SUKKOT: A Time to Rejoice

by Malka Drucker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1982

Another of Drucker's engagingly informal, yet whole-hearted introductions to a Jewish holiday--epitomized, perhaps, by the photograph of a sukkah, the traditional leafy-roofed hut, being constructed in a suburban Los Angeles backyard. Drucker explains Sukkot's origin as a celebration of the harvest and the end of 40-years' wandering; she describes the essential four plants, or arba'ah minim, and their part in the holiday service. ""Since the Torah says that it is a mitzvah to celebrate Sukkot with beauty, the choosing of the arba'ah minim, which usually come from Israel, is a careful business."" But: ""the joy of the sukkah is mixed with the memory of the barren, burning desert,"" and thus also ""a reminder that a simple life is best."" After recounting how Sukkot was celebrated in past times, and the way it's observed elsewhere today, Drucker provides simple, imaginative instructions--a high point of each of her books--for building a sukkah, decorating it, and preparing Sukkot-party fare. Instructive and inviting.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION