Masa Israel Journey Blog

Celebrate like a local: festivals during Sukkot 2011

Published : September 24, 2011

Growing up, you might have celebrated Sukkot by going to your family, friends’, or synagogue’s sukkah, shaking the lulav and etrog, and eating outside under the stars. But if you are spending this Sukkot in Israel, there’s no reason to stay confined to your backyard—use the whole country as your sukkah! With all of the festivals going on during the chag, you’ll have no shortage of opportunities to spend time outside, exploring Israel’s cultural scene while celebrating the holiday.

Here are some of the bigger festivals going on during Sukkot:

Haifa International Film Festival

October 13-22, 2011 | Haifa

The Haifa International Film Festival, the leading cinematic even in Israel, was founded in 1983 as the first international film festival in the country...

Seven unique ways to spend the chagim in Israel

Published : September 24, 2011

Every time we ask alumni of Masa Israel programs what the best part of their semester or year was in Israel, the same things are repeated over and over: freedom to explore Israel on their own, Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) and the other national holidays in the spring, and thechagim—the High Holidays.

It’s no wonder. To experience the chagim in Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, is like no other holiday experience. Whether you plan on participating in the religious aspects of the holidays, taking it all in as an observer, or stepping outside your comfort zone and experimenting with a new way of observance, there is nothing like being in Israel for the high holiday season.

Here are seven ways Masa Israel participants celebrate the chagim in Israel:

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