Today I learned about Sukkot, the Jewish holiday celebrating agriculture and … living in huts? As I was walking up to the pool today I saw a U-Haul pickup with a big wooden structure on the back of it. Coming around, I saw it was open to the back, and there was a semicircle of folding chairs facing the back of the truck. “Putting on a show?” I asked the man standing inside the hut. No, he said — he was there to celebrate the holiday with a few Jewish students from the high school. He was still waiting for them to arrive when I walked by. His hut, I learned, is called a “sukkah,” though I am pretty sure I am both spelling it and pronouncing it wrong. I think I’ve seen them before, but never on the back of a pickup truck, and I told him so.

“Are you Jewish?” he politely asked me, though I’m pretty sure my total ignorance gave me away. “No,” I said. “Well, happy holidays!” he said to me. “Happy holiday to you too,” I said. And off I went to swim.

My takeaway: There is always more to learn about Judaism. And there is no end of useful things you can do with a pickup truck. crossposted from Facebook
October 19, 2016 at 02:48PM