Chabad of Orange County Celebrates “The Great Sukkot Harvest” with a Festive Community Celebration
Families from throughout Orange County gathered at Chabad of Orange County, led by Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston, for The Great Sukkot Harvest, a lively celebration of Sukkot filled with tradition, family activities, delicious food and community spirit. Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday centered around gratitude, joy and togetherness. A central tradition of the holiday is spending time in a Sukkah, a temporary outdoor hut reminiscent of the Divine clouds that surrounded Jewish people during their 40-year journey through the desert after leaving Egypt.
Chabad’s Great Sukkot Harvest brought the themes of the holiday to life with a festive autumn experience for all ages. Families enjoyed pony rides, miniature golf and a Sukkot pumpkin patch, where children selected pumpkins and transformed them with colorful decorations and sparkling embellishments.
Families also got a taste of fall with a hands-on apple cider donut-making station, rolling, coating and enjoying their own sweet seasonal treats. Younger children had the opportunity to color and create their own life size miniature sukkah. Guests gathered inside Chabad’s large sukkah to enjoy an array of delicious food and spend time as a community. Participants also had the opportunity to perform one of Sukkot’s most distinctive traditions; shaking the four kinds, a practice which represents the harvest as well as unity.
“Sukkot is a holiday of extraordinary joy and unity,” said Rabbi Pesach Burston. “The sukkah surrounds everyone within the same walls, reminding us that despite our differences, we are one people. The Great Sukkot Harvest was a beautiful expression of that message. Celebrants of every age and background coming together to celebrate, connect and experience the joy of our Jewish heritage in an accessible setting.”
For Chabad of Orange County, the celebration was about more than the activities themselves. It was about creating a place where families could connect, with their heritage, with one another and with the broader community, while experiencing the joy and gratitude at the heart of Sukkot.
About Chabad of Orange County
Chabad of Orange County, located at 94 Gilbert Street in Monroe, serves the local Orange County Jewish community through educational programs, holiday celebrations, youth and teen activities, social services and opportunities for Jewish learning and connection. Chabad welcomes people regardless of background, affiliation or level of observance. For more information about Chabad of Orange County and upcoming programs, visit ChabadOrange.com.
