It is hard to believe, but we are only a few months away from Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles. Recognizing that we no longer live under a Temple system, the Father is honored when His children do what they can to memorialize this important Festival.
Faith brothers and sisters are scattered all over this earthly realm. Unfortunately, not everyone will have friends nearby to join them in this 7+ day Festival. But you still have options.
Whether you plan to celebrate solo, with family, or with a group, here are some suggestions to help you prepare for these upcoming days of joy.
Celebrating Solo
If you will be celebrating solo, here are some things you can do:
- Try to plan your vacation time around the feast days.
- If you can’t get the entire time off from work, request days off on the 1st and 8th days of the festival. Or, set aside time each day for prayer, praise, and worship.
- Construct a sukkah or booth in your apartment, flat, patio, or backyard. You can even pitch a small pop-up tent inside your apartment for the week.
- Cut some palm tree branches and wave them while listening to praise & worship music.
Celebrating with Family
- If building a backyard Sukkah is impractical, consider traveling to a nearby park or recreational area that allows for tent or recreational vehicle (RV) camping. Invite others who follow the Torah to join you.
- Sukkot is not ‘just camping’ so try to align your activities as closely as possible to what is written in the Scriptures. (Lev 23:33-44, Deut 16:13-15, Num 29:12)
- Assign various family members activities that fit their gifts and interests. Someone who is musically gifted can lead worship. Others can lead scripture discussion groups.
- Build a campfire each night (if allowed) to encourage fellowship.
- Again, try to plan vacation days to coincide with these feast days.

Celebrating with a Group
Finding a Sukkot group can be tricky if you are new to the Torah and have not met others who share your understanding of scripture or maturity level. When beliefs collide during the feast days, it can get ugly. Over the years our ministry has heard stories of people leaving in a huff because they were offended by other’s interpretations of scripture meanings. This is why it is important for you to thoroughly research Sukkot groups who promote gatherings online. This is an important first step.
If the ministry you follow online offers a fellowship finder app, this is even better. Download the app and register. Most are zip-code (in the US) linked, so it is not hard to connect with others in your area. Just be transparent when you reach out and let the person know how you found them.
If you want to host your own gathering, the fellowship finder method also works. Here are some steps to follow:
- Decide who will host the gathering and publish their contact email addresses.
- Scout a location to host the gathering. A state park is an excellent resource.
- Once you decide on a location, look for zip codes within a reasonable drive to the location. For example, if you want to host the event in Waco, Texas, draw a 50-mile perimeter around the city and contain those who fall within that distance. It is up to you to decide how small or big you want the gathering to be.
- Write a detailed introductory email explaining the who, what, when, where, why, and how — especially how you found them. Here is an example email:

- Create a webpage where people can get details, including contact email addresses.
- Plan Q & A Zoom meetups to get feedback and enlist volunteers to help with Sukkot planning.
Final Thoughts on Prepping for Sukkot 2024
While this is not an exhaustive guide, it should be enough to get you started. The important thing to remember is why we gather in the first place. When we honor YHWH by observing His appointed times, we become anchored to our spiritual roots and stir up our faith in a glorious future as resurrected Kingdom people. Historically these pilgrimage feasts were beneficial for the people of Yah in several ways:
- These annual gatherings put the numerical strength and beauty of Yah’s people on display to the world.
- Leaving our daily routines and getting out into nature restores our health and well-being.
- Children and young adults realize they are not ‘weird’ when they bond with each other Yah’s way.
- We enlarge our understanding of the Scriptures in an atmosphere of love and appreciation for what YHWH and Yeshua have done for us.
- We get a ‘taste’ of what the Kingdom will be like.
- We demonstrate our commitment to obey YHWH’s commandments by honoring His feast days.
Hope this helps. We pray your Sukkot will be filled with joy this year.
Brenda Ross is a co-author of the book, "The Gospel Worth Dying For." She is a former major market radio and television broadcaster who has served as Single’s Ministry Director at one of Houston’s Memorial Drive-area churches, a Jews for Jesus staff volunteer, and participated in mission outreach activities in Costa Rica, Mexico, and China. Urban mission experience includes volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity and catering to the homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
0 Comments