"We Volunteer to Build Dozens of Sukkahs Until the Evening Before the Holiday"

Our conversation with Binyamin Ditman, just days before Sukkot, is accompanied by the sounds of hammering and drilling. "You'll have to get used to it," he tells us, "I've already adapted. For several days now, I've been out in the field, setting up sukkahs, without a moment of peace."

By "the field," he refers to the homes of elderly and older adults throughout Kiryat Shmuel, who require assistance in erecting their sukkahs for the holiday. Ditman, along with a large group of volunteers, performs this task with dedication and commitment.

"Our project began almost a decade ago," Ditman shares. "It's an amazing volunteer initiative launched by the 'Bnei Akiva' movement in cooperation with other youth movements, in memory of the soldiers Benaya Rein, Benaya Sarel, and Benaya Rubel, of blessed memory. The initiative offers assistance to older individuals who can't build sukkahs on their own, with the help of youth volunteers. I joined the project a few years ago, and ever since, in the days leading up to the Sukkot holiday, I am busily setting up sukkahs around the city. This year, in addition to the construction, I am also responsible for receiving calls and assigning tasks to team members. It might sound easier, but the truth is that it's a significant responsibility because you must ensure volunteers arrive to build, and if no volunteers can come at that moment, you simply get up and do it yourself."

Photo: Arie Leib Abrams / Flash90

From the Elderly to New Immigrants

Who typically approaches you for help?

"As mentioned, mainly elderly and older residents who cannot build by themselves. Some have been calling us regularly for several years and won't forgo having a sukkah. Yet, there are surprising cases, like a family that immigrated to Israel just on the eve of the holiday, hadn't even unpacked their boxes, and needed our help to set up a sukkah. Or a situation last year, when I was called a few hours before the holiday to build a sukkah for someone. I assumed it was an elderly person, but upon arriving, it turned out the father was 40, had been in a severe accident, injuring both his legs, and couldn't build the sukkah. It's not easy to respond to all cases, especially those that come at the very last minute, but I always tell volunteers that this is precisely the great mission: to help another Jewish person or family in Israel sit in a kosher sukkah during the holiday and rejoice, because when they are happy, our joy is fulfilled too."

Photo: Chaim Goldberg / Flash90

When do people mainly approach you for help?

"Truthfully, people start reaching out as early as the month of Elul, mainly those wanting to ensure they have a sukkah, or large retirement homes knowing a significant need for volunteers exists and that building the sukkah requires long hours. However, the main surge occurs after Yom Kippur and continues almost until the holiday begins."

Are you prepared to handle so many requests and needs?

"Absolutely. The project is national with hundreds of volunteers across the country, and here in Givat Shmuel, we have 54 volunteers, providing us with sufficient manpower. Usually, we send volunteers in pairs since building a sukkah alone is tough, and they almost always work at night when it's cooler. Sometimes the elderly join them in the building efforts, creating truly moving scenarios: you may see an 80 or 90-year-old Jewish person lifting beams or hanging decorations, doing it all with a sparkle of excitement in their eyes, as if it's their first time building a sukkah."

Photo: Yossi Aloni / Flash90

Leaving a Taste for More

"The difficulty isn't in finding volunteers but in locating those who can quickly arrive and are available," Ditman emphasizes. "It's crucial to understand these aren't adults but youths, each with their own plans and matters. Initially, they truly want to help, but when it comes down to it, not all are as available as hoped. That's exactly where my role lies—to motivate them to work and stress the importance of the mission here."

Yet the greatest challenge, as Ditman notes, is after the holiday when they need to dismantle the sukkahs they built. "For every sukkah we construct, we commit to dismantling it immediately after the holiday," he clarifies, "and this, naturally, is the most challenging phase because the energy, enthusiasm, and joy of the holiday eve are no longer there. But we try to do this well, aiming to leave people wanting more so they don't hesitate to set up a sukkah next year."

And one must ask: what empowers you in such tiring and exhausting work?

"The smile, the smile of the people who receive a built sukkah and get to celebrate Sukkot in it," he replies before heading off to set up more sukkahs.

For contact with Binyamin: 0525528868