Sukkah, as many other Jewish holidays, offers a beautiful display of traditions and customs, adapted to the local histories and natural resources.
Written in a children´s voice, the multi-awarded The Very Best Sukkah written by Shoshana Nambi and illustrated by Moran Yogev published by Kalaniot Books takes us to Uganda. Shoshi and her brother are preparing for the celebration, trying to get the first prize of the most beautiful sukkah. Everyone in the village is taking part to the challenge, decorating it with local fruits like bananas, passion fruits, mangoes or jackfruits while adding a local touch to the design and colours. Everything is so beautifully described - and illustrated - that I can almost feel the smell of the village preparing for the feast. It made me so curious to taste the traditional kalo bread, made with cassava and millet flour, apparently a typical local staple.
But then there is some unhappy natural incident taking part, with most sukkahs being destroyed, and everyone is leaving the competition spirit - nothing bad about it, by the way ´as long as everyone is sharing kindness toward each other´ - for more solidarity and community spirit. The most beautiful lesson of sukkah, where each of us stands for all, surrounded by family and friends and the taste of century-old traditions.
Since the first half of the 20th century, there is a community of around 2,000 people practising Judaism situated mostly in some villages in the Eastern part of the country. (I will not delve into halachic discussions and evaluations right now) Shoshana is the first female ordained rabbi by the Union of Reform Judaism originary from Uganda, currently serving an assistant rabbi in Los Altos Hills California.
The Very Best Sukkah was one of my best Sukkot-related reads for children in a while, a lessons in solidarity, as seen through the eyes of a child, beautifully told and illustrated.
Rating: 5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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