Welcoming the Ushpizin

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One of the most important and special experiences of Sukkot is sharing our meals in the sukkah with friends and guests. In addition to our real-life guests, the Zohar records an ancient custom - still practiced in many families today - of welcoming seven heavenly guests, called ushpizin in Aramaic, into the sukkah, one for each night of the holiday.

The traditional list of ushpizin is comprised of righteous men from the Tanakh, and in recent years, people have also included righteous women, broadening the scope of heavenly guests invited into the sukkah. In this resource, you will find two guests for each night, the traditional male guests as well as seven biblical women.

As you invite the ushpizin into your sukkah, spend some time learning with family and friends, getting to know the ushpizin better through the stories and insights shared in the midrashim about these spiritual giants.

Avraham + Sarah, Rivkah + Yitzhak, Yaakov + Leah, Rachel + Yosef, Moshe and Serah, Miriam + Aharon, David + Ruth