The Jewish tradition of Sukkot, with its mandatory creation of a temporary, nomadic structure called the sukkah, relies on the use of easily found materials and an understanding and respect for place and nature. Many nomadic tribes across the world have similar traditions, and in the Northeastern American context we find the Lenni Lenape tribe's longhouse. This Native American tribe was the primary indigenous people, from Connecticut to Delaware, and moved through this territory utilizing the longhouse as seasonal dwellings. The longhouse structure had many of the same attributes as the sukkah and Lenni Lenape seasonal travels could be seen as parallel to how the Jewish people wandered for 40 years in the dessert.

In order to create a sukkah that is rooted in its local environment and culture, the Longhouse Sukkah utilizes accessible and standardized materials. While its form is inspired by the structure and construction methods of the Lenape Indians’ longhouse, it uses electrical conduit to mimic saplings the Lenni Lenape used, the grass rope or bark traditionally used for lashing is now replaced with cotton rope, and finally the pelt cover used for walls is transformed into ripstop fabric. All of these materials are durable, easily stored and reusable.

Through the use of contemporary materials emulating traditional longhouse elements in tandem with vernacular forms altered to allow views of the sky, the Longhouse Sukkah blends the Jewish tradition of Sukkot with the vernacular building forms of the Lenni Lenape. This sukkah achieves fusion of two cultures from the past to continue an inveterate Jewish commandment in our 21st century American context.