This sukkah is fast!
Leaders of a Park Slope synagogue rolled out a pedal-powered sukkah for this year’s Sukkot celebrations, which will cruise the neighborhood this week picking up congregants and locals who want to hop aboard and contemplate life’s great mysteries, according to a rabbi.
“It’s a beautiful opportunity for youth to connect with their heritage, and for everyone to appreciate the message of divine love that Sukkot brings,” said Rabbi Menashe Wolf of Chabad of Park Slope.
The sukkah is an integral part of the week-long Sukkot holiday, which kicked off Sunday and concludes Sept. 30, when Jews replicate the huts that their ancient ancestors dwelled in amidst their exodus form Egypt and typically share meals inside.
The wheeled variety is like a pedicab, with its passenger car retrofitted into an enclosed telephone-booth-sized cabin that can accommodate various objects sacred in the Jewish faith, including the four species of plants along with cookies and other foods traditionally used to celebrate the holiday, the rabbi said.
Stationary sukkahs are often built to comfortably fit entire families, but the Hasidic synagogue’s mobile version can only accommodate two, maybe three guests at a time, according to Wolf, who noted it requires real devotion to operate.
“Riding it can be a bit of a challenge,” he said. “But it’s some good exercise.”
The sukkah-mobile will be making stops at parks including Grand Army Plaza, JJ Byrne Playground, and Brooklyn’s Backyard, and will travel up and down Fifth and Seventh avenues from Wednesday through Friday, before breaking for Sabbath, and then returning for a final ride on Sunday, Wolf said.
