In Hebrew, Shemini Atzeret literally means the Eighth (Shemini) day of Assembly (Atzeret) — an eighth day of gathering and celebration that follows Sukkot. Both connected to Sukkot and a distinct holiday of its own, Shemini Atzeret exists to elevate the spiritual aspects of this seven day festival, among them our connection to the natural world. It is on this day that the traditional liturgy shifts to include prayers for rain, a reflection of our ancestors’ dependency on the often fickle weather patterns of the ancient Near East and a reminder of our own charged relationship to climate and the environment.