Meals by Day, Dancing by Night in Moscow’s Giant Sukkah

From early morning until well past midnight, Moscow’s giant sukkah has become a bustling center of Sukkos activity, with hot meals, davening, farbrengens and Simchas Beis Hashoeva drawing crowds throughout the day.

The large sukkah, erected outside the Marina Roscha Central Shul, begins welcoming visitors as early as 6:00 a.m., as community members and Jewish residents arrive for Chassidus, davening and a warm breakfast.

At the direction of Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berel Lazar, an extensive hachnosas orchim operation is running throughout Sukkos to ensure that every Jew has a place to eat and celebrate Yom Tov.

The “Grisha’s Zimmer” hospitality center operates continuously from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m., with kitchen staff preparing fresh meals and refreshments throughout the day. Games and activities are also available for children, creating a welcoming atmosphere for families visiting the sukkah.

Ahead of Yom Tov, the Central Shul also hosted a large arba minim market, serving community members as well as rabbonim and shluchim from across Russia.

Among the sets prepared were hundreds of prized Calabria esrogim brought specially from Italy by veteran shliach Rabbi Moshe Lazar. His son, Rabbi Berel Lazar, personally examined a selection of approximately 400 esrogim designated for rabbonim and shluchim serving communities throughout the country.

On Sunday night, following the first days of Yom Tov, the giant sukkah came alive with a large Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration accompanied by lively Chassidishe music.

The dancing soon spilled out of the sukkah and into the streets of Moscow, where participants continued dancing with great joy. The celebration later gave way to Chassidishe farbrengens that continued into the early morning hours.

The packed schedule of meals, mitzvos, dancing and farbrengens continues throughout Chol Hamoed, turning the Marina Roscha complex into a center of Sukkos celebration for Moscow’s Jewish community.

Photography: Levi Nazarov