FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT! (Pronounced "su-kkah")
Sukkot is a week-long Jewish harvest festival that comes directly after Yom Kippur! Students learned today that people from Jesus' home are now celebrating this fun time!
"Sukkot is the last of the Shalosh R'galim (three pilgrimage festivals). Like Passover and Shavu'ot, Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif, the Festival of Ingathering."
Taken from http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm
One of the super fun elements of Sukkot to learn about is the making of the traditional celebration structure, which is meant as a temporary dwelling during the harvest festival. It is said that spending as much time in the Sukkot as possible is good, but if you are unable to sleep in the structure, you can at least have your meals there!
There are rules to the construction of the dwelling--it must have one open wall (often with a drapery as an entrance) and the roof must be made of things "cut from the earth" such as tree limbs or palm fronds. It is thought that you should be able to see the stars through the ceiling of your Sukkah as you celebrate!
The kiddos had a fun time recreating this structure with the "kit" I made with waffle blocks and palm frond graphics. Ask your child about listening to traditional Jewish music and building the Sukkot today!
Also, students practiced "Here's a Ball for Baby," stretched out to "We are Clothes in a Washing Machine" and read the board book, "You are My Sunshine."
Make sure to go over the extender questions at the bottom of the post to encourage more learning at home!!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD
1. What is the ceiling of the Sukkot (Pronounced "su-kkah") made of?
2. What can you do in the Sukkot?