Grit: Recalling the Possibility of a Snowy Sukkot

Ten years ago when living in the Midwest we had an early snow that fell between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur!  Many of us wondered what it would be like to have a snowy Sukkot or to put up a sukkah in the snow.  (Imagine singing “I’m dreaming of a white Sukkos”)

That particular Sukkot comes to mind now after the JCHS (Jewish Community High School of the Bay) professional community and board spent the summer reading Paul Tough's "How Children Succeed."  

Tough refers to research by Angela Duckworth into “grit,” which is the dedication and perseverance in pursuit of a goal with hopeful expectation the goal will be accomplished. When Duckworth was a math teacher, she puzzled over why the most accomplished students in her classes often were not necessarily those with the highest IQs.  To explain this she developed the theory of “grit.”  

Duckworth tested whether “grit” accounted for this with brief  self-assessment. Her “grit” test became so effective she could more accurately predict, for example, which West Point cadets would successfully survive its famed “beast barracks” than all the sophisticated assessments routinely used by West Point. Grit was a better predictor than intelligence, physical ability, or leadership acumen. Paul Tough uses Duckworth and others to describe the positive impact of resilience and developing the capacity to overcome adversity.

Tough and Duckworth are often asked whether “grit” can be taught.  Is it innate and formed at birth? Or can parents, teachers, and others help someone develop “grit”?

Anyone who has ever built a sukkah knows the answer to that question!  Or entered a sukkah in the snow (or rain or bitter cold or sweltering heat).  Yes, “grit” can be taught.  In fact, a fundamental lesson of Judaism is that “grit” -- hopeful perseverance, determination in the face of obstacles -- can be conditioned and learned.

During Sukkot we remove ourselves momentarily from the material security of solid, comfortable structures to temporarily eat (and even sleep) in flimsy huts open to the sky.  For one week we move beyond our comfort zones into unpredictable and challenging places.  

Year after year, after the emotional and spiritual challenges of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we head outside to confront our perseverance and our hopeful determination to overcome obstacles. Through the genius of Sukkot, we teach our children to keep going even when that is tough, to hunker down, and to ride out a storm.  Sukkot conditions us for the year ahead -- a year filled with unpredictable, challenging obstacles and profound moments that will test our hope.  Sukkot is the start-of-the-year crucible that forges “grit.” 

By making ourselves vulnerable during Sukkot, we are urged to appreciate the power of the natural world and to become sensitive to the needs of those who lack adequate shelter, food, or security.  We are urged to count our authentic blessings of strength and security in a fragile, unpredictable world.  

May this Sukkot bring for you and your family wisdom to appreciate all that keeps us safe and strength to grow through that which makes us feel insecure.