User:LavenderCloud/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Sukkot

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
As a Jew who was aware of this holiday coming up, I was curious as to whether the Wikipedia page would be accurate or sufficient for a lesser known Jewish holiday. Proper representation of this holiday is significant because mischaracterizations of Jewish beliefs and practices have contributed to stereotypes, generalizations, and, therefore, antisemitism in the past. My preliminary impression of the article was that it did a relatively good job of representing the holiday, though it passed over aspects of the traditions and laws that I am familiar with that seem significant to the holiday.

Evaluate the article
The lead of the article is not the most effective. Its introductory sentence solely mentions when the holiday takes place and from where it is derived. It then goes on to elaborate on the multiple names for the holidays, which is not discussed later in the article; I would argue it belongs in its own sub-section, not in the introduction. The rest of the introduction is much better, providing an overview of the practices of the holiday and its origins, though I would like to have seen a reference to the significance of the holiday or the values surrounding it.

In dealing with a historically underrepresented population, the content of the article provides adequate detail to the holiday. I would have expected to see more detail under the Sukkah section, but I see the author has linked to a separate Wikipedia page that provides the proper degree of elaboration.

The article strikes a neutral tone with facts frequently cited, contributing to its trustworthiness. There are many pictures in the article, all adequately captioned. They appear to all abide by copyright regulations, though they are all located on the right side of the page; perhaps some more variety would make it more visually appealing.

The talk page includes discussions of clarifying the name and duration of the holiday, a request for a better picture, a request to include a traditional celebration that takes place in Israel during the holiday, and efforts to combat the vandalism that has apparently been taking place on the page itself. The article is included in five WikiProjects, all of which are of C-Class top or high-importance, while the article itself has been designated as a level-5 vital article.

Overall, the article could be written more concisely and clearly for a reader unfamiliar with the topic. Right now, the overall tone is convoluted. There are many technical details on the history and practice of the holiday, but there is a key content gap without any religious significance of the holiday for many Jews. There is no discussion of the values underlying the holiday or what Jews pray for in the many services referenced.