Hardly a breath had elapsed between the last bite of bagel at the break-the-fast meal on Thursday, Oct. 2, when came a shout-out for volunteers: “Hey, everybody, we’re having a Build-the-Sukkah Party on Sunday. Come on down.”

Really? Sukkot already?

Yup. So a bunch of us hauled up all the pieces from the basement — long poles, short poles, rolled-up slats for roofing, various unidentifiable bits and pieces, and a gigantic blue and white canvas that somehow all together would create a room. We laid all of it on the grass in Andrew Levin Park — and we stared at the array for a long while.

Adrianne Greenberg, chief architect and engineer for the project, had thoughtfully emailed the major workers a how-to video, which was supposed to make assembly clear.

It seemed to work because before the morning was over, a bunch of poles and fabric miraculously turned into a decorated Sukkah with a door, windows, interior lighting, and tables and chairs ready for the first Sukkah event on Monday evening, when members of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Southold were invited to join shul members in welcoming the holiday of Sukkot with Rabbi Debra Cantor leading the service.

We continued to celebrate the holiday with still-delicious leftover lunches in the Sukkah with Rabbi Debra sharing observances, lulav and etrog, songs and stories. Wonderful holiday.    SMB photo