Jews are celebrating Sukkot this week, a seven-day holiday intended as a time of joy.

Sukkot, for a week Jewish Celebrating the traditional gathering of the Harvest, beginning at sundown on Monday, October 6, and continuing through Monday, October 13.

Sukkot is considered one of the most joyful festivals on the Jewish calendar—unique in that it explicitly encourages jews To rejoice and discourage public mourning.

Descriptions of these holy days are available from the two major branches of American Judaism:

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Hasidic organization Chabad-Lubavitch

Union of Reform Judaism

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This year, the first full day of Sukkot fell on October 7 – the second anniversary of Hamas’ 2023 attacks. israel This killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

Noting that public mourning is prohibited by Jewish law, a coalition of Jewish leaders and activists in New York City organized what they called a Circle of Unity, which invites people to gather on the Great Lawn in Central Park to “dance, pray and celebrate Jewish life and resilience together.”

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