Structure put up for Jewish holiday of Sukkot vandalized on Upper East Side
NEW YORK -- Sunday night marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday known as Sukkot.
For a week, each family will gather for meals under a temporary structure known as a sukkah, but on the Upper East Side, one was deliberately damaged by a person caught on camera, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reported.
The sukkah was just built Friday at East 92nd and First Avenue, and, hours later, it was vandalized. It happened ahead of a holiday that's all about unity and joy.
"Why on earth would you bring hatred to a beautiful holiday? Why would you do this?" said Rabbi Uriel Vigler of Chabad Israel Center.
That's exactly what was going through Vigler's head when he first saw video of a man repeatedly kicking the sukkah in front of Chabad Isreal Center. He noticed the damage when arriving for Saturday morning services.
"It's not even the holiday, didn't even start yet, and we see on the cameras that at 1:23 a.m. Saturday morning, somebody comes by walking by here and he sees this sukkah and he starts urinating in it and he goes back and he starts kicking it, breaking down the glass," Vigler said.
The sukkah was built, just hours before, for those celebrating sukkot. Vigler explained the significance of the holiday.
"When the Jewish people came out of the deserts -- they were in the deserts for 40 years -- we have clouds of glory protecting us, and to commemorate that we have this sukkah," Vigler said.
He said the structures must be under the open sky, which can be difficult in the city since many don't have backyards. That's why this one is so important.
"We put up the sukkah for thousands of Jews to observe the holiday. We have to eat and drink in the sukkah for eight days," Vigler said.
While watching video of the vandal, Vigler noticed what appeared to be a man trying to stop the attack, and he is grateful.
"I want to that New Yorker. We don't know who he is, but that's the way we should be doing. We should stand up to this nonsense. The holiday is all about being joyous and happy and celebrations. That's what we want," Vigler said.
In the theme of the holiday, he said he'd invite the vandal here to share a meal, a hug, and spread love. CBS2 reached out to the NYPD. investigators say the person appears to be drunk and is wanted for criminal mischief.
