Closing Bell: Safe for Sukkot?
A reader sent in this photo he took this weekend of a building at Broadway and Walton Street with a question about the safety and legality of these balconies built for Sukkot. Anyone know if they’re on the up-and-up?
A reader sent in this photo he took this weekend of a building at Broadway and Walton Street with a question about the safety and legality of these balconies built for Sukkot. Anyone know if they’re on the up-and-up?
In a tolerant society we would understand that for some people religious observance trumps aesthetics. (I agree that the jumble of precarious sukkots on that face of that building looks pretty damn foul).
The real problem is not the ugly sukkot but those situations where religious observance trumps health and life safety laws and codes.
My, but there are a lot of people here who are having fun with purely groundless angry bigotry.
Yes, the balconies are staggered so that a sukkah built on them can be halachically valid. Yes, they are large—because one is commanded to live in the sukkah during the eight-day holiday period, and there are festive meals (with guests) held in them.
There is no reason to presume they are not “safe”; the people who build buildings designed to accommodate the observant have no desire to be sued by their tenants either in the regular courts or in a rabbinical court for having provided unsafe accommodations. None of the people here demanding breathlessly whether the larger balconies are up to code have offered any basis other than their own nasty little prejudices to suggest they are not.
The upthread snotnose who wants to “spoil the celebration” by cycling unclad through an observant neighborhood is remarkable for showing just how much she thinks bigotry is acceptable.
there’s an urban legend that goes around every year around sukkot time that says even if the DOB came by and ticketed your sukkah for whatever reason, they stipulate that it must be removed in 8 days. the holiday only lasts 8 days, so it’s a non-issue. btw, it’s 8 days here in the diaspora, because back before the rabbis knew how to keep time, they extended holidays over here (well, europe, actually) lest they end them too early if they were still being celebrated in the holy land. the enlightened among us keep that extra day out of tradition, not ignorance. and we put up a mighty fine sukkah in our non-orthodox neighborhood every year. up on the roof. it only blew off once. why is this coming up this time of the year anyway? how about a feature of the hidden sukkot of nyc next fall? check out the fire escape and front stoop sukkot in park slope, rooftops in prospect heights, etc?
“these balconies are a tragedy waiting to happen…”
Agreed. There are a few perilously supported balconies (think nailed together 2×4’s extending 3 stories into the air) on Bedford near the BQE underpass. And 1 or 2 of them might even be jutting over the sidewalk.
like, hello?
ET: I’ll stay in the bike lane so long as it hasn’t been removed. And I don’t have to wait until the fall; the best part of these faux-sukkahs is that you can enjoy them year-round.
Rob: there seem to be plenty of lawless places out there. Try Somalia, parts of Yemen, warzones, probably some communes in the US, too — depending on how you’d like to define lawless.
ENY: I’ll let you know 🙂
I’m thinking I might ride by on a bike in a string bikini and ruin there “sukkot” celebrations….
Posted by: jessibaby at March 8, 2010 6:09 PM
Hopefully you will provide appropriate advance notice…
Jessi, the festival is in late Sept. Too cold for string bikini.
Go topless and wear Jeans. At least half of your body will be warm.
And while riding your bike, don’t forget to stay in the Bike Lanes.
like, where?
*rob*
Rob, there are plenty of places to live in this world if you want to take that attitude.