TL;DR: Rabbi Sass Brown of Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy details how Sukkot reminds us that true holiness can be found in the ordinary. Unlike the miracles of other holidays, its message is about building real, tangible shelter and care for one another with whatever we have. Community support doesn’t require divine intervention, just small, immediate acts of generosity.
Leviticus 23 teaches that on Sukkot, while eating in our sukkot, we should remember the time our ancestors lived in sukkot. For a tradition full of deep metaphors and creative reenactments, it seems a little on the nose. It takes a teaching from the great mishnaic sage Rabbi Akiva to reassure us – “they made sukkot for themselves, for real” (Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 11b).
It’s not like Rabbi Akiva’s teaching is such an outlandish idea. Our ancestors may very well have needed temporary dwellings in the wilderness. It’s only in contrast to the miracles of our other holidays that we need a teaching to confirm the sukkah is exactly as it seems. Pesach has ten plagues and the splitting of the sea! Shavuot has revelation, the literal word of G-d! Sukkot has… huts?
The miracle is in the mundanity, and making the sukkah too much of a metaphor risks the lesson. Sukkot are real, immediate community care. Some wood, some nails, the dried up corn stalks left out after the summer harvest – these things can create actual shelter from the wind and the rain at the time of year when it’s most needed.
If all of our holidays focus on the ways G-d has saved us, we may end up with a religious practice that emphasizes prayer as the only path to salvation. The literal reading of the sukkah offers a counterpoint. The Israelites, born into bondage and wandering in The Wilderness, built structures to shelter each other with whatever they had. We remind ourselves of this, so if we feel lost in a wilderness of our own, we do not despair of helping one another.
The Torah and the subsequent rabbinic laws emphasize that Sukkot is a time for communal reliance. We are supposed to invite each other – especially our poorest neighbors, and the people who are most vulnerable – to feast with us in flimsy, fleeting safety. Sukkot says there is no excuse for waiting, no construction expertise needed, no divine intercession required. We can build and offer real care to each other with whatever we have.
This spirit of community care is also why Ammud is proud to be part of Global Jewry. Just as sukkot extend shelter to bring people together, Global Jewry creates a shared space where Jewish organizations across identities, denominations, and borders can collaborate. By being part of this network, Ammud ensures that the voices and leadership of Jews of Color are not only included but amplified in the global Jewish conversation. And in turn, Global Jewry’s support helps bridge divides and strengthen the communal sukkah of belonging and care that spans the Jewish world.
Small actions, done in the interstices, are a strong antidote to hopelessness and stagnation. On Sukkot, we are invited to give it a try. See what you have lying around and build something from it – share shelter, share food, share joy. There will be time again for remembering divine miracles, but this week, it’s all about us.
Rabbi Sass Brown
Program Director, Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy
Follow Ammud on Instagram at @JOCTorahAcademy for Weekly Ammud Torah! Become a member of Ammud at www.ammud.org/join!
GJ Prizes: Celebrating Collaboration. Sparking New Connections
Do you know of a collaboration happening between members of the Global Jewry network? Nominate their work for GJ Prizes, an initiative from Global Jewry that celebrates cooperation and awards partnerships new and old. Visit https://globaljewry.org/prizes/ to submit your nominations today.
Have an achievement (e.g. publications, awards, appearances, etc) you would like highlighted in a future GJ Connections? Let us know by emailing sandy@globaljewry.org.
PS: If you don’t already do so, please ensure you are staying connected with Global Jewry by following us on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
