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Home For The Holidays

How to build a sukkah.

y

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Apple Tree Editor

ou do not have to be Frank
Lloyd Wright.
You don't have to be a
Marine with a lot of

strength
Building a sukkah can, in fact, be
relatively easy and quick and requires
no architectural knowl-
edge. If you've never had
your own, why not give
it a try this year?
Here are the basic
rules you'll need to build
your own sukkah:

.

the many art projects children and
grandchildren have made, or you may
want to hang decorative or real fruits.
You can make paper chains, and lami-
nate holiday cards and posters to place
on the walls.
Interestingly, if you happen to visit a
Lubavitch sukkah, you'll see no deco-
rations. This is because Lubavitch rab-
bis have declared these unnecessary as

• A sukkah must have
at least three walls.
• It must stand under
the open sky, so be care-
ful that yours is not too
near a tree or under your
roof. If branches do
overhang part of your
sukkah, you should con-
sult your rabbi to see if
these pose a problem.
• There are no rules about L : Many sukkot line the sukkah is complete in
itself.
the size of a sukkah. You can the balconies of Mea
• Atop the sukkah,
make yours as large as TV
Shearim in Jerusalem.
place schach, natural
producer Aaron Spelling's
mansion (that's the one with Right: A sukkah made materials such as tree
branches or bamboo
the indoor bowling alley) or of bamboo, steel, rope,
mats. This is your "roof."
as small as a telephone
branches, twigs, straw
You
need to be certain
booth (Superman would
and sand.
that these are not so
appreciate the latter).
thick that the rain cannot
• Sukkah walls may be
penetrate the sukkah. But
made of any material. Some
don't worry about what
popular choices: chipboard,
you
see at night; it is a
plywood, corrugated plastic,
popular
misconception
canvas and vinyl. For the
that
the
covering
on
the
sukkah
frame, consider wood, metal or plastic
should allow the stars to shine
pipe (though the latter must be
through.
weighed down with sandbags).
• You may not repair a sukkah dur-
• For convenience sake, virtually all
ing the holiday, so make certain it's
sukkot are square or rectangular —
sturdy.
and this most easily meets the require-
• While we are obligated to be in
ment of having three walls. If, howev-
the
sukkah as much as possible during
er, you come up with something cre-
the
holiday, this is not the case in
Halachot,
ative that still fulfills the
inclement weather. In fact, Halachah
there is no reason your sukkah cannot
tells use we must not stay in the
be any shape you want.
sukkah if there's a great deal of rain.
• Some rabbinic sources stipulate
• Before you select the material with
that a sukkah should be "adorned."
which
to build your sukkah, consider
This means a great opportunity- to use

exactly where you plan to store this
when it's not in use. Chipboard sukkot
are popular, but they will need to be
kept indoors or tightly covered
throughout the rest of the year. The
other favorite, canvas sukkot, are light-
weight, easy to store and simple to set
up, but you may face problems during
the holiday if there's a harsh wind.
Jewish stores often sell sukkot, or

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they can be ordered off the Internet.
On the Internet, you might want to
check out Leiter's Sukkahs, which
claims to be the largest sukkah manu-
facturer in the world. The site is at:
wwvv.leiterssulduh.corn
It includes many kinds of sukkot and
gives assembly directions, as well. Or,
call the company at 1-800-422-9199.
If you're ordering a sukkah, expect to
pay anywhere from several hundred
dollars to more than $1,000. The top
price will buy you a large, wooden
variety.
If you want to build your own
sukkah, a great Web site to visit is:
www.bethelsudbury.org/sukkah
Congregation Beth El of the Sudbury
River Valley in Sudbury, Mass., has
created a good site for those making
their own sukkah from scratch, using
sheet rock. There are clear directions
and illustrations that will take you
from start to finish. Be advised, how-
ever, that this is a complicated project
that will require time and patience. _7

Jerry Ress-Ml Bred

all for a f
video consultati

Lorio Ross
Entertainment mc

Call (248) 398-9711

505 S. Lafayette • Royal Oak
www.lorioross.com

9/28
2001

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