Everyone’s a sucker for a good sukkah!
Families gathered at the Shorefront Y in Brighton Beach on Oct. 13 and prepared for the festive Jewish holiday of Sukkot by making decorations to hang in the sukkah — the traditional structure in which observant Jews eat their meals during the week-long holiday.
Youngsters learned about the meaning of Sukkot — which celebrates the harvest season and commemorates the biblical Israelites who lived out of makeshift huts while wandering in the desert for 40 years — in a kid-friendly and interactive way, said one mom who brought her two daughters to the party.
“I was very happy that it actually targeted younger children who can’t go into deep concept of the holiday but appreciate a more basic understanding,” said Brighton Beacher Marina, who declined to give her last name citing privacy. “We did arts and crafts where they actually made pomegranates and oranges, and they would hang it in the sukkah afterwards and actually see the results of their efforts — actually making the sukkah prettier. They definitely loved it.”
And everyone enjoyed some traditional tunes and did a mitzvah by eating a meal in the sukkah, said mom Angela Task from Mill Basin.
“We had the most delicious yummy dinner, and the kids did really cool crafts, they did a nice drum roll and traditional Jewish songs,” she said.
But the decorating party wasn’t just for kids — people of all ages could learn valuable lessons about the holiday and enjoyed celebrating with the community, said Task.
“It’s really nice learning, nice atmosphere, and it was a fun event for all ages,” she said. “I bought my parents too, and they are seniors, and they don’t really know much about this Jewish holiday, so they learned a little bit about it and also were able to connect with other people that follow the same traditions.”
