Leilah Tov: Shake it Like a Lulav

Sukkot, the festival of booths, is by far the most visible of the Jewish holidays. It's basically the Jewish version of Thanksgiving, in the sense that it marks the time for harvest.

During Sukkot, it is customary to eat in a sukkah, which is a hut reminiscent of the temporary homes that the Jews slept in while wandering in the desert. Every street, backyard, and many balconies in Jerusalem are filled with sukkahs. In fact, in order to maintain their kashrut certification, restaurants are required to construct sukkahs during the holiday. They build walls around their outdoor seating areas and cover the top with branches (called scakh) so that the people eating in the sukkah can see the stars. Since space is at a premium in Jerusalem, many of these sukkahs spill out onto the sidewalk -- if you don't watch your step, you very well might trip over a sukkah!

These pictures will give you a taste of what Sukkot is like in Jerusalem. Many of them were taken at the Sukkah Shuk, a special market across the street from the regular shuk at Machane Yehuda where people buy their lulavs and etrogs. When I have time, I'll post a more detailed explanation on why the lulav and etrog are used on Sukkot, including the special criteria used in making sure they are kosher, but I'm too tried right now. There is actually a special "dance" associated with the shaking of the lulav, which happens during morning services throughout the duration of the holiday. Stay tuned for more!

A Haredi man searches for a kosher lulav -- ie, one that does not have split leaves on top. A lulav a palm leaf, but the name is also used for the completed structure that we shake during Sukkot.