“And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, to sacrifice unto the calves that he had made; and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places that he had made.” 1 Kings Ch 12 verse 32

Sukkot begins Friday night, October 2, 2009 (October 2-11, 2009). 

View a set of videos found at henryporter2’s YouTube Channel with The Temple Institute’s Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven explaining the important significance of Sukkot to the Jewish People:

From the Notes:

     “There is no time better spent than the time we spend in the sukkah, and this remarkable spiritual odyssey begins with the building of the sukkah. Join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven as they build their classic Jerusalem sukkah. Along the way the Rabbi shares his pearls of Torah wisdom. Chock-full of adventure, breathtaking insights, and occasional mishap, you will not want to miss a minute of this timeless documentary. Truly a must-see!”

“Sukkot Building Special 5770 part 1 of 3″

“Sukkot Building Special 5770 part 2 of 3″

“Sukkot Building Special 5770 part 3 of 3″

To learn more about how Sukkot would be observed in the Temple, see The Temple Institute’s webpage ”How Sukkot is celebrated in the Holy Temple“.

Aish.com also has an informative webpage about Sukkot, including links to articles and videos.

For a Christian understanding of Sukkot, be sure to visit the Hebrew For Christians‘ website, which has an informative article written by John J. Parsons which includes historical background, scripture readings and other thoughts about this important time: “Sukkot, The Season of Joy - The Festival of Sukkot – The Feast of Tabernacles” (pdf).

Also of interest might be “View from a Sukkah” By Dwight A. Pryor at The International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem (ICEJ) website, which asked the question  – “why is Sukkot different?” …

     “Sukkot, with its emphasis upon joy, is the quintes­sen­tial Jewish festival. It alone is called “The Feast” by the Sages. Perhaps this is because Juda­ism takes seriously the com­mand to “serve the Lord (b’simchah) with joy” (Psalm 100:2).

     Significantly, of the three great appointed times of the Lord, Sukkot is the least easily accommodated within the classical Christian worldview. Passover, with the redemption of the Lamb of God, and Pentecost, with the revelation of the Spirit of God, are readily acknowledged. Why then is Sukkot different?

     A couple of reasons come to mind. …” Read the rest of the article to find out why

And finally, do take a look at Zola Levitt Ministries newsletter archive article “The Biblical Roots of Thanksgiving By Robert J. Hutchinson” from 2007, which pointed out the following thought:

     “Unbeknownst to many Americans, Thanksgiving is yet another legacy of the biblical heritage that shaped American law and culture over the centuries.

     There is at least some evidence that the deeply pious Pilgrims — who, as Puritans, believed the Old Testament law was binding on gentiles as well as Jews — may have been partially inspired by the Jewish harvest festival of Booths (Sukkot).

     Sukkot is a week-long celebration, mandated in Leviticus 23, in which the Jewish people remember and give thanks for their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. It is usually observed in October — as was the original Thanksgiving in 1621.

     At the very least, the concept and duty of thanksgiving is deeply rooted in the biblical tradition. Indeed, you can actually see much of the Torah’s ceremonial commandments as being nothing less than institutionalized thanksgiving: The Sabbath, Passover, the Festival of Weeks, The Festival of Booths, the entire sacrificial system, seeks to inculcate among the people the awareness of divine graciousness….”  Read the whole article 

Update:  From the Bridges For Peace recent “BFP-UPDATE Israel Current News with Prayer Focus October 02, 2009“:

“Pray that the Lord will continue to protect his people this Sukkot, blessing them with a deep and abiding sense of His love and His presence with them. May the holiday be profoundly meaningful for all who participate, turning their hearts toward the God who loves them with perfect a love.”