סוּכּוֹת(Sukkot) in 🇮🇱 Israel

Sukkot in Israel is one of the three pilgrimage festivals and one of the most joyful celebrations in the Jewish calendar. The seven-day festival, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates the temporary shelters the Israelites dwelt in during their 40-year journey through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. In Israel, where it is a national holiday, the entire country transforms as families build and decorate sukkot, temporary huts, on balconies, rooftops, gardens, and sidewalks.

The sukkah structure must have at least three walls and a roof of organic material, typically palm branches or bamboo, through which the stars must be visible. Israelis decorate their sukkot with fruits, flowers, paper chains, and artwork made by children. Meals are eaten in the sukkah throughout the festival, and many families also sleep in their sukkot during the warm October weather. The temporary nature of the structure is meant to remind inhabitants of the impermanence of material possessions.

The Four Species, known as the Arba Minim, are central to Sukkot worship. The lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), hadass (myrtle), and arava (willow) are held together and waved in six directions during prayers, symbolizing God's omnipresence. The etrog market in Jerusalem becomes a bustling scene as observant Jews carefully select the most perfect citron, sometimes paying significant sums for an especially beautiful specimen.

Sukkot is also a harvest festival, and the agricultural dimension remains relevant in Israel. The intermediate days of Chol HaMoed are a popular time for family outings and tourism, and national parks, historical sites, and attractions offer special programs. The Western Wall in Jerusalem hosts the Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, where thousands of Kohanim bless the assembled worshippers in one of the most moving religious ceremonies in Judaism.

Jewish harvest festival lasting seven days, observed by building and dwelling in temporary shelters (sukkot), waving the Four Species, and joyful celebrations of the autumn harvest.