit up the sanctuary, and the sparks of these incredible relationships were almost palpable.
Building off the success of this past Sukkot dinner, we plan on creating more interfaith gatherings to build bridges between our community and other faith-based organizations in our area. If you’re interested in learning more about our work with our Christian and Muslim partners, please email me at mmiller@teatlanta.org. I’d love to get you involved.
Moadim L’simcha,
Rabbi Max
