Installation on view Tuesday, October 8–Sunday, November 3
From October 8–November 3 during museum hours, visit the Skirball sukkah—installed in the courtyard behind the main lobby—to enjoy your lunch or to spend time with your family. This large-scale artwork—meticulously researched and uniquely conceived by multidisciplinary artist Jonathan York—is designed to activate the senses.
Tuesday, October 8–Sunday, November 3
FREE
Drop in anytime during regular Museum hours
A living garden unfolds against the Skirball’s concrete landscape, symbolizing resilience, growth, and the enduring connection to nature that Sukkot celebrates. Enhancing the visual spectacle is a carefully crafted multi-channel soundscape, a tapestry of natural and archival sounds. The sukkah will activate all of the senses. It will be a place of community gathering, education, and re-connection to nature after a year of trial and turbulence.
"Building a yearly sukkah with my grandfather was the highlight of my childhood. For the past five years, I have honored the holiday and his legacy with an annual installation artwork, each large-scale, meticulously researched, and uniquely conceived. This year's piece continues this project with a blend of natural beauty and historical reverence." – Artist Jonathan York
Headed to Noah's Ark at the Skirball? Discover a second sukkah outdoors on the south side of our plant-filled campus (near the Family Art Studio)!
Sukkot is a joyous Jewish holiday celebrated for seven (or eight) days in the fall, starting on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It commemorates both the historical journey of the Israelites through the desert after their exodus from Egypt, where they lived in temporary shelters called sukkot, and the bountiful fall harvest. Today, many families build and decorate their own sukkah, a charming temporary hut with a roof made of branches, where they share meals, stories, and even sleep under the stars, symbolizing the transient dwellings of their ancestors. A central theme of Sukkot is the welcoming of guests, or ushpizin, into the sukkah, reflecting a spirit of hospitality and community. The holiday is also marked by the waving of the lulav (palm frond) and etrog (citron) along with myrtle and willow branches, in a ritual that celebrates nature’s abundance and the interconnectedness of life. The festive atmosphere includes singing, dancing, and expressing gratitude for both historical and present-day blessings.
Many Jewish people set up a sukkah and invite friends and family to celebrate the holiday in their own homes or synagogues during Sukkot. For this reason, the Skirball sukkah will be on view for an extended period—from October 8–November 3—so that all community members have an opportunity to eat, reflect, and enjoy the Skirball’s harvest celebration.