Wondering what that spray painted wooden rectangle is on the lawn outside of Olin? It’s a sukkah (Hebrew for “booth” or temporary shelter), in honor of the Jewish harvest festival Sukkot. Sukkot commemorates the Israelites’ wandering in the desert before they reached the Promised Land of Israel. Jews are commanded to build a sukkah to remember the impermanence of their ancestor’s exhile. A sukkah must be open on at least one side, and have a roof of natural materials with enough holes that one may see the sky above. A sukkah is often decorated with leaves, fruits, vegetables, and flowers in honor or autumn and the harvest before winter.
So, sit in the sukkah, eat in the sukkah, sleep in the sukkah – you’ll be fulfilling a mitzvah (commandment)! Please respect the space.
Sukkot lasts for 7 days, Oct. 17-24.
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