Holiday Weekends · Behind the Scenes
How We Built Our Sukkah Together at Our Vermont Sukkot Retreat
One night, a lot of poles that did not want to fit, and a group of people who made a sukkah together before Shabbos and Sukkot.
Watch the sukkah come together
Our Sukkot 2026 behind-the-scenes Reel, embedded from @hamsanomads.
If the embedded player doesn't load, watch the Reel directly on Instagram →
It started late Thursday night
We arrived in southern Vermont late Thursday for our Hamsa Nomads Sukkot retreat. People were still arriving through the night, into Friday morning, and there was one big thing to get ready before Chag: our sukkah.
So we started building. Some of the poles wouldn't slide into place. Others needed a bit of convincing. We hammered, adjusted, moved pieces around, passed tools to each other and figured it out as we went. It wasn't a perfect, quiet setup with everything laid out in advance. It was everyone getting involved, laughing and helping each other.
We ended up spending most of the night on it. And looking back, that night was already a big part of the Sukkot retreat itself.
Friday morning: finding the schach
When Friday came, we still had the roof to finish. We went out to find suitable branches for schach, gathered and cut what we needed, carried everything back and worked together to cover the sukkah before Shabbos and the first night of Sukkot.
There was something very special about watching people who had arrived from different places suddenly working on the same project. Someone was holding a pole, someone else was bringing branches, someone was helping with the roof. No one had to be assigned a big role. People just stepped in.
A sukkah everyone could help make their own
The construction was only one part. We also wanted the inside to feel like it belonged to everyone spending Sukkot with us. Our sukkah decorations became a group project too: hanging pieces, adding personal touches and making it feel warm and ready for meals, conversations and time together over the holiday.
That is what we love about bringing young Jewish professionals and young families together for a Jewish retreat. We came from different cities, but by the time we sat down in the sukkah, we had already built something together.
Thank you to everyone who helped
To everyone who arrived during the night and still helped build, to the people who hammered the stubborn poles into place, carried supplies, found and cut branches, put up the schach and decorated the inside: thank you.
You gave your time, your energy and a lot of patience. We also had so much fun along the way. We really could not have done this without you, and we are so grateful to everyone who was part of our Sukkot 2026 weekend in Vermont.
Thank you to our Sukkot partners
So much of the decor and some of our giveaway gifts came from Jewish makers and brands who supported our Vermont Sukkot weekend. Thank you for helping us make the sukkah beautiful and for giving our guests something special to take home. Here are the actual pieces they contributed, with links to explore their work.
Atid Judaica
Atid Judaica shared 3D-printed sukkah decorations and Jewish home decor. We used the decorations in the sukkah and included some of their work in our retreat giveaway.
- Sukkah Spinners — hanging etrog, pomegranate and grape decorations.
- Welcome Ushpizin — Seven Guests of the Sukkah.
- Welcome Ushpizot — Seven Women of the Sukkah.
- Israeli Flag Wall Plaque.
- Hamsa Birkat Habayit — two home-blessing pieces, which were gifted after the retreat.
Jewish Joy / Hamsas of Munkatch
Jewish Joy sent flags and wall hangings that we used to decorate the sukkah. They came directly from the studio's collection, so there isn't a confirmed retail link for each individual piece. You can explore Jewish Joy's Judaica and decor and find the creators on Instagram at @jewishjoy.co.
ModernTribe
ModernTribe contributed a Banana Menorah for our retreat giveaway. It was a fun addition to the weekend and a little early Chanukah inspiration. Thank you @moderntribe_jew.
Via Maris
Via Maris sent four Rest Shabbos Candleholders to feature during the retreat. Their simple, modern design was a beautiful fit for our Shabbos setup. Thank you @via__maris.
Partner acknowledgment: These items were gifted to Hamsa Nomads for our Sukkot retreat. Links lead directly to the creators and shops.
More from our Sukkot retreat in Vermont
Our sukkah was at the center of a four-day Sukkot retreat in Dover, southern Vermont, September 25–28, 2026. We spent the holiday sharing kosher meals, davening, learning, playing games and spending time together at a mountain house.
If you want to see what a Hamsa Nomads holiday retreat looks like, explore Sukkot in the Mountains, or visit our upcoming retreats and events to hear about the next weekend.