omerdec2021x2

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!







A"Sukkah"or"Succah"is"a"temporary"structure"like"a"booth"used"by"Jews"during"
the"Fes:val"of"Sukkot."Known"in"English"as"the"Fes:val"of"Tabernacles.

The"sukkak"is"tradi:onally"topped"with"branches"and"leaves"and"ideally"with"

gaps"in"the"roof"to"allow"starlight"in""at"night.""The"Sukkak"is"a"reminder"of"the"
booths"used"by"the"ancient"Israelites"in"the"wanderings"for"40"years"in"the"Sinai"
wilderness"in"prepara:on"for""their"entry"into"the"Promised"Land.


The"Sukkah"can"be"interpreted"as"a"place"of"refuge.




In"October"2022"several"people"decided"to"create"a"temporary"structure"H"a"
sukkah"in"the"Sheffield"Winter"Gardens.




”A"Sukkah"for"Our"Times.”





The"Winter"Gardens"is"an"award"winning"glass"and"wooden"structure""built"in"
the"heart"of"the"city"with"trees"and"vegeta:on"from"around"the"world."It"is"the"
largest"urban"glasshouse"in"Europe."With"its"temperate"climate"it"is"itself"a"

place"of"refuge"open"in"all"weathers.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!




Max$Munday

The$inspira0on$for$this$installa0on5art$event$came$from$discussions$in$one$of$the$

workshops$I$facilitated$as$part$of$my$doctoral$research.This$

work$explores$Jewish$iden0ty$and$memory$through$non5
conven0onal$forms$of$scholarship:$specifically,$what$is$

generated$through$different$forms$of$art$prac0ce$in$a$group$

and$solo$seCng$in$order$to$reach$towards$what$cannot$easily$

be$put$into$words.$OFen$when$discussing$aspects$of$iden0ty$
and$the$role$of$the$past$in$crea0ng$our$present$and$shaping$

our$future,$those$words$can$become$fixed$and$heavy$with$

meaning$that$others$have$placed$on$them.$My$research$
seeks$to$create$spaces$in$which$we$move$with$more$fluid$

understandings$of$being$and$of$becoming.




The$inspira0on$for$this$installa0on5art$event$came$from$discussions$in$one$of$the$
workshops$I$facilitated$as$part$of$my$doctoral$research.$This$work$explores$Jewish$

iden0ty$and$memory$through$non5conven0onal$forms$of$scholarship:$specifically,$

what$is$generated$through$different$forms$of$art$prac0ce$in$a$group$and$solo$seCng$

in$order$to$reach$towards$what$cannot$easily$be$put$into$words.$OFen$when$
discussing$aspects$of$iden0ty$and$the$role$of$the$past$in$crea0ng$our$present$and$

shaping$our$future,$those$words$can$become$fixed$and$heavy$with$meaning$that$

others$have$placed$on$them.$My$research$seeks$to$create$spaces$in$which$we$move$
with$more$fluid$understandings$of$being$and$of$becoming.




A$Sukkah$for$ourTimes’$took$place$in$the$Winter$Garden$in$Sheffield$on$12,$13$and$14$

October$2022$during$Sukkot.$It$was$not$part$of$my$research$but$instead$sat$
somewhere$between$that$work$and$the$personal$interests$of$a$small$group$of$people$

who$are$all$in$some$ways$connected$with$Seven$Hills$Shul.






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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!!con3nued

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Aaron&Lessor

I&was&amazed&by&the&beauty&of&seeing&a&Sukkah&set&up&in&an&indoor&public&garden&
surrounding&by&the&concrete&buildings&of&the&City&centre.&I&had&not&been&

in&one&for&about&20&years.&

The&colours&were&vivid&B&from&the&greens&and&whites&of&the&hanging&vine&

leaves,&the&finely&&&polished&wood&of&Max's&double&bass,&the&rich&blue&of&
Ken's&clothing,&the&veinBlike&threads&of&blue&hanging&and&messages&

wriIen&on&yellow&paper&hanging&&from&the&structure.

The&structure,&whilst&porous&and&public,&created&an&inJmate&sanctuary.&It&held&the&

stories&people&felt&moved&to&share&B&anecdotes,&memories,&grief,&joy&related&to&their&
ancestors.

The&Sukkah&welcomed&wandering&and&wondering&Jews,&friends&and&community.&An&

Israeli&sportsman&in&town&for&a&sports&event&came&inside&for&a&chat.&The&first&female&and&
openly&gay&rabbi&leM&us&a&message&there&whilst&passing&through&one&night.

I&have&felt&privileged&to&be&part&of&Max's&creaJve&projects&into&Jewish&idenJty.&It&has&

been&a&process&of&acceptance,&healing&and&connecJon&to&myself&and&others.




con3nued!next!page!




































OMER Dec 2022 Page 18

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!con3nued!

