Sukkot is a Jewish holiday dedicated to outdoor social gatherings.

If you’ve never had your own sukkah (small hut for eating and sleeping in during Sukkot), and now you’re ready to try, PJ Library has some tips for you.

Tip #1: Pre-fab is easiest

A simple option for a sukkah you can use year after year after year is a pre-fab “sukkah kit.” These usually include lightweight metal poles that fit together to form a frame, with wrap-around canvas tarps as walls and bamboo mats as roof.

You can watch this PJ Library family putting up their pre-fab sukkah.  (Video takes 2-1/2 minutes, the “building” takes under an hour.)

To explore the pre-fab option, you can visit sukkot.com.  You can also get purchasing recommendations from a local synagogue, Jewish bookstore, or Chabad center.

Tip #2: DIY is cheapest

Another option, especially for families with a head for design and construction, is to buy essential materials from a home improvement store and construct a sukkah that fits your space (and budget).

You can watch this fun explanation of sukkah-building basics:

For the simplest-to-build DIY sukkah we know, with a shopping list and assembly instructions, read this guide from My Jewish Learning.

You can also explore the Internet (especially Pinterest) for a variety of DIY sukkah-building ideas, ranging from wooden-trellis walls to mini PVC-palaces.

Tip #3: There’s room for creativity

The idea of a sukkah is so simple and flexible, it lends itself to great variation and customization.

For pure inspiration (even if the only sukkah you’re planning on entering is someone else’s), check out this short video about a competition called “Sukkah City” in which architects from all over were invited to reimagine the sukkah and build their creative version in New York’s Union Square.

Tip #4: Accessorize

If you’re looking to purchase a ritual lulav and etrog for waving in your sukkah, they are also available at sukkot.com, or may also be for sale locally. (Check with a synagogue, Jewish bookstore, or Chabad center.)  And to surprise your child with a stuffie of a lulav and etrog for Sukkot, or of a Torah scroll for Simchat Torah, try visiting judaica.com or other online vendors.

More

How to Shake The Lulav and Etrog
How to Build a Sukkah
Sukkot Stories 

July 8, 2021