Coming out of Yom Kippur and hearing the news of the horrible attack on the synagogue in Halle, Germany during their services, we have a renewed sense of how fragile our lives are and how difficult it is to step confidently into the new year. Dwelling in the sukkah on Sukkot is intended not to mask but to express that feeling of fragility, impressing on us that thick walls and strong roofs are not ultimately the source of our safety. As I read in one account, those gathered in that synagogue prayed the Ne’ilah service together with great fervor, gaining strength from each other in the midst of their fear and alarm. As we gather in our sukkot during this holiday, may we also draw strength from inviting each other into our lives, knowing that material objects may fail us, but the love we give to each other will sustain us. When we look up at the sky through the leaves of the insubstantial roof of the sukkah, may we pray that the source of peace create a sukkat shalom, a shelter of peace, over us, over all of the Jewish people, and over all who dwell on earth.