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Home > News > Archive 2007 > September > Decorating the succah at Jewish Care's Kay Court

Date:  25 September 2007

Kay Court residents enjoy a morning spent decorating their succah.

Residents, staff and volunteers decorated the succah at Jewish Care’s Kay Court care home in the Finchley Road. This was prior to the festival of Succot, which begins on the evening of Wednesday 26 September and lasts for eight days. The festival commemorates God’s protection of the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness for forty years before reaching the “Promised Land”.

Every year, Jewish people celebrate the festival of Succot by building a “Succah” with walls and a roof covered in green leaves, usually adjoining their homes. The volunteers put fruit and vegetables into netting which was hung from the roof and decorated the walls with posters.

During Succot, it is customary to eat meals and refreshments in the Succah and another religious requirement is to shake the “Arba Minim” or four species, comprising an Etrog (large citrus fruit from Israel), held with a palm branch, three myrtle branches and two willow branches. This is considered to be a Mitzvah, which is a good deed.

The session brought back memories for the elderly care home residents - ‘When I was younger we decorated the succah at the synagogue each year. It brings back nice memories,” said Cecily Solomon, aged 87.

Anne Sear, 90, added: “We had a succah at home which the whole family would decorate. It is good to have the succah here now.”

The festival will be celebrated at the home where synagogue services will be held and special meals served.”