Blue-and-white star-shaped balloons greeted visitors on Tuesday morning as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, opened the gates of the Israeli President’s Residence (also known as Beit Hanassi) to the public for the annual “Open Sukkah” during Sukkot.
For one day each year, the normally closed grounds become a gathering place for Israelis and visitors, with families invited to enter the president’s sukkah, participate in activities and meet the president.
The tradition was started by Israel’s second president, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, to emphasize national unity and the Sukkot custom of ushpizin—welcoming guests into the sukkah.
This year’s event, held in cooperation with the Culture and Sports Ministry, was themed “The Israeli Spirit: A Journey Through Culture and Sport Toward a Shared Israeli Tomorrow.”
Before the gates opened at 9:30 a.m., the Herzogs toured the various activity stations with members of the media, stopping to interact and pose for photographs with performers. Throughout the day, they periodically returned to the large sukkah to greet visitors.
“We are happy and excited to welcome everyone under the spirit of wonderful Israeli culture,” Herzog said. “I want the children of Israel who come here to feel what Israeli culture is and to draw strength and inspiration from it. There is nothing like the Open Sukkah, which is designed to unite all of the people of Israel.”
He thanked Culture and Sports Ministry Director-General Kfir Cohen for the cooperation.
Unlike in previous years, the Open Sukkah did not emphasize agriculture or traditional harvest imagery. In the presidential sukkah, the only fruit was bunches of large purple crepe-paper grapes hanging overhead.
Culture and sports
Ten stations featured activities connected to Israeli culture and sports, with children and families the primary focus.
Children could participate in creative activities, listen to Israeli stories and explore stations devoted to Israeli cinema and sports. A story corner featured the works of national poet Hayim Nahman Bialik, while Paralympic athletes were among the sports presenters.
The grounds and main hall were filled with children and families moving among the stations as music played. Security was extensive, with visitors undergoing screening before entering the compound.
Visitors of all ages had the opportunity to walk through the President’s Residence and experience the special access offered once a year.
A personal connection
For Grace Miller, the morning offered a chance to participate in a Jerusalem tradition she had never experienced.
Miller made aliyah from Philadelphia 22 years ago. She arrived early and was among the first visitors to enter the grounds, where she had her photograph taken with the president and his wife.
It was her first Open Sukkah in 22 years.
“I wish I had brought my 15 grandchildren,” she told JNS.
Asked why she had come, Miller replied, “I was walking, and I felt like it.”
She added that she had “the ultimate respect and kavod (respect)” for the Herzogs and for what they do to represent the country.
Miller remained on the grounds after meeting the presidential couple, taking in the different activities.
For another visitor, however, the visit carried a more personal meaning.
A woman accompanying a man in a wheelchair told JNS that it was her first time attending the Open Sukkah. She had come with a simple purpose: to thank the president and his wife.
“My son was wounded in Gaza in ‘Tzuk Eitan,’” she said, referring to Israel’s 2014 war against Hamas, known in English as ‘Operation Protective Edge.’ “We wanted to say thank you for what they have done for him over the years.”
The exchange highlighted another dimension of the Open Sukkah: an opportunity for citizens not only to see the President’s Residence, but also to personally express their appreciation and share their stories with the country’s first family.
Visitors received a metal mug as a souvenir and for drinking water during the event, with water coolers positioned throughout the grounds. Unlike at previous Open Sukkah events, there were no food tastings this year.
The large, theatrical-themed sukkah provided the setting for the Herzogs’ meetings with visitors throughout the day.
More than a public open house, the event continued a decades-old tradition of using the President’s Residence as a place where Israelis from different backgrounds can gather during one of Judaism’s most joyous holidays.
