Recipe fromSereneStokes, pumpkin andscrapethecookedwithstew. and pourstewintopumpkin.Serves8.Itisfuntoserve bake at325°for30minutesoruntilinsideistender. Remove stew. Cookfor15minutes.Placepumpkininashallowpanand and sprinklelightlywithsaltpepper. Stirwineandcorninto seeds andstringymembrane.Brushinsideofpumpkinwithoil hour. Meanwhile, cutanddiscardtopofpumpkin.Scoopout sugar, apricots,potatoesandbroth.Coversimmerfor1 garlic inoiluntilbrowned. Add tomatoes,peppers,salt,pepper, Cut meatinto11/2"pieces,trimfat.Cookmeat,onionand DIRECTIONS 1/2 C.sweetredwine 2 sweetpotatoes 3 whitepotatoes 1 C.apricots,diced 1 tsp.sugar salt andpeppertotaste 2 C.vegetablebroth baby corn 1 mediumpumpkin l largeredoryellowpepper 2 largetomatoes,chopped 2 T.oil 2 clovesgarlic 1 largeonion 2 lbsbeefroast,cutinsmallpieces INGREDIENTS a PumpkinShell Argentine Stewin

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Sukkot • Shemini Atzeret • Simchat Torah Jewish Community Center of Orange County SweetChild Merage Sukkot • Shemini Atzeret • Simchat Torah Special Blessing in the Sukkah Come join the parade! The Jewish community Shemini Atzeret: celebrates a 9-day long series of festivals in Eighth Day of Assembly, Festival of Rain the fall: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 • 22 Tishrei 5774 Sukkot: Harvest Festival September 19-20, 2013 • 15-21 Tishrei 5774 THEMES AND THEOLOGY The children’s adage goes, “Rain, rain, go away.” But if you are a THEMES AND THEOLOGY farmer in Israel on the day after Sukkot, you might have something Fall is here—the days shorten, the air chills, and the busy harvest different to say. You might actually be hoping that rain will fall, to season draws to a close. Think apple cider … pumpkin pie … prepare the land for spring planting season. The Jewish tradition baked squash and roasted root vegetables. These are the fruits recognizes the importance of rain, so once a year, a prayer for and vegetables of the fall harvest. rain is recited. The prayer specifies rain “for blessing and not for a curse, for plenty and not for famine, for life and not for death.” SweetChild Jewish culture celebrates this special time of year with a week- long harvest festival called Sukkot, “booths” in Hebrew. The Simchat Torah: Rejoicing in the Torah holiday commemorates the time when the Jews dwelt in booths in Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 • 23 Tishrei 5774 the Sinai wilderness after their exodus from Egypt and on the way to the promised Land of Israel. THEMES AND THEOLOGY And the party isn’t over until it’s over! In Israel and in liberal Jewish As it is written in the Book of Leviticus (23:42-3): “You shall live communities in the Diaspora (lands outside the Land of Israel) in booths (sukkot) seven days. All children of Israel shall live in Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated together as booths in order that future generations may know that I made the one holiday. But in traditional Jewish communities in the Diaspora, Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land they are two distinct holidays. Simchat Torah celebrates the end of Egypt. I am the Eternal One your G-d.” and the beginning of the annual Torah reading cycle. In Jewish Baruch Atah Adonai Elhoheinu Melech Ha’Olam Asher synagogues the world over the same portion of Torah is read from Kidshanu B’Mitzvotav V’Tzivanu Al Netilat Lulav. TRADITIONS a Torah scroll. In addition to celebrating in a sukkah (booth) another central Praised are You, the Eternal One, our G-d Sovereign of the aspect of this holiday’s celebration is the waving of the lulav (three TRADITIONS Cosmos, who has made us holy with sacred obligations plant species: palm myrtle, willow) and etrog (citron). Some say On Simchat Torah, the last chapter of Deuteronomy is read and commanded us to wave the Lulav. that the different plant species represent different kinds of people. followed in quick succession by the first line of Genesis. The We bind them together in celebration of diversity and in the reading is preceded by seven parades around the synagogue and recognition that it takes many kinds of people to make up a world. much singing and dancing. Often congregants will take the Torah Directions: In synagogues, these four plant species are paraded around the scrolls in their arms and dance jubilantly passing the Torah scroll • Hold the willow, myrtle and palm in your left hand. synagogue each morning. On the last day of Sukkot, known as from once congregant to another. Children often wave flags, and • Hold the citron (etrog) in your right hand, stem down. Hoshanah Rabbah, these species are paraded around the syna- sweets are passed around freely. Some give children candied • Recite blessing. gogue seven times, reminiscent of the seven days of creation. apples—reminiscent of the Rosh Hashanah apples dipped in honey—to remind children that their life is made sweet by Torah. • Turn citron stem up. During this holiday, the children have an opportunity to be called • Shake in 6 directions: to the east, to the west, to the up to the Torah—an honor usually reserved for adults. The adults north, to the south, up and down. of the community hold a tallit (prayer shawl) over the children as the traditional blessing of the Torah is said. This symbolizes the passing on of the Torah—the most sacred text of the Jewish people—from one generation to another. At the end of the holiday it is customary to wish one another a healthy winter in body and Text courtesy of Peninsula Jewish Community Center, Foster City, CA. SweetChild spirit.