The joyful holiday of Sukkot is also referred to as Chag HaAsif (Harvest Festival). We celebrate the bountiful harvest while commemorating the journey of our ancestors out of Egypt. A sukkah, with its temporary elements, is a reminder of how fragile life is and the importance of making each moment of our lives matter.

The mitzvah of shmirat haguf, guarding the body, reminds us to safeguard and preserve those moments. With an abundant season upon us—an agricultural feast—we can honor our past by taking care of ourselves in the present.

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, October 12, at 5 PM PT/8 PM ET for celebration and conversation. Our vision is an uplifting evening that empowers us to create abundance in all aspects of our lives.

Rabbi Donn Gross, a member of our Rabbinic Council, will share the blessings of Sukkot and what Judaism teaches us about shmirat haguf ("caring for the body"). Rabbi Gross is the spiritual leader of Bet Dovid, a vegan Orthodox shul in Caldwell, NJ. He prepares vegan kiddushes for the congregation and also runs a vegan catering business, Meals to Heal Catering. He advocates for veganism as both a Jewish value and as a means to improving one's health.

Speaking of health, Dr. Ted Barnett, a member of our Advisory Council, will share vital information about the power we have to take control of our well-being. Dr. Barnett, the “high-tech doctor with low-tech solutions,” is an interventional radiologist who has been plant-based since 1991—inspired by the work of Dr. Dean Ornish. He is the founding president and board chair of the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute and co-coordinator (with his wife Carol) of the Rochester Area Vegan Society.