Party with Your People: The Ushpizin Sukkot Spectacular! Costume Party and (Jewish) Law and Order

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1 Party with Your People: The Ushpizin Sukkot Spectacular! Costume Party and (Jewish) Law and Order Age: Kadima Duration: 2 Hours Educational theme/jewish content- USHPIZIN-inviting guests into the Sukkah, Sukkot brachot Materials- Sukkot decorations, sticky name tags, blank place cards, dinner (and food supplies), page with Sukkot blessings, lulav and etrog, Sukkot trivia page, music, equipment for a S mores Roast (food supplies, shish kabab sticks, Sternos), Famous Jews/great Jewish personalities cards, copies of character/clue sheet, clues cut out (one per team), markers or pens, costumes or props for Kadimaniks to get into the role Pre-program planning: In your program advertisement, explain the idea of Ushpizin FYI: Ushpizin is Aramaic for guests. During the seven days of Sukkot, Jews symbolically invite biblical characters into the Sukkah. We celebrate Sukkot and honor Ushpizin by inviting guests to our Sukkah. Send out a formal invitation inviting the Kadimaniks to get into the character and come in costume as any character who they would want to bring with them to dine in the Sukkah. Address the flyer to Dear Kadamanik and Guest Invite them to the criminal investigation of Jewish Law and Order and explain that you need their help to solve a halachik crime and catch a Traif-ster (instead of pizza IN the hut someone has brought Pepperoni Pizza Hut into the Sukkah!) Program implementation: *Chapter Advisor should also be in costume as one of the traditional Ushpizin guests (Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef, King David, Moshe, Aaron). It really enhances the program if the advisor/staff plays a part too. 1. Upon entering the Sukkah, each person is given a name tag to write their name and the name of their character they ve brought with them. 2. Welcome and explanation of Ushpizin. Ask each guest to introduce themselves and explain why they chose to bring that person 3. leshev basukkah bracha, Hamotzi and dinner 4. A Sukkah Cop (see if you can have a shul staff person come in and visit and play this role) stops the dinner in the middle and explains that the real reason they were all invited here was not just for Ushpizin but to help Jewish Law and Order solve a Sukkot mystery. Explain that yesterday, evidence was discovered that instead of pizza in the hut, a box of Pizza Hut traif pizza was discovered in the Sukkah. Their help is need to track the traifster 5. Spilt them into small groups sitting nearby or pairs. Each group or pair is given a role (like a murder mystery) with an identity of a famous Jew. Together, they must get into character, play that part and think of a creative alibi (example: Yosef- he couldn t have done it, there was a famine in Canaan or he was thrown into a pit!). Each character gets 1

2 interviewed and the Kadimaniks must play the role as if they were that person. At the end of their interview, they give their alibi. Provide descriptions of that famous Jew on a cue card to help the team get to know their person 6. Hand out attached clue sheet for groups to keep track as they answer questions and earn clues. 7. Clues should be cut into strips. The detective or advisor asks a trivia question. A group is called upon to answer the question. If they answer correctly, they are given a clue on a strip of paper and can eliminate that person from their list. The group figures out who the traifster was by answering questions and the process of elimination. Sikum/program summary: The group that has figured it out can announce the Traifster. Thank them for their Jewish Law and Order crime fighting skills! -Dessert- S more Sukkot fun- make s mores and Lulav Shake-down (blessings, lulav and etrog shake, music!) -announce upcoming programs CHARACTERS TO ASSIGN: ALIBI If you choose to include other famous Jews, make clues according to your choices 1. Natalie Portman- famous actress, studied Hollywood pressure, no pizza for me, gotta for a semester at Hebrew University stay in shape! 2. Isaac I was out walking to Mount Moriah with my dad yesterday 3. Yaakov There s a famine in Canaan, that s why we have to leave for Egypt. We don t even have bread, never mind meat! 4. Esther I was a vegetarian after I become queen, no pepperoni for me! 5. Moshe I gave the law to the people from God, why would I break it? 6. Devorah- woman prophet, warrior Too busy in battle to eat 7. Miriam- sister of Moshe and Aaron, led I was too busy teaching a dancing lesson to the Jewish women in song and dance after be eating pizza in the Sukkah crossing the Yam Suf 8. Mark Spitz- Olympic Athlete whose 9 gold medal record was recently broken by Michael Phelps Pizza is too heavy and greasy and won t help me speed through the water 9. Ahad Ha am- cultural Zionist- believed Wouldn t I be a hypocrite if I ate traif after that Jewish values were at the core of a writing all about how Jewish living Jewish society sustains a Jewish culture? 10. Yosef Sorry, no pizza for me, I can t even get a 2

