More than you ever wanted to know about a sukkah

Posted on by mcohen15

As I mentioned in my last post, the sukkah is the temporary hut for the holiday of Sukkot.  We visited a park halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv called Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve.  It is an attempt to recreate the landscape of biblical times.  It was started in the 1920s and in 1999 won the Israel Prize.  It is particularly popular this time of year for its special sukkah exhibit.

This gives you an idea of what the landscape looked like in biblical times. It hasn't changed a whole lot since them. It has been quite hot here but is starting to cool down a little.
This gives you an idea of what the landscape looked like in biblical times. It hasn’t changed a whole lot since them. It has been quite hot here but is starting to cool down a little.
An ancient grain mill that would have been turned by animals to grind the wheat into flour. The guide estimated this one from about 100 BCE.
An ancient grain mill that would have been turned by animals to grind the wheat into flour. The guide estimated this one from about 100 BCE.
Some kids really got into grinding the wheat and hopefully none of their appendages.
Some kids really got into grinding the wheat and hopefully none of their appendages.
Olive trees have existed in this region for 1000s of years and are an important source of shade, food, and of course oil. This is obviously a more modern version where the olives are put into those special baskets and then pressed to release the oil.
Olive trees have existed in this region for 1000s of years and are an important source of shade, food, and of course oil. This is obviously a more modern version where the olives are put into those special baskets and then pressed to release the oil.
For this ancient one the kids tried to be the animals who would have turned the stone. Not too successful but they had a valiant try.
For this ancient one the kids tried to be the animals who would have turned the stone. Not too successful but they had a valiant try.
We know how important water is in our part of the world but in this part of the world it's even more precious. This is an example of an ancient well.
We know how important water is in our part of the world but in this part of the world it’s even more precious. This is an example of an ancient well.
The sukkah exhibit showed which types of sukkot are "kosher" (okay to use) and which ones are not okay. As I mentioned in my last post during the week of Sukkot one is supposed to sit in the sukkah for all meals. Here is a family enjoying a picnic in one of the "kosher" sukkahs.
The sukkah exhibit showed which types of sukkot are “kosher” (okay to use) and which ones are not okay. As I mentioned in my last post during the week of Sukkot one is supposed to sit in the sukkah for all meals. Here is a family enjoying a picnic in one of the “kosher” sukkahs.
People also sleep in their sukkah.
People also sleep in their sukkah.
The front part of this sukkah is kosher but the back part (too permanent) is not.
The front part of this sukkah is kosher but the back part (too permanent) is not.
A sukkah with a donkey as one of it's walls is not considered kosher. The donkey stood with his head through the hole the entire time we were there.
A sukkah with a donkey as one of it’s walls is not considered kosher. The donkey stood with his head through the hole the entire time we were there.
But a sukkah on top of a camel is okay as long as the camel doesn't travel anywhere during the proscribed festival days.
But a sukkah on top of a camel is okay as long as the camel doesn’t travel anywhere during the proscribed festival days.
One might think a sukkah on a cart is not okay because it is too portable but it counts as okay though the walls seemed too open to me.
One might think a sukkah on a cart is not okay because it is too portable but it counts as okay though the walls seemed too open to me.
This one has no roof, or at least you can't tell the walls from the roof and the sukkah must have at least three walls.
This one has no roof, or at least you can’t tell the walls from the roof and the sukkah must have at least three walls.
This one only has two walls.
This one only has two walls.
This one is too tall
This one is too tall
Looking up through the roof of the too tall sukkah.
Looking up through the roof of the too tall sukkah.
This one was my favorite. I liked all the textures and it felt really cozy inside.
This one was my favorite. I liked all the textures and it felt really cozy inside.
Outside of my favorite one.
Outside of my favorite one.

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