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Sukkot is a joyous seven-day festival often connected to being thankful for the fall harvest. It takes place on the 15th Hebrew month of Tishrei. Sukkot also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah in Mt. Sinai. It is a rejoicing and the only festival in which we are commanded to do just that: rejoice. Sukkot, the plural of sukkah, translates to “huts” or “booths.” Sukkot are temporary dwellings we erect that have open walls and open doors. During this time, we invite friends and new friends to eat, rest, and rejoice.

Uzhpizin is Aramaic for “guests,” a reference to the founding figures of the Jewish people who are symbolically invited into the sukkah, along with their divine attributes (a wink at the Sefirot of Kabbalah). For 7 days, a set of biblical figures is invited, and their divine attributes are commemorated.

And.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Latin festival celebrating and remembering loved ones no longer with us. The festival is a two-day celebration from November 1 to 2, sometimes around the same time as Sukkot. It is believed that on Día de los Muertos, the bridge between the natural and spiritual worlds opens so our deceased loved ones can return and visit us. While the festival is usually associated with Mexico, it is celebrated in different Latin countries in various ways. Families commonly gather in cemeteries at night, light candles, and place flowers on the burial sites of their loved ones. One would think this time to be one of sadness. Yet, it is a time when families sing, laugh, dance, eat, and celebrate their ancestors.

A big part of preparing for Día de los Muertos is the creation of temporary ofrendas (altars) in the home. Stemming from the Aztec practice of leaving food and water for the deceased to help them on their journey to the land of the dead, Latin families decorate ofrendas with flowers (often marigolds in Mexico), pictures of deceased loved ones, souvenirs, and loved one’s favorite foods. The belief is that the offerings help invite the deceased ancestor from the land of the dead; it is a call that gets louder the more one is remembered.

You can find a more detailed explanation of Sukkot and Día de los Muertos on Jewtina y Co.’s Jewish Holiday Resources page and Cultural Ritual Page, which served as a primary reference point for this ritual.

I am a Salvadoran Jew and, for years, have been exploring how I can observe Día de los Muertos in a way that honors my Jewish life. During a leadership retreat at Urban Adamah, a peer shared with me the Indigenous belief that when we heal, we heal the 7 generations that preceded us and the 7 generations that will follow us, likely derived from Lakota tribe beliefs. My journey as a Latin Jewish leader in Los Angeles took me to reconnect with my family line and heal the many scars of colonialism, war, racism, misogyny, and immigration. My ritual aims to honor that process by honoring my ancestors during a time when I am commanded to rejoice.

Step 1: In the days leading up to Sukkot, reflect on 7 ancestors or deceased loved ones you wish to honor. Will you honor them chronologically based on where they are in your family line? Will you honor them based on the divine attributes and how they embody that trait? Will you honor them next to specific founding Jewish figures? This is your practice and your ritual; lean on what feels authentic.

Step 2: Create an ofrenda! You can refer to this Recustom Altar Making Guide or Jewtina y Co.’s Día de los Muertos guide.

An ofrenda generally includes:

A table
A tablecloth
Pictures of loved ones you are remembering
Their favorite foods and drinks
Water
Flowers
Bread and pastries
Other personally meaningful objects

Step 3: Make your ofrenda sacred with a blessing. I use the blessing during Havdalah that marks the separation of the holiness of Shabbat from the ordinariness of the rest of the week.

Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil bayn kodesh lechol.

Blessed are You God, who separates between the holy and the ordinary.

Step 4: It’s Sukkot! Use the chart below to structure each day for the Ushpizin ceremony. You can refer to this booklet by 18Door for a brief review of Sukkot. If you’re building a sukkah, consider the symbolism of building it around your ofrenda. If you cannot build a sukkah, consider the power of your ofrenda and how your ancestors/deceased loved ones are connected to you, with or without a temporary dwelling.

Day

Ancestor or

Deceased Loved One

Divine Attributes

Founding Jewish Figures

Chesed, loving kindness

Abraham & Sarah

Gevurah, strength

Issac & Rebecca

Tiferet, splendor

Jacob & Leah

Netzah, eternity

Joseph & Rachel

Hod, glory

Moses & Miriam

Yesod, foundation

Aaron & Deborah

Malkhut, royalty

David & Ruth

Step 5: Ushpizin. Before the meal, we invite these special guests to join us in the sukkah. Although all the names are mentioned each evening, we make a special call to a special guest each night. If that is your practice, you can refer to this excerpt by the Rabbinical Assembly, which has the Ushpizin blessings in English and Hebrew.

Step 6: Take a moment to reflect on the invitation. Speak about the ancestor or deceased loved one you are remembering. Refer to your ofrenda and share a story, idea, or question about them. Reflect on the divine attribute of that day. How did this person embody that? Think about the founding Jewish figure being honored; what traits do they possess similar to the person you remember?

Step 7: Eat! Rejoice! Your sukkah or home is full of so much love and respect. Acknowledge the power you possess by honoring your ancestors or loved ones. You are the link between them and your future generations. They’re with you, always.

My Practice

Below is what my ritual looks like.

Ofrenda: