Monday, November 10, 2025
The Merrick Jewish Centre brought community members together under the stars for a night of connection and reflection during its “Sipping with the Stars” celebration on Oct. 9.
The event, held in the synagogue’s sukkah, offered stargazing with telescopes, s’mores, and warm beverages — including spiked options for adults — as part of the week-long Sukkot festival. While earlier in the week brought unseasonably warm temperatures to Long Island, the chilly evening air perfectly matched the cozy, communal atmosphere of the gathering.
Rabbi Josh Dorsch said that Sukkot is often overlooked in favor of the better-known High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but it holds a deeply meaningful place in the Jewish calendar.
“Everybody thinks that the High Holy Days end after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” he said. “But two days after Yom Kippur, there’s another festival known as Sukkot, that’s eight days long. The point of Sukkot is that you’re really just supposed to enjoy and be happy.”
Participants gathered inside and around the sukkah, a temporary structure built for the holiday to symbolize gratitude, humility, and connection. The fragile walls and open roof allowed guests to gaze up at the night sky — a reminder, Dorsch explained, of the holiday’s message about finding joy beyond material comfort.
“We leave the comforts of our own luxury homes and stability, and we build these temporary huts,” Dorsch said. “We’re just supposed to sit there and look up at the stars and recognize that true happiness is more than what you have — it’s really about the blessings in your life, spending time with family and friends in community.”
For attendees, the simple pleasures of stargazing, laughter, and shared warmth captured the spirit of Sukkot — celebrating gratitude and togetherness beneath a canopy of stars.
