Columbus Day and Sukkot connection

Sukkot is such a fun holiday, celebrating harvest time, a closeness with nature and the one above, opening our doors to good friends and making new connections by opening our Sukkah doors to everyone.  I did not grow up celebrating Sukkot, and feel so blessed that my children get to know the roots, traditions, and joy of this holiday.  As Russian immigrants, my family came to America with a blank slate and hugry to learn everything about our new life, language, and traditions that were permitted and persecuted in the Soviet Union.  Although I did go to an Orthodox school, for some reason I do not remember Sukkot being as big as it is in my community now.  Of course most Jews know the High Holidays, Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, our fast day which both were celebrated a few weeks ago.  It all leads into this amazing earthy, social, expression of connecting all the pieces in this world, inanimate, vegetative, wild animal, and human, which is the holiday of Sukkot.

I never knew that Thanksgiving has its roots in Sukkot, the original settlers looked into their biblical roots for inspiration, great facts in the following article,

http://www.interfaithfamily.com/holidays/shabbat_and_other_holidays/Thanksgiving_A_Harvest_Festival_with_Roots_in_Sukkot.shtml

Speaking of pilgrims and first settlers, I also recently found out that Columbus was Jewish, read all about it and Happy Columbus Day! http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-jews-can-save-columbus-day/.
The article says he was of Italian decent, here is a glimpse into a video that was just found of Italian Jews before the holocaust began, http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.620131

Now bringing it all together, with my family and other Soviet Jews not knowing about their traditions and Columbus aiding Jews during the inquisition,  this article is so inspiring of the length Jewish people will go to celebrate the holidays during times of persecution,
http://virtualjerusalem.com/holidays1.php?Itemid=14543

My friend was telling me that in Israel they build the Sukkah out of wood, and at the end burn in in a huge bonfire celebration.  Today for stability and ease people get steel poles that support a wraparound tarp, and then decorate it inside according to their family tradition.  If you really want all the details how to build one, check out this link, http://www.aish.com/h/su/dits/48969031.html.

Check out the video below of an inflatable, Kosher Sukkah,
Chag Sameach,

חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשֹׂוֹן

Coach Yulia

Post by The Jewish Standard.