The sukkah is a hut built for use during the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The sukkah represents the temporary wilderness shelters used by the Jews after fleeing from Egypt and must be built anew each year. During Sukkot, the sukkah is used for eating, sleeping, relaxing and socializing. Many people decorate their sukkahs using tree branches or the fruits of the harvest.
Step 1
Form the skeletal frame of the sukkah by assembling the eight pieces of PVC pipe and the four PVC corner connector fittings. Using four pieces of PVC pipe, create a square on the floor. Connect each corner using a PVC corner fitting, creating the edges of the sukkah roof.
Step 2
Insert the four remaining pieces of PVC pipe into the remaining corner connector slots, forming the sukkah legs. This is the skeleton of the sukkah. If necessary, flip the sukkah upright so the PVC-connected square (the "roof") is at the top and the four bare PVC pipe ends (the "legs") are on the floor.
Step 3
Place each sukkah leg into a flower pot or bucket. Fill each bucket or pot with sand, keeping the PVC pipe leg centered. This creates a stable base.
Step 4
Cut a 1-inch-diameter hole in each corner of each of the three pieces of canvas. To form the walls of the sukkah, tie the corners of the canvas to the corners of the PVC pipe frame using string, creating three canvas-walled sides. (One side of the sukkah will remain open.)
Step 5
Rest the wooden or bamboo slats across the top of the sukkah frame, four in each direction. The slats will criss-cross one another, leaving spaces open to the sky. The roof of the sukkah must remain partly open, signaling reliance on God to provide protection.
Tips and Warnings
- You may wish to add personal decorative touches to your sukkah. Common additions include draping tree branches across the roof, autumnal or harvest decorations, or Judaic decorations.
- According to the laws of Judaism, the roof of the sukkah may not be nailed or tied down in any way. The sukkah must be built outdoors underneath the open sky. Use caution when using the sukkah in inclement weather.
Things You'll Need
- 8 pieces of PVC pipe, 7 feet long
- 4 PVC corner connector fittings
- 4 buckets or flower pots
- sand
- 3 pieces of 7-by-7-foot canvas
- scissors
- string
- 8 slats of wood or bamboo, 8 feet long
