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Building memories in your backyard succah
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By ELLEN SCHUR BROWN
Editor, Family Section
There are certain Jewish memories from his childhood David Burg will never lose: dancing at Simchat Torah, Friday night dinners, and building a succah with his father.
Burg describes driving to a marsh outside his native Boston to cut schach (succah roofing).
“My dad had this machete he brought back from Africa,” says Burg. “He was going back in time in his own way,” taking something meaningful from his trips to Africa and tying it to something Jewish for his son. They cut down 12-ft. cattails, tied them to the station wagon, and drove home to finish the roof of the succah.
“It’s indelibly seared into my memory,” says Burg.
The holiday of Succot, which begins tonight (Oct. 2) at sundown, is a weeklong fall harvest festival. To recall the time Israelites wandered the desert, Jews today observe Succot by building temporary huts with open roofs for sleeping or eating in backyards, on decks or on porches.
About seven years ago, Burg’s young family moved to a house in Solon, and he knew it was time to to renew the succah tradition with his children, Sydni, now 10, Isaiah, 9, Eden, 7, and Rubie, 6. He hired a carpenter to design a succah out of wood panels, which the family reconstructs every year. He expects his children will never forget pulling the succah out of the shed, panel by panel. “It’s in their kishkas (guts).”
“My dad taught me how to build and fix things,” says Burg’s fourth-grade son Isaiah. “I fixed a drawer.”
Burg’s wife Avril also loves family traditions around this holiday.
“When we put up the first wall every year, we measure the kids and see who’s grown the most. I always lose,” laments the petite mom. Avril kicks back and takes pictures while David builds the four walls, “It’s a guy thing, building,” she quips.
Everyone helps with the roof and decorations, using artwork the kids make at Gross Schechter Day School.
“The greatest thing is having other families over for Shabbat dinners and dessert parties,” Avril says.
Welcoming guests, or ushpizin, is an important part of Succot celebrations. Every day, the family gathers in the succah as their father lays tefillin and recites the blessings on the lulav and etrog, the palm frond and citron fruit used in the Succot ritual, a thanksgiving for the bounty of the land.
Jews are supposed to “dwell” in the succah, and the Burgs hope to sleep at least one night in the succah, depending on the Northeast Ohio weather. “The kids don’t always last the whole night,” says Avril, “but it’s an adventure.”
This year, the Burgs have a new succah, built by the JFX (Jewish Family Experience) community as part of a succah building workshop held Tues., Sept. 29.
“We’re always looking for ways to get families engaged in a Jewish mitzvah,” says Rabbi Sruly Koval, director of the independent family-focused learning center in Shaker Heights.
Several JFX families gathered in the Burgs’ backyard for a primer on such-building and observing this biblical festival.
“We want everyone to realize how simple this is,” says Koval. “Anybody can do it,”
Well … with a little hand-holding from the experts. “I’m relying on some of the men who know how to use a drill,” jokes Koval.
One such expert, amateur succah builder Jonathan Heisetz, chose the materials for the Burgs’ new succah. The lumber, hardware, lighting and supplies cost $250 at Lowe’s. Kits are available online for a do-it-yourself project or a pop-up prefab model (www.sukkahdepot.com).
Beyond the building and the parties, Succot has an important message, Koval stresses.
“It’s the idea of being grateful for things we take for granted, like food and shelter,” says Koval.” We’re supposed to try and find meaning in small things and appreciate nature.”
ebrown@cjn.org
Burg describes driving to a marsh outside his native Boston to cut schach (succah roofing).
“My dad had this machete he brought back from Africa,” says Burg. “He was going back in time in his own way,” taking something meaningful from his trips to Africa and tying it to something Jewish for his son. They cut down 12-ft. cattails, tied them to the station wagon, and drove home to finish the roof of the succah.
“It’s indelibly seared into my memory,” says Burg.
The holiday of Succot, which begins tonight (Oct. 2) at sundown, is a weeklong fall harvest festival. To recall the time Israelites wandered the desert, Jews today observe Succot by building temporary huts with open roofs for sleeping or eating in backyards, on decks or on porches.
About seven years ago, Burg’s young family moved to a house in Solon, and he knew it was time to to renew the succah tradition with his children, Sydni, now 10, Isaiah, 9, Eden, 7, and Rubie, 6. He hired a carpenter to design a succah out of wood panels, which the family reconstructs every year. He expects his children will never forget pulling the succah out of the shed, panel by panel. “It’s in their kishkas (guts).”
“My dad taught me how to build and fix things,” says Burg’s fourth-grade son Isaiah. “I fixed a drawer.”
Burg’s wife Avril also loves family traditions around this holiday.
“When we put up the first wall every year, we measure the kids and see who’s grown the most. I always lose,” laments the petite mom. Avril kicks back and takes pictures while David builds the four walls, “It’s a guy thing, building,” she quips.
Everyone helps with the roof and decorations, using artwork the kids make at Gross Schechter Day School.
“The greatest thing is having other families over for Shabbat dinners and dessert parties,” Avril says.
Welcoming guests, or ushpizin, is an important part of Succot celebrations. Every day, the family gathers in the succah as their father lays tefillin and recites the blessings on the lulav and etrog, the palm frond and citron fruit used in the Succot ritual, a thanksgiving for the bounty of the land.
Jews are supposed to “dwell” in the succah, and the Burgs hope to sleep at least one night in the succah, depending on the Northeast Ohio weather. “The kids don’t always last the whole night,” says Avril, “but it’s an adventure.”
This year, the Burgs have a new succah, built by the JFX (Jewish Family Experience) community as part of a succah building workshop held Tues., Sept. 29.
“We’re always looking for ways to get families engaged in a Jewish mitzvah,” says Rabbi Sruly Koval, director of the independent family-focused learning center in Shaker Heights.
Several JFX families gathered in the Burgs’ backyard for a primer on such-building and observing this biblical festival.
“We want everyone to realize how simple this is,” says Koval. “Anybody can do it,”
Well … with a little hand-holding from the experts. “I’m relying on some of the men who know how to use a drill,” jokes Koval.
One such expert, amateur succah builder Jonathan Heisetz, chose the materials for the Burgs’ new succah. The lumber, hardware, lighting and supplies cost $250 at Lowe’s. Kits are available online for a do-it-yourself project or a pop-up prefab model (www.sukkahdepot.com).
Beyond the building and the parties, Succot has an important message, Koval stresses.
“It’s the idea of being grateful for things we take for granted, like food and shelter,” says Koval.” We’re supposed to try and find meaning in small things and appreciate nature.”
ebrown@cjn.org
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