Jewish Community Celebrates Sukkot:
Festival Full of Happiness and Symbolism
Dewezet
October 16, 2003
Sixty guests came to the Bürenstraße /
Hamelin (ks): The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was filled with prayer, song, bread and wine at the invitation of Rachel Dohme, chairperson of the Jewish community of Hamelin. Approximately sixty members and guests met on the Bürenstraße property, where the new synagogue will be rebuilt in the near future.
In the celebration, about sixty members of the community participated as well as Mayor Herbert Rode (SPD), Gerhard Paschwitz (CDU), Hans William Guesgen (FDP), Christa Bruns (SPD), minister Martin Hoffmann of the Protestant-reformed community, and the Catholic deacon Hans George Spangenberger. After the ceremony, bread, fruit and wine were served.
Rachel Dohme commented happily, “We are a liberal congregation comprising of 200 members. We get much support from the city of Hameln and the local media. At present we are raising money; I hope that our new synagogue will be finished in approximately three years. Also, the close cooperation with the neighboring Protestant-Reformed church and the Muslim congregation on the Hunoldstraße is excellent”.
Sukkot means “tabernacle celebration” — it reminds one of the release of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In addition, it is a celebration of the harvest and of thanks.
Every year the community members of Hameln build a new Sukkah, a tabernacle for the ceremony. The roof may not be closed and it consists of leaves, branches and straw. From the inside the sky is be visible and the rain must be able to penetrate. The inhabitats are to feel the wind and the weather. The interior of the Sukkah is decorated.
Also important is a special bouquet, that tied together from four plants is called “four kinds”. It consists of branches of palm (Lulav), myrtle (Hadas), willow (Arava) and citron (Etrog). These four plants are compared symbolically with the people of Israel. Background of this symbolism: The citron tastes sweet and smells wonderful — like people who know Torah and are charitable. The branches of palm have a taste, however have no smell — like people, who know the Torah but are not charitable. The myrtle smells, it doesn't have a taste, however — like people, who are charitable but do not know the Torah. The willow has neither smell nor taste — like those who know neither know the Torah nor are charitable.