The final t’kiah g’dolah of last night's Yom Kippur N'ilah service is now behind us. Four days from now, beginning Monday evening, we will cross the threshold from Yom Kippur’s solemnity into Sukkot’s joy, where the turning of autumn and the harvest of the earth become our prayer. Autumn has always been my favorite season. Raleigh is blessed with crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and the breathtaking beauty of trees turning brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red. The air carries a freshness that signals change. The light of the sun seems to set the colors aglow with an extra measure of radiance. The abundance of nature and the fall harvest naturally draw my heart and mind to Sukkot.
There is a beautiful custom called Ushpizin (literally, “hospitality”) connected with the holiday of Sukkot. During the festival, we are invited to welcome mystical guests into our sukkah: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. Each of these biblical figures knew displacement and uncertainty. At some point in their lives, they were refugees or wanderers. Inviting them into our sukkah is more than symbolic. It reminds us that we are called to extend hospitality in real and tangible ways to others: newcomers in our city, those who may feel like strangers, neighbors in need, and anyone seeking connection and belonging.
Here in Raleigh, that call feels especially relevant. Our city is a hub of growth, with people arriving from across the country and around the world. Some come for jobs in technology, health care, and education. Others arrive as refugees, seeking safety and a new beginning. Many come searching for community, or when they retire to be with their children. Sukkot challenges us to ask: how can we open our doors, our hearts, and our congregation to be that place of welcome?
When we construct our sukkot, we build them with intentional vulnerability, open to the elements (always a challenge at this time of year), with a roof that allows rain, wind, sunlight, and starlight to enter. This openness reminds us of two essential truths: first, that life is fragile and fleeting; second, that what matters most is not the external structure but the connections formed within. Sharing meals, laughter, and friendship inside the sukkah creates a warmth no weather can diminish. Companionship sustains us far more than sturdy walls or secure roofs ever could.
The sukkah we build at Temple Beth Or carries this same spirit. It is more than a temporary shelter; it is a symbol of our communal home. Since it is open to the sky above as well as to all who enter, it is a tangible reminder for us that our congregation must remain welcoming from every direction, embracing each person who seeks connection. Within its walls we celebrate not just the holiday, but the sacred gift of community itself.
Since Sukkot begins this Monday evening, October 6th, the Temple Beth Or office will be closed on Tuesday, October 7th during the day in observance of the first day of chag (in the Reform Movement, the first and last days of the festival are considered holy days. For Conservative and Orthodox Jews, the first two and last two days of the festival are considered holy days. For a more complete understanding of the reasons behind this, join my class From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar, this Thursday, from 7 - 8:30 pm. Preregistration is required. Register HERE). You are warmly invited to visit our beautiful sukkah throughout the week.
Please join us for our main congregational celebration on Friday evening, October 10th. (One week from this evening). We will gather outdoors in the sukkah for our Erev Shabbat/Sukkot service. On this special night, we will also debut our new Sukkot/Simchat Torah festival siddur, Mishkan Or L’Chagim, lovingly compiled and edited by TBO’s Ritual Committee during the past year, including beautiful original artwork created by members of the committee.
Chag Sameach! May this Sukkot season inspire us to open wide our homes, our hearts, and our community.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Sharon L. Sobel
Interim Rabbi
Temple Beth Or
rabbisobel@tboraleigh.org
