This fall we are excited to again celebrate the festival of Sukkot* with the Under One Roof community art exhibit. This year, we hope to engage individuals as well as community groups in creating art around their interpretation of this year’s central theme: “Together Apart”.

In the words of Jewish Wisdom, Rabbi Hillel urges: “Do not separate yourself from the community.” (Pirke Avot 2:5) What does this injunction mean in times when physical proximity is fraught? What does being part of a community mean to you? How do you contribute to it and how does it sustain you? What has our time apart taught us? And, how can we create points of connection and scaffolding to support one another during these unusual times? The exhibition will be on display in a temporary sukkah* in the Mayerson JCC courtyard and available online this fall. Thousands of people from throughout the city are engaged and inspired by these works of art each year.

*Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning ‘booths’, is the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest. It also commemorates the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert after Sinai. Today, one way to celebrate Sukkot is to build a special temporary hut (sukkah) outside one’s home. It is traditional to welcome guests into one’s sukkah to share a meal and socialize.