How can a sukkah (the temporary shelter built for the festival of Sukkot) express both Jewish tradition and contemporary concerns about living lightly on the earth? Chicago artist Amy Reichert shared creative approaches to sukkah building, weaving together her understanding of Torah, tradition, and Talmud. Her elegant sukkah with a cloud-shaped roof was inspired by a Talmudic discussion in which Rabbi Eliezer viewed the sukkah as a cloud-like miraculous presence that hovered of the the Israelites as they journeyed in exile.

Amy Reichert’s Cloud Sukkah was on display at Spertus from September 18 through October 9.

Sukkot commemorates the years Jews lived in temporary shelters in the wilderness after being freed from slavery in Egypt. This year Sukkot begins at sundown on October 12.

Amy Reichert is an architect, artist, and exhibit designer. Her work can be found in museums and private collections around the world, including the Jewish Museums of New York and Vienna. She combines her studio practice with teaching and serves on the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.