Welcome to Sukkot

Ten days after Rosh HaShannah, Chairman Jeremy Jacobson led services for Erev Sukkot on zoom on the 14th of Tishri.  Those who zoomed into Jeremy’s thoughtful service, saw their dining room table laden with fruits from Mai and Jeremy’s garden, saw the inside of Jo Richler and Paul Kleiman’s special Succah and watched Mai wave the etrog and lulav. 

The service stressed the importance of Sukkat commanded by Torah, to dwell in booths for seven days in remembrance of the 40 years spent in the desert when the Israelites made their exodus from Egypt. The two elements of the festival, Jeremy stressed, were about abundance and thanksgiving for a plentiful harvest as well as a reminder of the fragility of life. 

And so, like so many Jewish observances, this service and festival was a mixture of how temporary, unpredictable and uncertain  all life is, how important the concept of spiritual in-gathering and renewal are, and how important it is to celebrate what we have and  how good life can be.

Hag Sameach! 

Renewal and Commitment: KK High Holy Days

Roselidden Farm was the in-person venue for our first High Holy Day services in two years. It was one of the most moving and spiritually uplifting Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur festivals many of us can remember with Adam Feldman at the helm along with Jo Richler and Paul Kleiman leading the services.  The weather was warm and sunny making al Fresco lunches and kiddushes, repleat with traditional apples and honey, honey cake and raisin challot possible. 

The prayer room was filled with fresh breezes as doors were and windows were flung open. The spirit of loving kindness permeated everything.

Masked and seated safely apart from one another, ironically, we couldn’t have been closer as we watched our Torah being raised on high, heard the haunting melodies and listened to the wisdom of our Sh’liach Tsburrim guide us through the services and deliver excellent, thoughtful and heart-rending commentaries. And if that were not enough, we were blessed with the catering expertise of our own Melanie Feldman who made both the luncheon, sponsored by Jo Richler and Paul Kleiman on Rosh HaShannah Day and the Breakfast dinner on Yom Kippur. 

Thanks to Chairman Jeremy Jacobson who organised so much of the Days of Awe, Rachel and Roger Chatfield who enabled all services to be zoomed as well for those who could not be with us in person, and to all those who worked behind the scenes and helped with the housekeeping before and after. 

To paraphrase a famous quote, never was so much done by so few for so many.