Brooklyn’s Jewish families secure their sukkahs as nor’easter approaches
Sukkahs are small, intimate structures built with at least two full walls, plus part of a third, and an open-topped roof so families inside can see the stars.
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Families in Borough Park are taking extra precautions to protect their sukkahs as a storm approaches during Sukkot, one of the most sacred holidays on the Jewish calendar.
Sukkahs are small, intimate structures built with at least two full walls, plus part of a third, and an open-topped roof so families inside can see the stars. Families build and gather in them for seven days as part of the holiday.
Alexander Raport, who lives in the neighborhood, says with rain in the forecast, families are securing tarps to their sukkahs using ropes and pulleys, so they can be pulled down quickly if the weather turns. Under Jewish law, a wet sukkah can't be used until it dries out. Keeping water out isn't just about comfort, it's about being able to keep observing the holiday.
"A perfect sukkah is when you can see the stars through the roof," Raport said. "But you need to make sure you can handle the rain. You prepare for the worst and you hope for the best."
Raport recalled a hurricane damaging his family's sukkah roof when he was a child, an experience that's shaped how he prepares now. He built a raised wooden deck under his own sukkah to keep the floor dry during flood-prone weather, after getting his landlord's permission to install it.
For families across the neighborhood, the goal is the same: protect the structure long enough to make it through all seven days of the holiday without interruption.
