Submission #22233 by Ner Tamid Men's Club - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (1050)

I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Club Name
Ner Tamid Men's Club - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (1050)
Drive-Thru Sukkah
Club Representative
Person completing form
Warren
Sterling
Club President at time of convention if known at this time
Warren
Sterling
Club President Now
Warren
Sterling
Family and Youth Programming

Page 1

Build a sukkah that families can drive their car through, greet rabbi and cantor, shake lulav, get a gift bag. Allowed us to have a program where congregation families could actually attend physically rather than the normal COVID mode of telecommunications.
We wanted a way to celebrate Sukkot at the synagogue. Since we could not gather in person in a large group because of the COVID pandemic (even outside) we chose a way to allow families to come to the synagogue to celebrate Sukkot without getting out of their cars. We took the Men's Club sukkah and modified it so that cars could drive through it - even SUVs. Our rabbi and other synagogue leaders greeted the family in each car as it drove into the sukkah. The occupants were then led through some prayers, including shaking the lulav. They proceeded through the sukkah and were greeted at the exit by the cantor and were given a gift bag. We also used this opportunity to give congregants the opportunity to conduct some synagogue business that had to be in-person - like dropping off the High Holy Day machzorim that they had borrowed for the High Holy Days.
Attachments
Self Assessment
Successful. Over 60 families drove through. Those who participated - both running the event and participating by driving through the sukkah - loved it. Not much club building involved but those club members who helped build it felt very good about what they accomplished.
Jewish men helped assemble the sukkah - an important aspect of jewish community and celebration.
Nothing additional.

Page 2

Original Program
Previous Submission
Yes
Silver