The Great Sukkah Rescue
A Chabotville read-along picture book.
Chabotville, Episode two. The Great Sukkah Rescue!
Look, crew! It's the big city sukkah, right in the town square. Sukkot starts tomorrow!
Sukkot is a seven-day holiday. People eat in a sukkah, a little hut, to remember the huts the Israelites lived in, in the desert, long ago.
Whoa. That wind is really picking up.
Then a big gust of wind came along... and the city sukkah tipped right over. Flop!
Oh no! Is everyone okay?
Nobody was inside. Everyone's safe!
Then let's save the day. Builder Crew, let's rebuild it!
First, we clean up. Sort it, spot it, snap it!
Watch out for pointy sticks, and always ask a grown-up to help with the heavy lifting.
Now let's figure out why it fell. Look. These walls weren't braced, and nothing was tied tight.
Shalom, Builder Crew!
Every question is a good question! First, a sukkah's walls have to be sturdy enough to stand in a normal wind, without blowing or swaying.
Good news: the walls can be made of almost anything. Wood, cloth tied tight, even toy bricks!
A sukkah needs at least three walls. By the rules, two full walls and part of a third can be enough.
But lots of people build three or four whole walls, to be extra sure.
Then let's build four strong walls, with braces in every corner!
Inside, a sukkah must be at least about three feet tall, and no higher than twenty cubits. That's about thirty feet.
Not too short, not too tall. Just right!
Walls are done! Quick, let's throw this plastic tarp on top for a roof!
Wait, Zipley! The roof of a sukkah has a special name. It's called schach.
Schach has to be plants that grew from the ground and were cut off, like branches, bamboo, or palm leaves.
So no plastic, no metal... and no bricks on top!
And nothing may be above the schach. No tree, and no roof.
How much schach? Enough to make more shade than sun inside.
But not too thick! It's best if you can still see the big stars peeking through at night.
Our sages teach that the sukkah reminds us of the clouds of glory that protected the Israelites in the desert.
Walls tight. Nothing hanging over us. Branches on top. Check, check, check!
All checks done. The new city sukkah is ready, and it's strong!
Now let's remix it! Decorating the sukkah is a happy custom.
Paper chains, hanging fruit, and drawings from the kids of Botsville!
Decorations aren't a rule. They're a tradition that makes the sukkah feel special.
Dinner time! Our first meal in the new sukkah!
During Sukkot, we eat our meals in the sukkah, like it's our home for the week.
This is the lulav. It's a palm branch, bound together with myrtle, called hadassim, and willow, called aravot.
And this is the etrog. It's a citron, a yellow fruit that smells amazing!
We say the blessing, al netilat lulav, then wave them in all six directions.
Stand facing east. Wave to the right, toward the south. Then left, toward the north. Then forward, toward the east.
Then up, then down, and back over your right shoulder, to the west!
Chag Sameach, Builder Crew!
Chag Sameach, everyone! Happy holiday!
Can you remember?
Why did the city sukkah tip over?
What is the special roof covering of a sukkah called?
How much schach goes on top?
You did it!
Today's sukkah tips: at least three walls, sturdy enough to stand in the wind.
Not too short, and not too tall.
Schach made from plants, more shade than sun, and nothing above it.
Then decorate, eat your meals inside, and enjoy!
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Made with love by a Nana and her grandkids, with help from the bots of Botsville USA.
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