The eight-day festival of Sukkot is a uniquely joyous celebration of G‑d’s material and spiritual protection and bounty. Communities that faced devastation just two weeks ago in the path of Hurricane Matthew are preparing for the holiday with a special sense of gratitude, even as they continue to reach out to those who were impacted by the deadly storm.

Pictured above, friends and family of Rabbi Shmuel and Chana Novack, co-directors of Chabad of Southside in Jacksonville, Fla., which was directly in the hurricane’s path, assemble the Chabad center’s sukkah.

For a comprehensive guide to information, insights and inspiration about the holiday of Sukkot and its many mitzvahs, visit the Chabad.org Sukkot mini-site here.