Kitah Hey is Reimaging the Sukkah

Dear 5^th Grade Parents,

We’ve had a fantastic few class sessions. The children are very excited about our fall holiday project: Reimaging the Sukkah. Our children are reimagining the ancient structure known as a Sukkah; built during the Jewish harvest of Sukkot since biblical times (Leviticus 22:26-23:42). During Sukkot we celebrate and give gratitude for the harvest. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the Sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home. Weather permitting, some even sleep there.

We are challenging our children to explore what a halachic Sukkah could look like when incorporating the Jewish values (Hachnasaht Orichim – Welcoming Guest, Chesed – Kindness, Bal Taschit – Do Not Destroy, etc.) that they’ve learned about at CSZ over the last several years.  The Sukkah also comes with parameters:

·         The structure must be temporary.

·         It must have at least two-and-a-half-walls.

·         It must have a roof made of shade-providing organic materials through which one can see the stars.

The twist on this competition is that the kids only need to build a mini sukkah – not to exceed 1 ft. x 1ft. in height or length.

We will showcase our children’s model Sukkot for all families on Sunday, October 12.

Ask your child what sort of building materials their team is using to reimagine the sukkah? What Jewish mitzvoth or values does he/she think are the most important to incorporate into building a sukkah?

A few other housekeeping notes:

·         The children are working in chevruta (small groups of approximately 4 students) to craft their model Sukkot. Their regular attendance is especially appreciated as we create these community models

·         Please send you child with a tote or backpack to carry their Religious School materials in on both Sundays and Tuesdays.

Thank you,

Morah Cillia Kleiman