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Indybay Feature

Interfaith Sukkot Ends Homelessness

by Karen Kaplan (kaplanks [at] hotmail.com)
All faith communities are encouraged to build temporary structures during the holiday of Sukkot, to end homelessness.
Just as churches, synagogues and temples celebrate Interfaith Passover Seders, they are also embracing the ancient tradition of Sukkot, the "Feast of Tabernacles." This ancient Jewish festival commemorates the temporary sheltering of the Israelites, as they wandered in the wilderness and desert.

A sukkah is a temporary hut or booth, constructed for the week-long festival of Sukkot. People usually build their sukkah structures topped with branches and decorated with hanging fruit, the weekend before the holiday starts. Sukkah structures are built as a religious ritual practice, so building a sukkah and sleeping in it, does not require a permit, but it would require advance permission from a host church, temple or property owner.

Sukkot 2014 begins in the evening of Wednesday, October 8 and ends in the evening of Wednesday, October 15. Each year, it is celebrated on a different date, because it follows the Hebrew lunar calendar which has 29.5 days per month, with occasional leap months.

Chadeish Yameinu, the Jewish Renewal Community sets up a temporary sukkah shelter outside, at Peace United Church at 900 High Street, Santa Cruz. It is free to attend a participatory ritual service inside the sukkah, led my Rabbi Eli Cohen, Akindele Bankole and others, that includes live music, singing and a vegetarian potluck. https://sites.google.com/site/cysantacruzorg

Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center Brotherhood and volunteers build a sukkah at 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos, next to Cabrillo College. Various groups such as Temple Beth El Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Teens, The "Twice Blessed" (LGBT) and Chavurah groups reserve a day or evening to host their potluck meals inside the sukkah. On Friday, October 10, 7:30 PM Temple Beth El has a free Sukkot "Rock Shabbat" concert, slide show and service led by Rabbi Rick Litvak, Rabbi Paula Marcus and Rabbi Shifra Weiss-Penzias, with live music and singing by Peter Weiss, Dror Sinai, Michael Levy, Schmuel Thaler, Shahir El-Shaieb and guest musicians. The oneg (desserts) may be enjoyed outside, in the sukkah. https://tbeaptos.org/

Some groups don't have enough space to build a sukkah, so smaller congregations such as Kol Tefillah and Chabad By The Sea visit sukkot at various homes.

It is considered a "mitzvah" or good deed to eat inside a sukkah (temporary shelter) and even greater "mitzvah" to sleep in one. Many people build sukkot in their backyards, for this purpose.

"Sukkat Shalom" created by former Santa Cruzan, Ron Feldman serves Shabbat dinners at "Burning Man" in the Black Rock Desert, a week before Labor Day weekend. Tannery Arts fashion photographer, Geoffrey Nelson sets up a Bedouin style tent at "Burning Man" to serve Mo's Mini Martinis and Erotica.

The ancient tradition of sukkah building may help to solve the homeless problem, at least for a week. All faith communities, churches, synagogues and temples are encouraged to build a sukkah and invite friends, including the homeless, to enjoy a potluck meal and sleep in a sukkah, during the week of Sukkot.

Each sukkah is unique, creative and different. For ideas on how to build your own sukkah, see:
http://photobucket.com/images/Sukkah?page=1

Brent Adams, Stacey Falls and Nancy Krusoe envision a year around "Sanctuary Village" with temporary tents and small moveable shelters, porta-potties, storage lockers, computers, showers, dumpsters, homeless services, strict rules and security fencing, as a much larger project, for the future. Their concept may require changes in zoning and camping laws, within city limits and a substantial fundraising campaign with grants. https://www.facebook.com/santacruzsanctuary

Thank you for your participation in this countywide effort to end homelessness.
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