The area east of Queen Anne Road, approximately between West Englewood and State Streets in Teaneck, is home to a cluster of multi-family dwellings, and a walking tour through the areas revealed the welcome sight of numerous private and communal sukkahs. Some of the developments such as Westgate have townhouse-like homes with a patio or flat grassy area behind certain units, or a protected parking area nearby suitable for building a sukkah. There were numerous single family sukkahs dotted across the landscape, as well as a centrally located pair of communal sukkahs, according to one resident.
Walking westward down Wallraven, a few sukkahs could be seen from the roadway, as well as the larger communal sukkah towards the back of the property to the south. On State Street, the Teaneck Square development had two large communal sukkahs side-by-side, adjacent to the rock garden and mini waterfall, and occupying a small area of the parking lot. People gathered in the waterfall garden on the nice Chol Hamoed days, making it easy to go back and forth for those who wanted to snack or meet in the sukkah.
In the Teaneck Gardens development, the inner courtyard had numerous private sukkahs located on the grass near the entrance areas of several of the buildings. Some had lighting for night use and others were primarily for daytime use. In addition, Congregation Ahavat Shalom (CAS) sponsored a large and well-lit communal sukkah with tables and chairs. On the second night of Sukkot, a sizable group could be seen and heard in that large sukkah. CAS also sponsored community sukkahs on Walraven and in Westgate.
Meanwhile over at ONE500 Teaneck Road, the sukkah made its debut appearance this year. A large sukkah was put up by the building on the artificial turf area of the courtyard patio, complete with strings of festive lights. Under the artistic tutelage of one of the residents who has a craft website, works with party planners and designs custom crafts, decorations and favors, they hosted a sukkah decoration party Sunday night before the Yom Tov. Residents met in the building’s community room to make decorations from materials that were provided for free. Botanic and commercial craft materials, fresh flowers and Rosh Hashana greeting cards (donated by another resident) were available to use as decorations. There was even a surprise “goodie packet.” A few people met the next day to put up the decorations, transforming the sukkah into a welcoming home for the holiday!
Overall, there were nearly two dozen sukkahs, several of them open to the resident public and shared on a rotating first-come, first-served basis. Some sukkahs fared better than others during the stormy weather, but for the most part that didn’t impact people’s enjoyment of the chag.
By Ellie Wolf
