Lubavitch of Michigan Takes Sukkos on the Road

Hundreds of Jewish families across Metro Detroit this week are spreading the message of the holiday of Sukkot.

The festival is named for the huts in which Moses and the Israelites lived as they wandered the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land. It is one of three religiously mandated festivals.

This year, the Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan decided to create a mobile exhibit that brings the celebration to homes throughout Metro Detroit. It allows friends and families to create their own celebration and makes sure that the elderly are able to participate.

“This is designed to bring the (sukkah) to those who would not have the opportunity to celebrate without it, and brings it to their location so they can take part and celebrate the holiday, as well,” said Mendel Shemtov, an organizer with the Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan.

During celebrations, rabbinical students give participants the opportunity to perform rituals of the holiday, including the eating inside the sukkah, as well as holding and shaking the Lulov and Etrog. The Lulov is the branch of a palm tree, and Etrog is a citrus fruit grown primarily in Italy and Israel. The items symbolize the unity of the Jewish people and serve as a reminder of the time the Jews wandered the desert.

“They have to remember it’s about simple (life), nature and respecting each other,” said Iris Dine. “We all remember the Sukkot has so much meaning. … It’s about remembering who we are and saying ‘thank you.’”

Ilan Hazan of West Bloomfield Township said the celebration is good for his children because every year he promises to build a sukkah, but “I get too lazy and I don’t do it.”

“Every year, you see the same things and the same rituals,” said Hazan, who was expecting about 30 people at his West Bloomfield Township home. “Bringing it over, it’s a nice gesture for the (children) to see it and experience what it’s like (and) to ask questions. Every holiday is about family and friends getting together. We don’t get to see them on a regular basis.”