Faith In Brooklyn for Oct. 1
Brooklyn Architect Erects ‘Living’ Sukkah for Jewish Harvest Holiday
Every year, Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) in Park Slope erects a sukkah for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This year, in the spirit of harvest, the sukkah comes alive.
Park Slope architect and CBE member Susan Doban has constructed a “living” sukkah in which one of the walls is made entirely of plants. The sukkah went up Sept. 24 and will stand until Oct. 7 on the corner of Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue in Park Slope.
Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. It also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai. Sukkot is marked by several distinct traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is to erect a sukkah — a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot (in this case, the plural of sukkah) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating, entertaining and even for sleeping.