The Fruit-Covered Sukkahs of the Samaritans

Oct. 21 2024

Claiming descent from members of the Ten Lost Tribes who never went into exile, the Samaritans have lived in the Land of Israel since the Second Temple era. The sect has its own ancient customs, outside the rabbinic traditions that shaped mainstream Judaism. These are especially visible during Sukkot, when the Samaritans too construct and spend their time in temporary structures (sukkahs) but, as Guy Polat explains, do not cover them with branches and leaves—instead using “countless pieces of brightly colored fruit.”

These [fruits] are part of the holiday ritual itself, and they are not just there for decoration—touching them is forbidden, because they are considered sacred.

Over the centuries the Samaritan community was the target of persecutions under the Byzantines and Ottomans, which drove down their numbers. The colorful sukkahs with their fruit ceilings were a common target of harassment by locals. In order to prevent vandalism against their sukkahs, the Samaritans established the custom of placing the sukkah inside the home—indeed, right in the middle of the living room.

This doesn’t mean the sukkahs are hidden from view today—quite the contrary. [A] Samaritan . . . custom associated with Sukkot entails inviting guests to open houses—meaning that anyone who wants to come and see these ceremonial and colorful sukkahs is welcome. As a result, each sukkah typically hosts many visitors over the holiday, and not just from among the Samaritan community.

Some striking photographs can be found at the link below.

Read more at The Librarians

More about: Samaritans, Sukkot

What Iran Seeks to Get from Cease-Fire Negotiations

June 20 2025

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.

Read more at Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs

More about: Iran, Israeli Security, U.S. Foreign policy