Class 1 enjoyed an outdoor session in the school grounds this week with Mrs Hall linking some RE with Forest School activities. They learnt to build a Jewish sukkah, a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. The children used tarpaulin and topped it with branches as these structures are often decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes.
According to rabbinic tradition, these tent-like structures represent the huts in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. The festival of Sukkot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of the Jewish year.
The rabbis of the Talmud stipulated that a sukkah should have at least three walls and a covering. The walls can be of any material, but should be sturdy enough to withstand an ordinary wind. The roof should be made out of thatch or branches, which provides some shade and protection from the sun, but also allows the stars to be seen at night.
It is traditional to decorate the sukkah and hang fruit and fragrant plants inside. During the holiday, Jews traditionally spend as much time in the sukkah as possible. Weather permitting, meals are eaten in the sukkah, and some people even to choose to sleep in the sukkah.