Ken$Okafor

My$astonishing$experience$in$the$Sukkah,$located$in$the$Winter$Gardens,$sounded$like$an$

excellent$opportunity$to$interact$with$mul>ple$ancestors$within$one$space.$The$
environment$consis>ng$of$indoor$trees$and$plants$compliments$the$concept$of$

construc>ng$a$temporary$shelter$inside$the$space$but$also$reflects$upon$how$Israelites$
travelled$around$the$regions.

On$the$day$of$wearing$my$blue$indigo$tagelmust$coEon$scarf$with$gandoura,$tradi>onal$
dress$with$a$kufi$cap$represents$an$overall$iden>ty$of$my$ancestors$across$North$Africa$

and$West$Africa.$The$purpose$of$wearing$the$ouIits$in$the$Sukkah$is$to$in>mately$connect$

with$my$mul>ple$ancestors$who$had$to$protect$themselves$from$the$harshness$of$the$
desert$(wind,$sand,$rain,$sun$and$cold),$which$discoloured$their$skin$through$>me.$My$

ancestors$travelled$across$the$subLSahara$Desert$to$travel$from$one$area$to$another,$

where$they$were$required$to$learn$industrious,$prac>cal$skills$such$as$blacksmiths$and$
woodcarving.$

The$public$reac>on$to$the$Sukkah$was$very$posi>ve$from$all$
communi>es$in$Sheffield$with$children$and$adults$walking$past$

with$excitement,$spontaneous$and$curious$responses.$The$finest$
responses$in$my$Sukkah$experience$were$when$a$group$of$school$

children$asked$me$if$I$am$genie$(because$of$my$blue$tradi>onal$

blue$ouIit)$that$prompted$them$to$see$if$I$can$give$them$three$
wishes.$I$completely$laughed$with$everyone$on$their$ques>on$but$

coincidentally$one$of$my$ancestors$were$from$the$Arab$peninsula$
so$there$was$a$form$of$magic$spirituality$in$the$Sukkah$despite$the$ouIit.



As$an$architectural$designer,$the$temporary$sukkah$in$the$Winter$Gardens$holds$a$

collec>on$of$how$we$interpret$and$interact$with$our$ancestors$in$a$spiritual$and$nonL

judgement$way$to$seek$understanding$and$encouragement$to$define$how$we$see$
ourselves$as$Jewish$in$today’s$society.$The$space$that$can$give$us$a$plaIorm$to$express$our$

unique$Jewishness$with$different$ways$to$illustrate$how$our$ancestors$used$the$temporary$

shelter$gives$us$an$indica>on$of$how$the$Torah$readings$insist$on$construc>on$with$
specific$detailing$to$define$the$character$of$our$ancestors’$purpose$to$use$spaces$to$form$

unity$and$support$among$Israelites$and$nonLIsraelites.$$$



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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!con3nued!



Ruth Nicholson


Chella&took&portrait&photos&of&us,&where&we&collected&Ivy&leaves&from&the&front&

entrance&of&her&house.&We&have&taken&the&opportunity&to&reuse&the&Ivy&leaves&for&the&

Sukkah&roo<op&to&show&apprecia=on&for&nature&and&works&effec=vely&

with&the&Sukkah&structure&to&add&style&and&sophis=ca=on.
The&collected&Ivy&leaves&interwoven&with&the&metal&mesh&to&create&a&

leaf&effect&sukkah&roof&that&would&also&be&reused&for&the&Sukkah&

fes=val&at&Seven&Hill&Shul.(Sheffield&Jewish&Reform&Community)





































A&lulav&made&from&

vegeta=on&from&the&

Winter&Garden&found&
in&the&plant&beds,&and&

a&lime&standing&in&for&

the&etrog.











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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!con3nued!



Ruth Nicholson


Chella&took&portrait&photos&of&us,&where&we&collected&Ivy&leaves&from&the&front&

entrance&of&her&house.&We&have&taken&the&opportunity&to&reuse&the&Ivy&leaves&for&the&

Sukkah&roo<op&to&show&apprecia=on&for&nature&and&works&effec=vely&

with&the&Sukkah&structure&to&add&style&and&sophis=ca=on.
The&collected&Ivy&leaves&interwoven&with&the&metal&mesh&to&create&a&

leaf&effect&sukkah&roof&that&would&also&be&reused&for&the&Sukkah&

fes=val&at&Seven&Hill&Shul.(Sheffield&Jewish&Reform&Community)





































A&lulav&made&from&

vegeta=on&from&the&

Winter&Garden&found&
in&the&plant&beds,&and&

a&lime&standing&in&for&

the&etrog.











continued next page

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A!Sukkah!for!Our!Times!con3nued!

!


Blue(thread,(inspired(

by(thread(on(the(tallit,(
referenced(in(Numbers(

2ed(onto(the(structure(

by(a(member(of(the(

public.








A(visitor(hangs(their(
note(from(the(roof(of(

the(sukkah,(decorated(

with(ivy(from(an(

organiser’s(garden.















Holding(our(

homemade(lulav(

before(ea2ng(our(

homemade(
brownies.(

(L8R:(Max,(Chella,(

Ruth,(Mia(and(
Ken)