Sukkah Project
In Jewish tradition, a sukkah is a type of temporary hut or booth in which the festival of Sukkot is celebrated, commemorating the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. In the cold Eastern European climate, sukkahs often took the form of wooden balconies. A unique feature of the pre-war wooden Jewish sukkah was its roof, which was opened each year for the celebration of Sukkot (according to Jewish law, the observance should take place at least partially under the open sky).
Izbica is located in the Lublin Voivodeship. Before World War II, it was a town where more than 80% of the population was Jewish. During the war, it became a transit ghetto—Nazis transported Jews here from all over Europe, with thousands of people being shot at the local cemetery, while the majority were deported to the extermination camps in Sobibor and Bełżec. After the war, Izbica was resettled by Poles.
Jewish architecture is gradually fading into the past, especially in small towns, which is also the case in Izbica. One of the last two remaining sukkahs was designated for demolition. With the help of the project initiators and local residents, the structure was carefully dismantled and saved from destruction.
As part of the project, the sukkah will undergo conservation and return to Izbica as a performative monument, with its opening roof serving as a symbolic act of remembrance for the Jewish community that once lived in the town. The project takes the form of a long-term process involving various groups, including local residents—both adults and children from the local school—the town administration, researchers, artists, and activists.
The photographic documentation captures the ongoing transformation of the sukkah into a performative monument. As the structure is not officially listed as a historical monument, its significance in terms of heritage protection is not immediately recognized. Therefore, a major part of the project involves negotiating its historical and cultural value.
The process so far has included discussions with the property owners, a meeting with researcher Małgorzata Michalska Nakonieczna, the deconstruction of the sukkah from the building slated for demolition, and a meeting with the mayor of Izbica. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Zapomniane Foundation (Agnieszka Nieradko, Aleksandra Janus, Iwona Hermon) and the Formy Wspólne Foundation (Piotr Michalewicz, Łukasz Mieszkowski, Marcin Urbanek) and has been ongoing since 2022.
