Human beings thirst for joy.  Judaism describes Sukkot as the holiday of all holidays in terms of the presence of joy.  What kind of joy is Sukkot meant to bring, and how is it meant to do so? What does Sukkot’s unique joy suggest about life’s deeper meaning? In this session, Elana Stein Hain will examine how ritual brings out joy on Jewish holidays and Sukkot in particular, and how this happiness is meant to shape our Jewish lives.  

Sources for this session

Ritual and Emotion: Exploring the High Holiday Season
Many Jews find it hard to connect to Jewish ritual, and yet, Jewish ritual has the potential to deepen our emotional lives. In her three-part series, Elana Stein Hain explores three rituals and how each one might strengthen our capacity to express and harness emotions, like anger, joy, or grief.

Other sessions in this series:

• Anger and Kol Nidre
• Individuals and Community in Mourning

This program is part of Ideas for Today, curated courses by Hartman Institute scholars on the big Jewish ideas we need to think better and do better.