FFS Students and Staff Celebrate the Traditional Jewish Holiday Sukkot
By Liam M. and Brendan O.
Outside the “house” on The Family Foundation School campus, a massive wooden frame was erected over the picnic tables. It spanned almost the entire length of the house, was covered with multi-colored sheets, banners and paper chains, and was built to celebrate the Jewish holiday Sukkot.
The annual celebration of thanksgiving and harvest brought together the hearts and spirit of students and staff on Sunday, October 4.
“Sukkot,” the plural of the Hebrew word “sukkah,” means booth or hut and refers to the movable dwellings of the ancient Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after Exodus from Egypt.
The maintenance department built the large wooden structure and the students made walls with vibrant colored banners and sheets.
The all-day Sukkot celebration began with Rabbi Michele Medwin discussing several traditions surrounding the holiday. Students then returned to their houses and spent the morning making hundreds of yards of colorful paper chains and symbols with which to decorate the sukkah.
They also created banners depicting their favorite psalms from the Talmud. After lunch, the student headed outdoors with the chains and laid them side by side to determine which house had the longest. The winner was Smith House whose chain stretched from the house to the daycare center, approximately a quarter mile.
The students then gathered on the lawn in front of the sukkah while each family presented and explained their banner.
The day concluded with a dinner of beef stew and apple turnovers enjoyed under the sukkah. Sukkot has been celebrated annually at The Family School since 2001 when former Jewish Studies Director, Ellen Singer, organized the event following 9/11 in an effort to focus on the positive things in life.
