This October, the Koret team spent a day visiting two North Bay grantees to celebrate Sukkot: the Osher Marin JCC and Congregation Rodef Sholom. This harvest holiday is celebrated by building temporary shelters called sukkahs. These structures have a double purpose, to represent temporary housing used during the harvest season and to commemorate the shelters Israelites used while wandering through the desert. Sukkot prioritizes a warm welcome for visitors, and both organizations graciously accommodated our staff for a day of learning and exploration.

Our visit began at the recently completed new home of Congregation Rodef Sholom. The synagogue building incorporates the natural beauty of its surroundings. It is also a sacred space that reflects the community’s values and commitment to strengthening and deepening Jewish connection.

Our second stop was the Osher Marin JCC. There, the experienced team at its Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood led us in an activity to celebrate Sukkot. We created Bay Area-inspired lulavim and etrogim using branches and materials from local species. This reinvention of the centuries old tradition was a reminder of how the foundation’s Jewish peoplehood grantees continue to support the many ways that one can be Jewish, do Jewish, and feel Jewish. The day was a reminder for us all that both traditional and dynamic forms of Jewish life are required for a thriving Jewish community.