Interfaith Sukkot Shabbat Dinner to Honor the Work of Harbor Homes
Hybrid talk
Dinner is in person only
Please register here
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is a harvest festival known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or of Booths, one of three pilgrimage festivals in the Torah (Hebrew Bible). Sukkot in Hebrew is the plural of sukkah, a temporary structure that the ancient Israelites were instructed to build as a reminder of how people lived, and—vulnerable in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt—were sustained by God’s graciousness and lovingkindness. The practice of building a sukkah remains a widespread custom to this day.
A central feature of the sukkah is its roof, whose covering is made of branches and other organic materials that open to the sky, such that one can see the stars. Exposed to the elements, we are called to look beyond ourselves, recognizing the fragility and impermanence of our lives. And we invite others to join us in celebration: in the sukkah we study, pray, share meals and offer gratitude.
As we gather in our sukkot this year, we can remember all who are unhoused and on the move, living lives of uncertainty, due to poverty, migration, war, natural disasters, and the climate crisis. Here on Martha’s Vineyard, we are not immune to these global dynamics. Such vulnerability is the experience of service workers who cannot find affordable, year-round rentals and of new arrivals from Brazil, Venezuela, and Haiti who have made their way to Massachusetts and even to our Island.
On Friday, October 18th at 5:30pm, the MV Hebrew Center invites the community for an interfaith dinner in our sukkah, to honor the work of Harbor Homes in providing shelter, food and other necessities to those in need. Let us gather in prayer and renew our commitment to the most vulnerable among us.
