Why do Samaritans build a sukkah out of fruit, where can they be found, and what happens to all the fruit when the holiday is over? A look at the Sukkot customs of Israel’s Samaritan community.
The Legacy of the Etrog Man
One particular Yemenite-Israeli family has become synonymous with the famous fruit we are obliged to bless during the festival of Sukkot
What a Load of Kreplach!
Kreplach are small dumplings made with minced meat, chopped vegetables, and often a layer of cabbage leaf… and no one likes them! So why do we eat these little dumplings each Sukkot? Where did the tradition come from? And is it really important enough to ruin our chicken soup for?
The Happy Mistake That Gave Us the “Soup Almond”
How did a bureaucratic mix-up during Israel’s 1950s austerity period lead to one of Israel’s most unique culinary innovations? How did an Ashkenazi Jewish Passover recipe end up on the holiday table of every Jewish Israeli, and where does the distinctive yellow color of the soup almond come from? In short, here is the story of Israel’s prized “shkedei marak”
When General Allenby Saved Sukkot
In the midst of World War I, two old Jews, Chaim Weizmann and General Edmund Allenby teamed up to ensure that the holiday could be celebrated properly…
A Mobile Feast: Sukkot on Wheels During the Yom Kippur War
Rare photos reveal how IDF soldiers managed to fulfill the commandment to “sit in the sukkah”, even as war raged in the north and south
Sukkah Scuffles: Surprising Testimony From the 12th Century
The only mentions of a sukkah in the Cairo Genizah refer to communal sukkot in synagogue courtyards. A fact that caused quite a bit of trouble.
The Case of the Headless Man and Insufficient Repentance
Learn about a Kabbalistic tradition that will tell you if you have been sealed in the Book of Life or Death following the High Holy Days.
