blogs/brentspodek

Dear Friends -

It's hard to be vulnerable, to be open to the sky.

Many of us attempt to conquer that vulnerability, to make a mark that will endure after we are gone. Some of us build statues and monuments, others insist we will be famous enough to live forever, others tag our names up on the sides of subway cars, all in the hope of getting what the prophet Isaiah (56:5) calls an "eternal name." 

However, now that pomp of Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippor are gone, Sukkot offers a different paradigm. It's a holiday of rickety huts that will barely last a week, shelter that highlights our impermanence and an awareness that neither us nor our names will be eternal, and that's just fine.

Sukkot is a holiday that gives thanks for the harvest at hand, that demands that we be open to the sky and conscious of our vulnerability. Sukkot denies our denial of mortality.

Sukkot is hands-down, the most fun holiday on the Jewish calendar!

Open to the Sky: The Beacon Sukkah Project is a collaboration of spiritual + artistic wisdom, a pop-up town hall, a sand mandala of a building. You can see the full schedule of events we have on tap here; these are just a few highlights:

• Sunday, October 16: Community Potluck
• Monday, October 17: At the Belly Button of the of the World with Julie Seltzer
• Tuesday, October 18: Music in Social Movements with Dar Williams
• Wednesday, October 19: One Woman's Muslim Journey from Pakistan to America with Sabeeha Rehman followed by a potluck dinner with appetizers from Zaitun and the Multi-Faith Sisterhood for Peace and Justice
• Thursday, October 20: The State of Policing in Beacon with Mayor Randy Casale and Police Chief Doug Solomon, moderated by Rabbi Brent Spodek
• Saturday, October 22: Memories of Memories with Kazumi Tanaka and Deb Davidovits
• Sunday, October 23: Speed Neighboring followed by Community Potluck and Simchat Torah Parade

These events represent less than a third of what we have planned, so please, take a look at the full calendar, and take these opportunities to be Open to the Sky!