For A Human Is a Tree of The Field

This Sukkah installation was commissioned by the Vilna Shul in the fall of 2022. A Sukkah is a temporary structure in which Jews traditionally dwell during the week-long celebration of Sukkot. According to rabbinic tradition, these structures represent the huts in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. By referencing this period of nomadic freedom, the Sukkah illustrates two aspects of Jewish historical experience: it is a symbol of impermanence and insecurity and a symbol of dynamic movement and progress as we prepare for the seasonal change from summer to winter.

 

This Sukkah captures this spirit of movement and progress by drawing from my immigration experiences, first as a child moving from South Africa to Israel and later as an adult moving from Israel to the US. The piece reflects on the meaning and impermanence of home as well as on the notion of refuge and what it means to welcome the stranger. Further, it is a meditation on what I see as my responsibility as a Jewish artist to act in a way that honors my own humanity and that of others. 

 

This message is reflected both in the roof of the structure and in the paintings on its walls. The roof is made of tree branches twisted and tied together following the biblical commandment to allow for both the sun and the stars to remain visible. This commandment, and Tabb’s adherence to it, is rooted in the idea that being able to see the stars will help inspire us to imagine our own great potential. Tabb elaborates on the potential she sees contained in each person on the walls of the Sukkah, which are adorned with the seven species of the land of Israel: fig, pomegranate, olive, date, barley, wheat, and grapes. Kabbalist authors assigned each of these species a correlating human attribute. Tabb reminds us that we all contain each of these attributes, and our actions reflect the parts of ourselves that we allow to grow and flourish. As a tree in the metaphoric field, we can take many forms. Tabb’s Sukkah asks us each to grow reflect deeply and grow thoughtfully with intention.