3 11. Avraham OTHER OPTIONS: slice of bread here in this pit and I had a rehearsal for the Technicolor Dream Coat last night! Sandy Koufax baseball player who refused to pitch in the world series on Yom Kippur David Ben Gurion- first PM of Israel Rashi- great Jewish commentator, Medieval Spain Isaac Beshevis Singer- Yiddish Writer, Nobel prize for literature Ralph Laren- famous fashion designer I believe too strongly in my Judaism to break the laws of Kashrut. I gave up playing in the World Series for Yom Kippur! I helped create a Jewish society, founded in Jewish law. Traif in a Sukkah goes against all of that! Pizza? What s Pizza? As it is written: You shall not boil a kid in its mother s milk (Shemot 34:26) This can be explained as no traif! Traif! Oy! What a shandeh (catastrophe)! I write for what my people stand for- Jewish values Pepperoni stains don t go with my newest looks Trivia questions and clues: (clues to be written on cards or strips of paper for handout) 1. How many days after Yom Kippur does Sukkot fall? (5 days after) 2. Sukkot is one of the Shalosh Regalim or 3 Pilgrim festivals. What are the other two? (Pesach, Shavuot) 3. How many walls must a Sukkah have? (at least 2.5, one can be the side of a building) 4. What is another name for Sukkot? (Chag Ha asif: the Harvest Festival) 5. What are the arba minim (hadas, lulav, aravot, etrog)? 6. What is the covering of the Sukkah called (S chach) 3

4 7. What is one rule (there are a few) about the Schach? (must be natural, not attached to anything living, sparse enough so you can see the stars) 8. What are 2 customs to do in the sukkah? (eat, sleep) 9. When do we shake the arba minim in synagogue (Hallel service)? 10. Who are the seven symbolic guests we invite for Ushpizin? Who would YOU invite into your Sukkah? (Avraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moshe, Yosef, Aaron, King David) Now guess who dunnit? TRAIFSTER: Avraham! The laws of Kashrut had not yet been known to our great Patriarch. You can t blame someone who doesn t know, it s why learning is so important we learn so we can know and do! Beresheit 18:8 ו יּ קּ ח ח מ אָה ו ח ל ב, וּב ן- ה בּ ק ר א שׁ ר ע שׂ ה, ו יּ תּ ן, ל פ נ יה ם; ו הוּא-ע מ ד ע ל יה ם תּ ח ת ה ע ץ, ו יּ אכ לוּ. 8 And he [Avraham] took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed [made ready], and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Clues to cut out: (make enough copies for each team to get each one) Clue: This famous movie star feels the Hollywood pressure to stay in shape. She s young and beautiful and studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It wasn t 4

5 Clue: This person was out walking to Mount Moriah with his dad, was in danger and then his dad saw a ram that saved his life. It wasn t Clue: This person became a vegetarian when there was no Kosher food available in the palace. It wasn t Clue: This person was too distracted by war and by being a woman of vision (prophet). It wasn t Clue: He gave the law to the people from God, why would he break it? It wasn t Clue: This person suffered a famine in Canaan, that s why he and his family had to leave for Egypt. We don t even have bread, never mind meat! It wasn t Clue: This former Olympian whose record was recently broken, was too busy swimming to stop for unhealthy food. It wasn t (Kadimaniks may need help with this one but may know it because the record was recently broken) Clue: This person was a cultural Zionist who believed that a Jewish state was the center of Jewish culture and values. It wasn t Clue: Sorry, no pizza for this person, he can t even get a slice of bread in the pit where he finds himself. And he had a rehearsal for the Technicolor Dream Coat last night! It wasn t Clue: This person was teaching a dance class to women with a tibrel in her hand. It wasn t 5

6 CLUE SHEET Who Dunnit? Catch the Sukkah Traifster Characters Natalie Portman- actress Isaac- patriarch Yaakov- patriach Esther- queen of Purim Story Moshe- led the exodus, transmitted the law to the people Devorah- prophetss Miriam sister of Moshe, Aaron Avraham- patriach Mark Spitz- Olympic swimmer Ahad Ha am- cultural Zionist Yosef- son of Yaakov, sold by his brothers as a slave Alibi 6

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8 Shake Yo Lulav! Blessings for Sukkot Blessing for dwelling in the Sukkah Baruch ata Adonai Elohanu melech ha-olam asher kedshanu b'mitsvotav vetsevanu leisheiv ba-sukkah. Blessed are you Adonai, king of the universe who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah. Blessing for the Lulav Baruch ata Adonai Elohanu melech ha-olam asher kedshanu b'mitsvotav vetsevanu al netilat lulav. Blessed are you Adonai, king of the universe who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to take hold of the lulav. Shake shake shake in all directions! *this sheet has the name of God on it. Please treat it with respect and do not throw away 8