Building and decorating ideas that will
leave everyone with lots of pleasant Jewish memories-and
not too many sore muscles! The seven-day holiday
of Sukkot is Judaism's harvest festival. It's a mitzvah
to "dwell" (at least to eat, maximally to
sleep) in one's sukkah (booth) during the entire week,
barring inclement weather.
My family built its first sukkah when I was a
teenager. My parents rigged walls out of colorful,
batik-style cloth from K-Mart, and we hung the leafy roof
with fresh fruit. I ate all my meals in our sukkah,
including breakfast on some uncharacteristically frosty
Texas mornings.
Since then, I've enjoyed many diverse and wonderful
sukkot (plural), including a simple wilderness sukkah
made of fallen branches; a penthouse sukkah overlooking
the Mediterranean; and a romantic, candlelit sukkah on a
hillside deck. Looking back, our first sukkah was a
turning point in my family's Jewish life, a sign of
intensified interest and involvement in our Jewish roots.
Building that first sukkah is a hands-on, holistic Jewish
experience that creates magic and memories for the entire
family.
1. Simple Sukkah Setup | 2. The Roof | 3. Decorations | 4. Mobiles |
5. Put out the Welcome Mat | 6. Mystical guests 7. Go regional | 8. Go Israeli |
9. Indulge Your Childhood Christmas Tree Frustrations | 10. Light Up the Night-Safely
1. Simple Sukkah Set-up
A sukkah may utilize a standing wall, such as the side of
the house. It must be at least 3 feet high, but no taller
than 30 feet! The roof of schach (rhymes with
"Bach") or natural materials, is crucial (see tip #2).
There are at least two ways to build a sukkah. The
first is to purchase a sukkah-making kit for $36 from The
Sukkah Project (c/o Steve Henry Woodcraft, 4 Pine Tree
Lane, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919-489-7325). The kit
includes a step-by step assembly guide and all the
necessary hardware. (The lumber, standard two-by-fours,
should be purchased locally and will cost about $50.) The
makers call it a "klutz-proof" project and
emphasize the ease of set-up, which requires "only a
screwdriver" and a couple of reasonably energetic
people.
For those out there who are
even screwdriver-shy, or just too busy to do a real
building job, there is a simpler (but more expensive)
option. Instant sukkah kits consisting of a tubular
frame, canvas walls, and sometimes bamboo poles for
schach are available from some Jewish gift shops,
bookstores, sukkah markets, or by calling 1-800-JUDAISM.Most
instant sukkot will set you back at least a few hundred
dollars. But if you imagine the amortized cost over many
years and figure in the accrued savings in time, it may
be the best real-estate investment you ever made.
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2. The Roof
Schach is the Hebrew name for the natural materials
used for the roof. One tradition holds that it represents
the "clouds of glory" that billowed atop the
Israelite camp during their desert sojourn.
The schach must provide more shade than sun yet allow
the sky to be seen peeking through. It must be made of
natural items in their natural state (i.e., boards won't
do), but cut rather than growing (don't train a vine to
grow over your sukkah roof or build it right under a
tree).
Plan ahead to find the optimum topping
for your sukkah. If you just pile on plain deciduous
greens from your lawn or a tree, you may end up with a
dry, brown sukkah by the festival's end, which is neither
kosher nor aesthetic. Which type of schach you opt for
depends on what is available in your area. In southern
locations, there's nothing like palm leaves, while up
north evergreen pine boughs might be a more logical pick.
Bamboo (fresh with leaves, or smooth and dried) and
rushes can also be used.
If you live in a large Jewish community, schach may be
available for sale at a sukkah market. Otherwise, check
well in advance with a local gardening service or Parks
& Recreation Department for trimmings. We have also
had good luck getting palm leaves donated by the local
Botanical Gardens.
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