Sukkah Celebrates Harvest Holiday At Chicago Botanic Garden

Sukkot, or “The Festival of Booths,” celebrates the end of the harvest and the days when the Hebrews dwelt in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. A sukkah is often erected during the festival. This branch-covered booth is decorated with fall fruits and vegetables, including dried corn, squash and gourds.

It is common practice for Jews to eat and even live in this temporary dwelling during the seven-day festival. Another tradition is to wave the etrog, a lemon-like fruit, and the lulav, a long, palm-like branch, which is a combination of myrtle, palm and willow.

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children and families and to ensure the individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 9,000 members, supporters and volunteers nationwide.

The Chicago North Shore Section focuses on advocacy and community service projects in our communities, including sponsoring the annual Sukkot and Tu B'shevat family programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden. -- www.chicagobotanic.org