Chatham University and the Jewish Students’ Association (JSA) celebrated the week-long holiday of Sukkot on campus last week by building a Sukkah, the small, wooden structure on the quad next to Eddy Theatre.

Sukkot, a Jewish holiday, honors the escape of the Jewish people from Egyptian enslavement. The Jewish people built small huts to live in at this time, inspiring the tradition of the structure of a Sukkah.

“A Sukkot was built for the holiday of Sukkot, which is a reminder to the Jewish people that when we were leaving Egypt, our ancestors built these small structures that weren’t permanent because they were still trying to get to a land that they called their own home,” JSA Social Media Manager Miranda Larson ‘28 said. “They would use whatever they had which is why we have branches and a wooden structure built as a reminder that things weren’t permanent then. Many people will actually eat, cook and sleep in the Sukkah.”

Chatham facilities worked with the Jewish Students’ Association to construct the Sukkah, building the structure and securing materials. JSA members worked to decorate the structure and placed bamboo on the roof. 

The JSA held a celebration from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 8 to celebrate Sukkot with harvest snacks provided by Parkhurst at Chatham.

This is not the first time that the JSA has worked with Chatham to construct the Sukkah on campus, as Chatham has celebrated the harvest event throughout recent years. 

“We have a pretty diverse campus, so it’s nice that everyone gets to express their own thoughts, beliefs and religions,” Jewish Students’ Association Vice President Sheaden Berkson ‘28 said. “It’s beautiful when that can be shown so loud and proud on the quad. A lot of students have asked me about [the Sukkah], so it’s nice to be able to explain.”