OCTOBER 1 • 2020 | 21
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield is planning a
masked, physically distanced
Lulav and Etrog Open House
for those who want to experi-
ence the mitzvah and don’
t have
their own set. Registration is
required. The congregation is
also planning two virtual Sukkot
seders at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5,
and Thursday, Oct. 8.
“We’
re going to honor the
Feast of Booths with a special
Sukkot Haggadah recalling
some of our favorite Passover
traditions, including the four
cups, the four questions, a text
study, some beautiful songs and
lots of thoughtful conversation,
”
said Rabbi Aaron Starr.
CREATIVE SUKKOT
Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield is having a two-track
sukkah-building contest. “The
first is for the best decorated
traditional sukkah, with walls
made of wood, tarps, etc.,
” said
Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny.
“Then we are going to have
a second track: best creative
sukkah. Make your sukkah from
cardboard, Legos, skis, whatever.
It just has to be open at the top
so that the stars can be seen. We
want everyone to send us their
sukkah pics so we can share this
holiday together in the most
creative ways.
”
Congregation B’
nai Israel
in West Bloomfield is plan-
ning several outdoor activities,
including a recitation of the
Hallel prayers with lulavs and
etrogs on the afternoon of
Oct. 4, a Hoshana Rabba cer-
emony the morning of Oct. 9,
and hakafot (processions) for
Simchat Torah on the after-
noon of Oct. 11.
To observe the tradition of
honored guests, Congregation
B’
nai Moshe is doing a virtual
tour of congregants’
sukkot.
Each night after evening
minyan, the congregants will
remotely visit the sukkah of one
family, and the hosts will be
invited to talk about the ushpiz-
in they have hosted in the past.
Chabad of Greater
Downtown Detroit has
become well known for its suk-
kah-in-a-shipping-container,
where up to 80 guests would
gather for dinner each night.
This year, Rabbi Yisrael Pinson
and his wife, Devorah, are put-
ting up a smaller sukkah with
latticed sides that allow air to
flow through easily, making it
“almost outdoors.” They plan to
host about 20 people each night
with social distancing. They
will also drive their “mobile
sukkah” to the Detroit homes
of people unable to visit the
Chabad center.
INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS
Individuals are also modify-
ing their traditional Sukkot
practices. Nancy and Mike
Kaplan of West Bloomfield
are planning to build a small-
er sukkah with only two-and-
and-half walls instead of the
usual three-and-a-half. “We
will have only one or two
guests at a time, with a sched-
ule of specific times for guests
to visit. No open houses this
year!” Nancy said.
Mandy Garver and her
husband, Allen Wolf, of
Bloomfield Township, thought
about erecting their sukkah
and inviting small numbers
of guests. But the sukkah is a
complicated design, and they
are both committed election
volunteers. With the holiday
so close to the election, they
decided to use the time and
energy they would normally
put into building the sukkah
and hosting guests into work-
ing on the Biden campaign.
Franki and Jeff Bagdade of
West Bloomfield are build-
ing their first-ever sukkah,
despite the pandemic. It will
be a simple structure — a
pop-up canopy with the roof
and one wall removed — just
big enough for them and their
three children. “I feel like
today more than usual I need
concrete ways for our family
to feel connected,” she said.
LEFT: Carly Sugar’
s 2018 sukkah at her
home in Rosedale Park on the northwest
side of Detroit. BELOW: “Hallel” by Abre
Ettah, New Malden, Britain, UK: This
sukkah, a part of the sukkah design
competition by the Downtown Synagogue
in 2018, brings together the historic
elements of Sukkot — light, water and
festive celebration.