Objects Tell Stories: Sukkot in the Jewish Museum Collection
Sukkot is one of three Jewish holidays known as the pilgrimage festivals. In ancient Israel at this time of the year, throngs of people would make a pilgrimage to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem so that the priests could offer sacrifices to God on their behalf. Like the other pilgrimage holidays, Sukkot has both an agricultural and a historical significance. Agriculturally, Sukkot celebrates the fall harvest; historically, it commemorates the 40-year period during which the Children of Israel wandered in the desert.
To celebrate Sukkot, a family traditionally erects a temporary structure, known as a sukkah, in which they eat meals during the festival. Cut branches cover the top of the sukkah but not completely; one must still be able to see the stars through the branches. In the Jewish Museum’s collection are the Sukkah models of artist Allan Wexler, one of which was a sculpture installation at the Museum in 1988.
In the artist’s own words: “This little building for dining needs to balance on a fine edge between many forces. Between Heaven and Earth, sky and ground, freedom and slavery, God and Man, the Housed and the Homeless, between roots and branches.”
Another important Sukkot tradition involves the use of an etrog (a yellow fruit similar to a large, wrinkly lemon) and a lulav (a bundle of branches from the date palm, myrtle, and willow trees). In the synagogue, these four species, as they are known, are waved in six directions (front, back, right, left, up, and down) to symbolize God’s omnipresence.
The etrog, or citron fruit as it’s known in English, has a thick rind and a sweet scent. About five inches long, bright yellow, and said to be the same size as a human heart, it is a joyful symbol of the holiday. For an observant Jew to use the etrog in the waving ceremony described above, it must be kept for the entire week of Sukkot with its tiny stem — known in Hebrew as a pitam — intact.
In seeking that protection, ritual objects to protect the etrog and its precious pitam have been created. The etrog containers in the Jewish Museum’s collection span from intricate metalwork in 17th century Europe, to stark modernism in the state of Israel. An etrog container available for purchase at The Jewish Museum Shops is designed to look just like the fruit it protects.
In observance of Sukkot, the Jewish Museum galleries, shops, and Russ & Daughters close early on Sunday, October 16 at 3 pm and will be closed on Monday, October 17, and Tuesday, October 18. Learn more about Sukkot and the Jewish holidays with our downloadable resources for educators to build a curriculum illustrated by works in our collection.
In marking the flow of seasons that begins the new Jewish Year of 5777, the Jewish Museum hopes you will gaze up at the stars with sweet scents surrounding you.
