Decorating the Sukkah

Hidur Mitzvah (beautification) has always been an important part of the Festival celebration. The Talmud suggests hanging "handmade carpets and tapestries, nuts, almonds, peaches, pomegranates, branches of grapes, vines...wreaths of corn ears" (Betzah 30b).  We have expanded our product line to include two types of decoration for the sukkah:

HARVEST ASSORTMENT (PEST FREE):
The centuries-old tradition of adorning the sukkah with fresh harvest items has also resulted in a feast for squirrels, bees and other unwelcome visitors. We now offer a hand-picked selection of good quality fruit & veggie replicas (peppers, pomegranates, grapes, eggplant, squash, carrots, corn, etc) which should be of no interest to pests.

A carton of 18 different pieces ready for hanging is $43. (shipping included). This is great gift item for any sukkah dweller you may know! (Monkey not included).

SUKKAH BANNERS:
Several outstanding Judaica artists have designed Sukkah Banners for us, which are printed with the latest silk-screen and dye sublimation techniques on colorful, weather-proof nylon fabric. Banners are 22inches wide and 22 to 44 inches high, with dowel pockets top & bottom for hanging (dowels included). A limited number of these collectable banners are printed, with new designs added periodically.

	New for 2009 "Shehecheyanu" (2009) by Flora Rosefsky of Atlantna, GA, depicts the familiar blessing recited upon a first time happening such as lighting the first Hanukkah candle, hanging a new Mezuzah or-- as in this case--fulfilling the annual Mitzvah to sit in the Sukkah. Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, ruler of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and brought us to this moment. View more of the artist's work at www.florageart.com.
	PEACE (2003/2008), by Israeli artist Tamar Messer is inspired by a passage from Psalm 122 which voices a timely prayer for peace and prosperity. Visit Tamar's website at www.tamarsgallery.co.il
	BLESSINGS FOR SUKKOT (2008) by Galia Goodman is a beautiful presentation of the blessings recited in the Sukkah. The original is a traditional papercut with colored paper underlay and ink overlay. Visit Galia's website at http://galiagoodman.com.
	SOLD OUT FOUNTAIN OF LIFE (2005), is by Betsy Platkin Teutsch, a renowned Judaica artist and illustrator from Philadelphia. She and her husband, Rabbi David Teutsch, composed this prayer as a blessing for moments of communion with nature and acts of environmental stewardship. Betsy tells us that it originated when she began composting in her garden, which struck her as “very much a mitzvah that deserves a blessing”. You can view Betsy’s other work at her website, www.kavanahcards.com.
	SOLD OUT  GARDEN OF EDEN (2005), by Illinois artist and graphic designer Adam Rhine, is a beautiful image from his extensive series of mandala-like paintings based on the Star of David. The text is from Genesis 2:8. Visit Adam's website at www.hebrewart.com
	"MIZRACH FOR SUKKOT" (2005), is a papercut by Durham NC artist and sofer Galia Goodman. The Mizrach (Hebrew for East) should be hung on the East wall of the sukkah where it can provide a directional anchoring point for daily prayers and the ritual waving of the lulav. Visit Galia's website at http://galiagoodman.com.
	"Ushpizot" (2002) (at left) and "Ushpizim" (2003) (at right) by Galia Goodman, of Durham, NC, honors 7 matriarchs and 7 patriarchs whose spirits we invite to visit us in the sukkah. The original works are traditional papercuts with ink overlay.
	"Give Thanks to HaShem" (2004), is another cut paper assembly by Flora Rosefsky inspired by a verse of praise from the Hallel prayer, and refers to the four cardinal points toward which the lulav is shaken. Flora's 2003/5764 banner (at right) is based on the Biblical Commandment to dwell in Sukkot for seven days... View more of the artist's work at www.florageart.com.
	"To Everything There is a Season" (2004) (at left), a papercut design by Galia Goodman, cites a famous verse from Ecclesiastes, the text traditionally read during Sukkot.  SOLD OUT "Sukkat Shalom" (2002) (at right), is by Tamar Messer, an Israeli artist from Haifa. The inscription is a timeless prayer for peace take from the Kaddish. Visit Tamar's website at www.tamarsgallery.co.il