A Spider’s-Eye View Of Your Sukkah
From his window perch in the living room of the Shapiro household, Sammy Spider sees fall leaves, scampering squirrels and the family busily erecting a Sukkah. When Sammy — the star of the new story “Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot” (Lerner Pub Group), with text by Sylvia A. Rouss and whimsical cut-paper illustrations by Katherine Janus Kahn — asks his mother if he can celebrate the holidays with the Shapiros, she brushes him off.
“Silly little Sammy,” she says. “Spiders don’t celebrate Sukkot. Spiders spin webs.” Sammy ventures outside for a closer look at the festivities, but when his mother goes to fetch him, a window closes, trapping them outdoors. The pair finds shelter in the Shapiros’ Sukkah. Surrounded by fragrant fruit, the blue sky and his mother, Sammy hears the family recite the blessing over the lulav and etrog and happily agrees: “G-d is everywhere.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news. All donations are still being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000 until April 24.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.

