My opinions, updates on my life, all sorts of "randomness"...

Succot BaMidbar

The plans began in September, with an e-mail from Rachel about plans to visit her & Avi in Tucson over Succot:

"As ya'll know, Avi and I live in a condo-like apartment. Our porch is covered, so I spent the past few days brainstorming how we could have a Sukkah. I thought: maybe the landing of our stairs, but then it would be tiny and in the way. Maybe outside in the courtyard, but there's tree-cover that would prevent it from being kosher, and if we moved it to the parking-lot, I wouldnt expect it to survive the holiday without being torn down, stolen, or inhabited by a family of 15.

So the new idea...was thrown out jokingly by me, but Avi thinks it would be great. We could backpack into the desert, and live in our Sukkah out there, just as our ancestors spent their time in the Midbar with total dependance on God.

Is it feasable? I think so...Invite anyone you want to join, and think well about it. We're exchanging a normal holiday experience with its yummy food and long luxurious naps for the chance to sleep under the stars and feel the midbar vulnerablity.

Who's in?"

Seven of us were up for the adventure (and had schedules that allowed us to go)--Avi, me, Anna, Rachel, Bethany, Aryeh & Sam.



Next to finding flights that allowed us to miss the minimal amount of work/school, the biggest challenge was how to build the succah. Now, I have a succah, unfortunately it's in West Bloomfield, not here in Chicago, & is crazy heavy--ie not conducive to bringing on a plane. So that wasn't going to work. The tough part was building a succah big enough for 7 that would hold up to the weather, and not cost a fortune. The solution? We built a teepee. Nope, not kidding, our succah was a teepee.


That's Sam, minutes before yuntiv began as we were putting the final touches on our succah. We set it up in the rain, expecting that there were be thunderstorms and rain the whole time we were there. I honestly assumed we would be wet the entire time, and that the succah would blow over in the storms. And did it? (I know, the suspense....) As it turned out, Hashem was smile on us. The thunderstorms stayed away, the tarantulas & scorpions stayed away, the succah stood up to the test, and somehow my headlamp stayed on the whole time, lighting our succah! Amazing.

All in all, the whole experience was incredible. Sleeping in the succah, one with nature, amazing full moons that lit up the whole desert, singing zmirot amongst the cacti--I loved it. Not to mention the great company!

I've been struggling lately with my spirituality, and with finding a way to be at the spiritual level I want to be, when I'm outside of Israel. This whole experience showed me that I can have it, amazing spiritual experiences here. Sometimes it's as simple as chilling outside next to a cactus. Spirituality is all around us, wherever we are. Ideally we'd all be in Israel, where spirituality is easy to find, but even in America, it's possible--it just takes a little more effort! And maybe getting out of the city once in awhile.