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Architect George Erdstein has a concept
for a sukkah we all can build.

E

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT

Feel
Good
S TRUCTUR

George
Erdstein:
Something
we should
look forward
to building.

L

ike a planting of fall flowers, Jew- eye hooks that rope will be placed to secure
ish neighborhoods all over the the sukkah. You'll need to buy eye hooks,
world bloom next week with the rope and four half-inch steel pins to place
construction of sukkot.
around the sukkah to secure it.
Each year in the pages of this
The top to hold the schach, greens and
publication and many others are other natural coverings, can consist of pieces
photographs of men, women and of 2-inch by 2-inch wood. To secure these
children building sukkot in many different wood strips to the sukkah, drill holes into
creative ways.
the wood and place them over nails or dow-
For some of us, though, the thought of els hammered into the wood paneled tops
purchasing wood, wielding hammers and of the lattice.
keeping anything standing in the face of a
"I wanted the sukkah made simple
mild breeze is enough to turn the building enough so it could be replicated," said Mr.
of a sukkah into an iffy proposition. Typi- Erdstein. "I designed it with open space in
cally, we hope the family next door is kind mind, because when we look at the uses
enough to invite us for a meal in its sukkah of the sukkah, people like to eat outside and
or that the JCC or nearby temple opens its
some enjoy even sleeping under the stars.
sukkah to everyone.
The lattice makes this possible."
Southfield architect George Erdstein
The sukkah can be shaped as a Jewish
doesn't want anyone left in the spiritual cold star. Again, this is up to individual tastes.
this year. This is why the Huntington For larger interior space, the panels can be
Woods resident and Temple Emanu-El moved out. All in all, the sukkah takes up
member offers up a sukkah that will get about 12 feet by 12 feet.
many of us through the lumber store and
"This is meant to be a feel-good struc-
into our back yards with, perhaps, a little ture," said Mr. Erdstein. "It should be some-
more courage.
thing that you look forward to building." ❑
What he offers are drawings that are
A scale model of the sukkah.
generalized plans without all the
specifics. You'll have to figure out your
own number of hardware items like
screws, paint color and guy lines (sup-
port wires). But Mr. Erdstein offers a
"do-able" concept, one that we can all
adapt to our abilities and personalities.
Two years ago, Mr. Erdstein de-
signed a sukkah that ended up on dis-
play as a model at the Janice Charach
Epstein Museum/Gallery at the Maple-
Drake Jewish Center. When built, it is
big enough for a family to eat in or pray
in. It is designed in the shape of a Jew-
ish star. Best yet, it's easy to build.
Mr. Erdstein recommends purchas-
ing 10 panels of 4-foot by 8-foot lattice
that can be easily hinged together. The
lattice can be framed with any size pres-
sure-treated wood. You'll need 15 hinges
that will be permanently affixed. The
idea is to hinge five pairs of panels.
When you get set to connect them to the
other panels, you'll need approximate-
ly 12 additional hinges. Simply take out
the pins of each hinge when it comes
time to separate the panels. Make sure
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you store the pins in a place where you'll
remember them each year.
On the top of the sukkah, you'll need
to screw in eye hooks. It's through these

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System: 5 pairs of
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trellis members supporting
vegetation above are held
in place by panel-mounted
metal dowels.

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