Save time. Save money. Reduce waste – all while building community.
Sukkot, like most other Jewish holidays, is filled with lots of good food, laughter, and friends. It could also be filled with stress, mess, and seemingly never-ending hard work. Not to mention worrying about where to store your sukkah when the chag (holiday) is over.
Building your own sukkah is not always so cut and dry. Especially for those who live in a city, with limited space, do not have the time to build one right away, or simply cannot afford to purchase a new one. This can feel even worse if you are trying to maintain (or try out!) a zero-waste lifestyle.
Open Sukkah offers a great solution for those searching for an answer to their sukkah woes.
Often referred to as the ‘airbnb for sukkahs’ this project aims to connect people looking for a sukkah to those who are willing to lend theirs for an hour or two.
The website uses google maps to easily allow you to find a sukkah nearest you. Right now, there are sukkahs open to the public all over the globe. Some are quite exotic and include Peru, Thailand, and Barbados among others.
Open Sukkah is the brainchild of Aaron Taylor, a Candian immigrant to Israel. He created the website because he wanted to give those in need of a sukkah a viable option to use one.
And I agree – sukkahs usually stay empty for much of the day. Sukkah owners can put their empty time and space to good use, and people who cannot, or do not want to build their own sukkahs can still fulfil this mitzvah. Along the way you meet kind people who are willing to share, and this mindset really helps to foster community.
By using Open Sukkah I see many benefits. For example, when Sukkot is over, it’s Zero-wasters who really score. There is no sukkah to dismantle, no decorations to throw away, and no materials to store. Even if you DO own a sukkah – eating out for a meal or two in an Open Sukkah could save you time and energy making or organizing meals.
In short, I highly recommend checking-out the Open Sukkah’s website. Maybe challenge yourself to see how using this amazing initiative can help you with cutting down waste or stress this sukkot.
Have a great Sukkot!
Want to learn more about living a stress free, more organized life? Check out my podcast – Journey To Organization.