Holiday Lecture: Why Do Jews Eat in the Sukkah?
Join us on Zoom for a virtual talk with religion scholar Raymond Jasen.
Sukkot is one of only three pilgrimage festivals described in the Five Books of Moses (the written Torah). It is identified publicly with the temporary wooden booths that are built in the yards of observant Jews and outside many Jewish institutions. Why do Jews spend a week sitting outside in unheated booths in the middle of October? Why do they eat their meals there even in the rain when these booths have roofs that are built to leak? And why do they look so happy doing it? This lecture will provide a primer on the meaning, history, and rituals of this ancient festival.
Raymond Jasen was born in Manhattan and raised in Flushing, Queens. He graduated from Long Island University with a B.A. in Political Science in 1988 and then attended Harvard Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1991. Over a 33-year career, Raymond has been an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, a Managing Director at Citigroup, a Senior Managing Director at AIG, and was most recently the partner-in-charge of KPMG’s financial services tax practice where he led a team of 600 lawyers and accountants. Raymond attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and is currently studying at the Kollel at Midtown Chabad. In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, Raymond is the board chair of the Queens Botanical Garden, and sits on the board of the Museum at Eldridge Street.
Please see the Zoom link in your order confirmation email. This program is entirely virtual.
Registration for this Zoom program is pay-what-you-wish. The following are suggested amounts for each ticket type:
Adults $12
Seniors $10
Students $8
