Special Sukkot Sukkah

Like every year, the Sukkot holiday is a busy time

in Jerusalem, Israel.

There is so much to prepare,

Sukkos Jerusalem

and great concentration is invested in

Jerusalem esrog market

every little detail.

I set out to find something new and different,

from the best of sukkot of the past years,

to add to favorite sukkot of Sukkot.

sukka Haas Promenade

The view from the sukkah on the Tayelet,

the Haas Promenade, was one of the best.

Kossel Succos

This huge sukkah under construction in the Kotel plaza,

the Western Wall, was impressive.

large cloth sukka on street

Large cloth sukkot line many streets.

Rova sukka

In the Rova, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City,

in front of the Hurva Synagogue

stands an impressive wooden sukkah.

sukka in Jerusalem Israel

The sukkah in the atrium of the Inbal Hotel

was decorated elegantly.

Jerusalem sukka on a roof

I caught the top of  this sukkah in Yemin Moshe,

peeking over the roof tops.

Jerusalem sukka

There were impressive wooden structures.

sukka Jerusalem

some hidden away in the Geula neighborhood.

But where could I find special and different for this year?

I went on a pre-Sukkot photo walk on Friday morning.

We started out in Mea Shearim,

but on the way to Machane Yehuda market,

I made a mistake and turned up the wrong alleyway.

Jerusalem sukka

There I found what seemed to be another wooden sukkah,

boards in alley in Geula

with a pile of junk nearby.

But sometimes.

one photo does not tell the whole story.

I was told that

Jerusalem sukka

people in the neighborhood had collected

all their old wooden doors and dressers and scraps of wood

walls of sukka Jerusalem

and given them to a group of young yeshiva men

who were living in their neighborhood,

so they could build their own sukkah.

It may not be the biggest or the prettiest sukkah,

 but it is one of my favorite stories.

Maybe the detour was not a mistake after all?

They posted this sign near the entrance:

Sukkot Jerusalem

הרחמן הוא יקים לנו את סוכת דוד הנפלת

May the Compassionate One restore the fallen sukkah of King David.

Western WAll

As the Kotel, Western Wall Plaza fills

with tens of thousands of people for the Birkat Kohanim

and Hakhel prayers this year,

 the buses join in wishing everyone

sukka bus sign Jerusalem

Moadim l”Simcha.

Best of Sukkot in Jerusalem

Every year around the Sukkot holiday things are very hectic,

with thousands of visitors, lots of guests and crazy traffic.

More than once I saw a taxi or car on the road stop short,

and someone inside yells out greetings to old friend.

Then when the cars behind start honking too loudly they drive away.

One of the largest crowds every year is for the Birkat Kohanim,

the Priestly Blessing at the Kotel, the Western Wall.

sukkot kotel 5775 092b

This year, though it seemed less crowded,

it was still hard to get good photos of the prayers

as security would not allow anyone to stand on the steps in back.

Afterwards there was some singing and dancing,

sukkot kotel 5775 110b

and some blew the large shofar the man dressed in white was holding.

Rivlin - Ban Moon 002b

The Sukkah Open House at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence,

drew large crowds again.

Rivlin - Moon 2 002b

Colorful exhibits lined the grounds,

Rivlin - Moon 2 004b

with this “recycle elephant” really popular for photos.

Rivlin - Moon 2 012b

The public could walk through the large sukkah 

to the grounds for the entertainment.

Rivlin - Moon 2 009b

At end of the day one man was taking a ‘selfie’ on the stage.

But one of my favorite sukkot this year,

Tekoa 007b

was in a new gas station.

This one, privately owned, is closed on Shabbat and had a sukkah.

Many events that were postponed from the summer took place this week,

which meant that there were dozens of things happening.

Besides the Formula Cars,

there was the annual Israel Museum Kite Festival,

sukkot 4 14 005b

and street festivals.

sukkot kotel 5775 166b

The music has begun in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park, for the Jerusalem March,

which is the colorful parade held every year

and many more things than I can mention.

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Roads in and out of Jerusalem, Israel, are full of cars and buses,

I loved the long lines of cars parked on the road to Herodian!

sukkot 4 14 004

People are trying to celebrate as much as possible in a few days,

in and around Jerusalem!

חג שמח