Dear friends, readers of Crownheights.info – A Letter From A Reader

What are your plans for Sukkos?

I remember as child, we just made havdala in the Sukkah after the first days of Sukkos and we were preparing to go to Simchas Beis Hasho’eva. Around the corner from my home there was banging and zetzing, don’t ask what. There was a group of bochurim on the back of a Barn Pick-up truck, with hammers and nails in hand, all at once trying to bang together a Sukkah.

Board, I definitely was at the time, otherwise would never have paid any attention to them. So I went out to go see what was going on. The sight, the way I described it earlier, just cracked me up. Although I’m no maven at building, a bit of common sense I think I can brag about and so I offered them a hand and together we put together a Sukkah.

Several years went by, before I even dreamed of doing a Sukkah Mobile myself. The thought bothered me, all my life we’ve been taught that we’re Chassidim. In a sicha from 1955 the Rebbe told over a story of one who came to the Rebbe Rashab and asked “what was is a Chossid?”

The Rebbe Rashab answered that a Chossid is a Lamplighter. In the ancient shtetl there was a guy whose job it was to run around town, every evening, and light all the lamps. The Rebbe continued that at times this lamplighter had to go a far distance, all the way to the outskirts of town to reach one lonely lamp…

We are lamplighters, who light up souls with Torah and Judaism. Chassidish or not, this is something that was a fundamental in our education and our upbringing, here in Crown Heights.

How can I spend Sukkos, the few days before Simchas Torah, which for a Chossid is the greatest day of the year, in Six Flags or on a family outing, when there are so many lamps waiting to be lit, so many Jews waiting for that spark? No, I’m not trying to make you feel guilty; I just want you to hear where I’m coming from.

At lass, five years ago Sukkos, together with some friends we made a Sukkah mobile. And don’t get me wrong, I still didn’t know how to build it, I had to get my older brother to help me out.

After that tremendous success we decided the following year to upgrade to a 20ft. truck, which we did, again, a tremendous success. The sight of long lines waiting to get into that Sukkah, are still etched in my mind.

After such success, I thought I was being very selfish. Not everyone knows how to build a Sukkah like I do (which is a good thing). Now, if you remember that far back there was maybe 2 or 3 Sukkah Mobiles in New York, and that’s it. So we decided to start helping others make Sukkah Mobiles and that’s where we find ourselves today.

– Two years ago 10 Sukkah Mobiles,
– Last Year 29 Sukkah Mobiles,
– And this year the numbers are climbing. I urge you to spend your Chol Hamoed doing Mivtzoim. If you are married and are not in that position, why not sponsor someone to do it on your behalf. This is a tremendous opportunity, don’t be a part of it, rather make it a part of you.

I feel proud writing this disclaimer as it boosts my yeshus, writing a disclaimer for things I don’t deserve credit for. I’d like to give credit where due to all those who have taken a vital part in this over the past years including my brother, Benny Turk, who has been a major supporter and back bone from the very beginning.

S.T. Email: sukkahmobile@gmail.com