Resources for Sukkot and the high holiday season
Spiritual care and Jewish wisdom for a new year of climate action
A Message from Laura
“Sukkot asks us to step outside of what feels permanent and remember how much of our lives depend on things we cannot control. We dwell in a fragile shelter, surrounded by the rhythms of the natural world, and we practice joy.
In a time of climate uncertainty, that feels especially meaningful. May this Sukkot help us cultivate gratitude for what sustains us, care for one another through uncertainty, and find the courage and joy to build a more livable future together.”
Climate Connections of SUkkot
Sukkot | Fragility, Joy, and Interdependence
Sukkot | Fragility, Joy, and InterdependenceDuring Sukkot, Jews around the world build and dwell in sukkot — temporary shelters open to the elements and decorated with fruits and symbols of the harvest. Spending time in the sukkah reminds us not only of our connection to and interdependence with all life and the seasonal cycles, but also of our vulnerability in the face of climate chaos and ecological instability.
Those who have experienced displacement, been forced to migrate, or been unhoused due to climate-driven extreme weather know this feeling all too well.
Yet, another name for the holiday of Sukkot is Z’man Simchateinu – the Time of Our Rejoicing. We take joy in being in the sukkah, welcoming guests, and shaking the lulav and etrog – a bundle of four plant species – as we pray for a good year for our human communities, for the land, and for all life.
In ancient times, Sukkot was one of three major pilgrimage festivals in Jerusalem. It was filled with community, music, the best of the harvest from across the land, a joyous water libation ceremony, and ritual offerings, in hopes that this growing season would be one of abundance.
Today, Sukkot challenges us to cultivate joy, gratitude, and resilience even and especially in the midst of precarious times. We anchor ourselves in the joy of community, good food, the protection of ancestors, and the beauty of the sukkah.
Another mitzvah (sacred practice and obligation) of Sukkot is to welcome Ushpizin – honored guests. We practice this through dedicating each night of Sukkot to different powerful and courageous ancestors – remembering their stories and drawing strength from their examples – and inviting in guests to share the joy of the holiday. Sukkot reminds us of our interdependence and calls us to build resilience together, ensuring safe shelter, food, and flourishing for all in a changing climate.
✨ Together, this High Holiday season invites us to connect Jewish spiritual practice with climate activism: awakening to possibility; turning toward right-relationship with ourselves, the sacred, and each other; and embodying resilience and joy as we build a just and livable future.
HOLIDAY RESOURCES
HOLIDAY RESOURCES
Build Your Own Paper Sukkah
As Jewish communities celebrate Sukkot by spending time in fragile sukkah dwellings, we are reminded of those who experience unstable living conditions year-round.
- Climate Torah: Cultivate Courage & Face Fear: A Rooted & Rising Climate Torah resource for Sukkot.
- A DIY Guide to Gathering Local “Lulav & Etrog” Four Species for Sukkot from Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman.
- A GOTV Playlist! Sukkot is Get Out the Vote season. Gather in a sukkah and phonebank climate-concerned voters for important elections with Dayenu through Chutzpah 2025.
Click here to browse our entire catalog of campaigns and organizing, spiritual adaptation, holiday and torah resources.
🔥 Take Action with Dayenu
Awaken to a New Year of Climate Justice. Sukkot calls us to cultivate joy even in vulnerable times — to envision the world we want and take steps to bring it to life. Just as the shofar awakens us to renewal and responsibility, we can awaken our communities and leaders to the urgency of the climate crisis.
1. Get out the climate vote with Chutzpah 2025: Sign up for spirited phonebanking with other volunteers.
2. Build your own paper sukkah (or full sized one!). Then share a photo or video to amplify the call for climate action and tag us on social.
3. Browse current opportunities to take action.