There was as year that I thought about Sukkot early enough to actually make some changes in my Sukkah. For years, I struggled with a self made Sukkah that would take me hours to put up and it never stood up exactly straight. My little kids would run about grabbing and taking my tools and small but crucial parts of the structure which cost me even more time. I dreamed of that day when my kids would be old enough to build the Sukkah themselves while I sat on the porch with my ice tea, “supervising.”

And then one day I decided on a “pre-fab.” That was the best ritual decision I ever made in my life. No more Home Depot at the last minute. No more pipes and wires and bricks and cut branches with their pine needles falling in my soup. Now it would take just one hour and the thing was up and the “schach” was bamboo to be used year after year and it was even “kosher.” Why had I resisted this for so many years? When Yoni was 14, he became the family building “general,” and rallied the troops (his three siblings) to put up the Sukkah and finally, I could sit around and be lazy and fully appreciate the fact that I made it through the High Holidays one more year.

So everyone, I say to you the two sweetest words in Jewish ritual life: “pre-fab.” You won’t be disappointed.

But whether your Sukkah is pre-fab (I can give you the names of some companies that send it to your door, or just “google” it) or made from scratch (Neal Price is an expert on these and available for consultation), the important part of doing this “mitzvah” is simply getting out there and doing it and then using it. Sukkot is the happiest holiday of the year because it gives us time to sit outdoors with our family and friends, share meals and commune with God’s natural world. We put up symbols of the harvest on the walls of the Sukkah to remind us of the miracle of a world that provides us with sustenance and joy.

Take some time to think about how you and your family will observe Sukkot this year. Build a Sukkah (or better yet, have your kids build it!) Plan the meals and invite your friends over. It’s fun; it’s meaningful and neither you nor your children will ever forget the time they spent with you in the backyard putting up the family Sukkah.

Enjoy!

Tammy, Yoni, Shai, Akiva, Aviva and I wish you a wonderful, happy and healthy new year.