“Nest” sukkah by NewSchool of Architecture + Design

Sukkot at Leichtag Commons

This Sukkot, October 2016, we celebrated Sukkot with a week full of fun events for our community to enjoy.

Sukkot is the harvest celebration where we build a sukkah to remember the when Jews lived as refugees in biblical times. Each year, it’s an obligation to invite guests into your sukkah and demonstrate these welcoming values.

This year, the theme that weaved through all events, from the sukkot, to the art gallery, to the harvest festival, was HOME.

Sukkah Build

Coastal Roots Farm hosted a volunteer day for building the Sukkot with NewSchool of Architecture & Design and the Refugee Artists-in-Residence sukkah.

Farm team and volunteers celebrate after a day of building sukkot!

Evolution of designs of “Nest” sukkah by NewSchool of Architecture & Design

NewSchool of Architecture & Design’s “Nest” Sukkah

In honor of this year’s theme of “Home,” the NewSchool of Architecture & Design’s team of students led by Professor Chuck Crawford collaborated with Leichtag Foundation to create a “nest” Sukkah. The nest represented a sensitive home to the lives of creatures living among us who might not be considered when we speak about “homes.” In addition, the migratory nature of birds and that nests are recreated each year using found and natural materials drew further connections to the nomadic qualities of a Sukkah.

A nest discovered on the property became the inspiration. Later, the students had to figure out how to engineer it.

Jerusalem Farm Founder’s Dinner

A Farm-to-Table Dinner by acclaimed Jerusalem chef Hedai Offaim for Farm Founders Circle members.

To kick off the week of Sukkot, Coastal Roots Farm hosted a Farm Founder’s Circle dinner for participants in its annual giving campaign. Want to join the Farm Founder’s Circle? Learn more here.

Rabbi Lenore Bohm makes blessings before the Sukkot meal.

THE REFUGEE, suitcase casting by Adeeb Maki.

Refugee Artists-in-Residence

Art Opening

The Refugee Artists-in-Residence project opened, sharing the four month project with a film and art exhibition regarding the notion of “home.” The individual works inspired by the theme were trees, suitcases, and windows. Learn more about the project here.

Tree sculpture by Israeli artist Raffael Lomas and Syrian refugee Abdullah Taysan.

Raffael Lomas introduces the project and where it all began.

150 attendees watch the film on the farm house lawn.

Songleader Keshirah haLev Fife leads Shabbat songs.

Creative Shabbat: Sukkot

Reimagining Friday nights.

With our partners Center for Jewish Culture, we hosted “Creative Shabbat,” an interactive evening of art, song, and dinner under the stars. Keshirah haLev Fife (Australia) led songs and celebration for this very special Sukkot Shabbat.

Singing and candlelighting next to the sukkah.

Exploring Coastal Roots Farm.

Sukkot Harvest Festival

Coastal Roots Farm’s Sunday celebration

The week capped off with a fantastic celebration at Coastal Roots Farm. The day was filled with fun interactive activities for the whole family to join. The festival demonstrated the inclusive and welcoming values of Sukkot with experiences that everyone could enjoy. See the rest of the photos here.

Playing and learning at Coastal Roots Farm.

Syrian refugee families joined in for the celebration.

The farm animal petting zoo was a hit!

We can’t wait until next year!