Sukkot

As you step into the sukkah, or pause anywhere in your day, may you discover that joy is not distant or elusive. It is here, waiting, in the present moment.

As we commemorate October 7, 2023, we can spiritually invite into our sukkah those who were murdered and those who were injured; those who were taken hostage and and those who still are being held.

The sukkah reminds us that we are not so powerful. We must be humble and remember that everything we eat, everything we own, and our military successes all depend on God.

The Waterville Jewish community and the Center for Small Town Jewish Life have chosen a unique response to this moment of increased Jewish vulnerability and alienation.

“We are at constant readiness, prepared across all arenas for defense and offense," said IDF Chief of General Staff.

Jews use heritage words after their families stopped speaking their immigrant languages, expressions of love said to children by older generations that preserve ancestral languages and memories.

From the groves of Corfu and Cephalonia to the orchards of Tiberias and Jaffa, the saga of the etrog under Ottoman rule reveals how a fruit became entangled in struggles of faith and trade.

Emissaries build community by opening doors, inviting people in, and making space for every Jew to feel connected, whether they are deeply observant or taking their first steps toward Jewish identity

I was a seven-year-old army brat, a Norfolk Tars baseball fan, and my father, Lt.-Col. Louis Geffen, had finally completed his six-year tour of duty as a judge advocate in World War II.

Many IDF soldiers found ways to commemorate the holiday on the frontlines in the Sinai Desert in the South and on the Golan Heights in the North.

We remember on Sukkot that despite our considerable human ingenuity and skill, we remain dependent on God – not only for the technology itself but for help when our knowledge and tools fall short.