An ancient Jewish tradition took center stage on the Newburgh waterfront Wednesday as residents gathered for a community celebration of Sukkot centered on unity and togetherness at the sixth annual Sukkah Fest.

The festival has grown since it began six years ago, while maintaining its original purpose of bringing people together and introducing the wider community to Sukkot. Visitors this year were invited inside the sukkah, where they could participate in the lulav ritual and learn about traditions associated with the holiday.

The activities are part of a larger effort to use the festival as an educational experience while bringing together people from different backgrounds, with unity and togetherness being central to both Sukkot and the event, according to Rabbi Shmuel Serebryanski, co-director of Chadbad of Eastern Orange County.

“People from all different backgrounds and stripes and colors have come together and just celebrate together and get to know each other,” Serebryanski said.

Sukkot commemorates the protection the Israelites received after leaving Egypt and traveling through the wilderness, Serebryanski said. The sukkah, a temporary hut used during the holiday, serves as a reminder of that journey and of relying on God during uncertain times.

That theme of unity also carries into the lulav and etrog ritual that festivalgoers were also invited to participate in. The lulav combines palm, myrtle and willow branches, which are brought together with the etrog, a citron. Serebryanski explained that the four represent different kinds of people and that bringing them together symbolizes unity and people using their individual strengths to complement one another.

The festival also uses music to carry that emphasis on togetherness beyond the Sukkah. Organizers of Sukkah Fest added a concert three years ago, which Serebryanski said has since become a focal point of the event. David Lazerson, known as the Rappin’ Rockin’ Reggae Rabbi, performed at this year’s celebration, singing hits such as Moshe Yess’ “My Zaidy” and Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.”

“Music talks to the soul,” Serebryanski said. “Music brings people together.”
The festival gave some attendees an opportunity to experience those traditions for the first time. Jacob Friedman, who works nearby, said he had limited familiarity with Sukkot before Wednesday, after Serebryanski invited him.
Others came to the festival already familiar with Sukkot and the meaning behind its traditions. Sam, 16, had celebrated the holiday before but was attending Sukkah Fest for the first time. He said the holiday teaches gratitude by reminding people of the experience of living without the comforts and possessions they have at home.

“Be grateful for what you own,” Sam said. “Everything could go away at any moment and it’s really very humbling to be honest.”

The message of bringing people together has also kept returning attendees involved. Town of Newburgh Deputy Supervisor Scott Manley said he attends Sukkah Fest each year and also participates in other Jewish community events organized by Serebryanski, including a Hanukkah lighting.

Manley said events like Sukkah Fest give residents an opportunity not only to celebrate their own traditions, but to learn about the different religious and cultural backgrounds represented in Newburgh.

“You got to live with everybody here and it’s good to see everyone’s different heritage, religion, background, and to share it,” Manley said. “Don’t judge anybody, just come out and celebrate, see how everybody does things differently.”

That broader participation is what Serebryanski said organizers have sought since the festival began. He said Newburgh residents have consistently responded to the event, including people who attend because they want to understand the holiday and its traditions better.

Serebryanski, who has served as a rabbi in the area for the past 16 years, said the annual gathering continues to leave an impression on him.

“It always leaves a lasting effect, and that’s something I always take with me,” Serebryanski said. “I wait a whole year for this.”