4 Fun Things To Do During Sukkot

September 20th 2010

4 Fun Things To Do During Sukkot- in truth there are hundreds of fabulous events country-wide!

Visit the City Sukkah – This free event is open all week long, with each night offering live music and art displays in the Jerusalem’s largest sukkah. The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, will be in the municipal sukkah on September 27 from 5:00-7:00pm.

Birkat Kohanim – Gather in the Old City by the ancient Western Wall for an unforgettably moving experience. Tens of thousands of people will flock to the kotel on Sunday, September 26, 2010 from 9:00am to 11:00am to receive the priestly blessing. The Old City will be closed off to cars to accommodate the throngs of people, so be prepared to walk a lot.

Dive for Tekhelet – Tekhelet, the blue dye used in some of the threads of a talit or tzitzit, is actually derived from a small snail that lives in the water. While the Ptil Tekhelet organization offers “Tekhelet Dives” throughout the year, the dives scheduled for this Sukkot are expected to be particularly family-friendly and FUN!

You can reserve your spot in one of Chol Hamoed Sukkot’s ½ day tours, during which you’ll learn the Torah, halacha, archeology, history, biology, and chemistry behind the little tekhelet snail, it’s natural environment, and the dye that is extracted from it. You’ll get a chance to search for the snails in the water and to dye some wool yourself!

Tours take place in English or in Hebrew at Kibbutz Nachsholim (in Hof Dor, near Zichron Yaakov) on Sunday, September 26 – Wednesday, September 28 at 10:00am-1:30pm or 2:00pm-5:30pm, Space is limited.

Go Grape at the Gush Etzion Grape Harvest – Visit the vineyard of Etzion (right next to Chatmar Etzion) for a Sukkot extravaganza unlike any other in the rest of the country. At the Gush Etzion Grape Harvest, you’ll get a unique blend of regular festival offerings – street performances, craft booths, food, and multimedia shows – alongside special wine- and grape-related treats. Some of the more unique aspects of the festival include a chance to participate in the grape harvest (including grape stomping!), wine tasting, tractor rides through the vineyard, and wine- and grape-related workshops.

The Gush Etzion Grape Harvest will take place on Monday, September 27, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Moadim L’simcha from Shalom Israel Tours!