Sukkot - The Festival of Booths

Sukkot challenges urban French Jews to construct temporary dwellings in apartments, courtyards, and community spaces. The seven-day harvest festival transforms balconies and gardens into sacred spaces, while communal sukkot appear in synagogue courtyards and Jewish community centers.

Urban Sukkah Solutions

Parisian apartments rarely accommodate traditional sukkot, spurring creative solutions. Popup sukkot appear on terraces, while some buildings designate communal courtyard space. The Marais district hosts a "Sukkah City" competition, where architects design innovative structures blending Jewish law with contemporary aesthetics.

"My architect friend designed a collapsible sukkah that fits our Haussmanian balcony," laughs Rachel Bensimon. "It's very French – beautiful, functional, and slightly absurd."

The Four Species in France

Obtaining the Four Species (palm, myrtle, willow, and etrog) requires advance planning in France. Jewish communities organize collective orders from Israel or Italy, while some grow willows along French rivers. The annual "etrog market" in Paris's Jewish quarter becomes a social event, with families comparing citrons and debating perfection.

Simchat Torah Celebrations

Sukkot concludes with Simchat Torah, celebrating completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. French synagogues organize festive processions with Torah scrolls, accompanied by singing and dancing. Liberal congregations often include women in scroll-carrying, while Orthodox communities maintain traditional gender separation.