According to the tradition introduced by our ancestors, Sukkot is the all-people’s holiday. After harvesting all people gather to build huts together. To celebrate "the harvest" the Jewish community of Almaty, seventy people - adults and children, families and single young people went out of town to build a hut, and decorate it according to the tradition.

Our favorite vacation place is at the nineteenth kilometer of Bishkek road. Here, every year we read the commandment of the ascension of lulav, and then have fun together. First of all we began to build a hut. The most active "builders" were Ruslan Archakov, Jacob Lomega, Eugene Ignatenko, Sherzod Artygaliev, Igor Tsatsin, Vanya and Marcel Luchenkovs, Andrei and Volodia Korjikovs, Nastia Trokhimchuk, Paulina Semenova, Ratmir Musin, and others made the hut foundation by bending branches of trees. They put red apples and candies in colorful wrappers on the smaller branches. Every guest went into the hut to pray, "Baruch ata Adonai Melech Haolam Eloheynu ..." The children did it with enthusiasm and joy, and teenagers, who know by heart the words of the messages to the Creator, were speaking quickly and with feeling. Igor Tsatsin helped those who forgot the words or did not know the prayer well.

The quiz for children prepared by Olga Drobnokhod once again helped to learn the essence of the holiday, to understand its deeper meaning and importance to the Jewish people. Adults were listening carefully and worried about their children, while the kids were trying to recall when and why the wonderful Sukkot appeared on the Promised Land.

Of course, not everybody was thinking about the serious side of the holiday on this day. Children played volleyball and competed in darts. Others divided into teams of "Flying Woodpeckers" with Captain Igor Tsatsin and "Eagles" with Captain Igor Eisenstadt and demonstrated their strength, courage, and skillful agility. Eight people from one team opposed eight people from the other team in pulling the rope and trying to win. "Flying woodpeckers" proved to be stronger than their competitors. Then, each participant ran fifteen meters to the finish line, trying to hold in hand a tennis racket with a ball. In this competition "Eagles" took revenge, while "Woodpeckers" were again the best in volleyball. There was a lot of laughter, fun-filled shrieks, and encouraging cries of fans. Finally the friendship won! It was a demonstration of the Olympic principle that it is more important to participate, rather than win. Both the losers and the winners received wine as a prize, and the kids enjoyed the natural juices.

Everybody had a great time walking, running and enjoying the fresh air. Then we all sat down for a delicious meal of excellent kebabs cooked by Trokhimchuk family. We had a great mood as we are supposed during Sukkot which became even better thanks to our wonderful singers - Ensemble Anahnukan including Nastia Ezhova, Nastya Ursolik, Eugenia Chugainova, and Natasha Tresvyatskaya. We will long remember this day with its inherent joy.

Eugenia Babakina