The Official Sukkot Survival Guide
With Sukkot in progress, Isla Heller has provided you with the only guide you need to make it through the week!
This year I challenge you to spend one full 24 hours in your sukkah. I’m not saying do all seven days, just a singular 24 hours, eating, sleeping, socialising and fully living in your sukkah. If our ancestors had to travel through the desert and live without a permanent home for 40 years, then I think we could all prevail for one day in a temporary shelter. So follow along with this rigorous and reliable guide if you would like to partake in this challenge and successfully survive 24 hours in the sukkah this Sukkot.
Rule Number One: Secure the Sukkah
Make sure all four of your kosher walls are sealed and sturdy, and the same goes for the ceiling. We don’t want any roofs blowing away. It’s England; September weather can be a threat to those sleeping outside.
For example: one could drown by getting rained on; fly away in the wind; or freeze to death. So ensuring you are properly sealed and secure in your sukkah is a must.
Firmly anchor the frame to the ground, ensure all decorations are securely attached and keep the entrance and surrounding area clear of trip hazards. That should be good enough.
Pack Your Survival Kit
Gather all the essentials for survival for a night outside. This includes: a sleeping bag and extra blankets (it WILL be cold), warm layers as well, a waterproof jacket, comfy chairs, a torch or fairy lights, a fully charged power bank and phone (most important), a large, full Owala or just a normal bottle, snacks, tissues, bin bags and maybe some entertainment like a book or a friend.
The Bathroom Situation…
After many tests of this challenge, it has come to the conclusion that the most effective method for the bathroom situation is just going back inside your house when you need the toilet, to shower, brush your teeth, etc. THIS IS THE ONLY EXEMPTION.
Accept Your New Roommates
While you are within your little cosy hut and you may be under the illusion that you are inside, you actually aren’t and there will be bugs, everywhere.
You can bring insect repellent or bug zappers but ultimately that isn’t going to stop the hundreds of creepy crawlies that will be around you, so if you can’t beat them, join them. Befriend them for a night and accept that you are temporarily sharing the premises with the spiders, slugs, snails, moths, ants and maybe a pigeon.
Food: Don’t Forget to Eat
On Sukkot, it is a mitzvah to eat and socialise in the sukkah. God wants us to have fun, indulge in good food and enjoy our time inside the shelter.
Hopefully, your parents will be catering for lovely meals for family and friends for lunch and dinner, so that’s entertainment and food sorted for a few hours. However, I suggest bringing something for your breakfast, like a brunch bar, and comfort food for throughout the night.
Make sure everything is properly sealed though, as, like I said before, we are only sharing the premises with the bugs, not our food.
Make It Feel Like Home
I would suggest doing this challenge with a friend for maximum entertainment, and also, the more you make your sukkah feel like a university accommodation, the better.
Put up some fairy lights, a throw pillow, some FreePrints of photos from your summer, even a rug if you’re feeling crazy. This will all help trick your mind into thinking you are actually inside a permanent structure.
And Finally… Good Luck
Now that you know exactly how to survive 24 hours in the sukkah, why not give it a go? It doesn’t sound too bad, and it could even be a magnificently grounding and spiritual experience for you, bringing you closer to Hashem, your friends and your Jewish heritage.
Me, personally, as a Modern Orthodox, North West London Jew, I’ll be sleeping safely inside, in my nice, warm, comfy bed, as snug as a bug. If you want to sleep outside with the actual bugs, however, be my guest, and let me know if this guide was helpful.
Good luck and Chag Sameach, everyone!
