THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270529
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DIANE TENNANT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 72 lines
Seated in a patio chair in his Ghent back yard, Jeff Brooke is reliving the wilderness experience of his Jewish ancestors.
The wind rustles the walls of his homemade hut, the stars shine through the branches of the roof and he feels close to the God who delivered the Jewish people from Egypt. Never mind that the hut frame is made of PVC pipe, or the walls are blue plastic: The Brooke family has a sukkah, as the book of Leviticus commands.
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins at sundown today. In past years, many families have ignored it or given it only a nod on the appropriate Sabbath. A festive combination of agricultural holiday and remembrance of 40 years in the wilderness, its back-to-nature feel attracts more and more families to observe it each year, particularly in recent years, as young families search for meaning in their lives.
``As with most religions, there's a tendency toward a greater search for spirituality,'' said Rabbi Yosef Friedman of B'nai Israel Congregation. ``It's very ecological, it's very natural, it's a very green thing to do. And we're always looking for things to do with our families. The more our religions can give us something to do with our families, the more we embrace them.''
Sukkot translates as ``booths,'' and the holiday requires the building of a hut or booth in the yard, where the family will eat and work for seven days. Those who hold strictly to tradition will even sleep in the sukkah.
It is based in Leviticus 23:42-43 - ``You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.''
The Brooke family - Jeff, Amy and 3-year-old Hannah do not sleep outdoors, but they eat, work and play in the hut.
``Inside a house, where you can see brick and mortar, you say `I'm safe.' Here, you're really counting on God to protect you, and you realize how precious and fragile life is,'' Brooke said. ``There's a dispute over whether the hut represents God hovering over us, or an historical attempt to symbolize what they actually lived in.''
He glanced over his head. ``Though I doubt seriously whether they had PVC pipe.''
The Brooke sukkah has narrow wooden slats for a roof, with branches laid across them. Dangling from the slats are gourds, dried corn and tiny pumpkins. The walls are decorated with cards received during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The hut is just big enough for a patio table and several chairs.
Sukkot is a joyous occasion, when family and friends are invited to meals in the outdoor huts. That is particularly appreciated after the solemnity of Yom Kippur, which ended last Monday.
``Those are days of denial, fasting and penance,'' Brooke said. ``It's not a lot of fun. Then we roll right into this joyous festival time.''
Miriam Brunn Ruberg, education director at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, says sukkahs are becoming more popular in her neighborhood, and the area's pleasant weather may be part of the reason.
``I grew up in Buffalo and it was cold in October,'' Ruberg said. ``This is great Sukkot weather. God willing, Friday night when the holiday begins, we're all going to be able to be out there.''
Old Dominion University will even have a sukkah this year, courtesy of the revitalized Hillel for Jewish students.
``The Jewish community is really giving a push for Sukkot this year,'' said Mara Schechter Butler, Hillel lay adviser. ``Students nowadays are more in touch with the environment, and Sukkot really plays to that.''
The Brooke family is looking forward to Sukkot and the feeling it gives them.
``It's a wonderful, joyous holiday - a family time, a happy time,'' Amy Brooke said. ``You feel as though God is watching over you.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
BETH BERGMAN/The Virginian-Pilot
The Brooke family - Jeff, Amy and their daughter Hannah - built a
sukkah in their Norfolk back yard to celebrate the Jewish
agricultural holiday Sukkot, which begins at sundown tonight. by CNB