Congregations in the region have a wide range of Sukkot activities planned. Here are some, be sure to check with the congregations regarding reservations or to make sure the events are as planned.

Alabama
Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will have a Build the Sukkah party at 9 a.m. on Oct. 5. Pizza will be served for lunch. A communal meal under the stars will be held Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. for the first night of Sukkot. Suggested donation is $18 for an individual, $54 per family.

The annual Knesseth Israel Sukkah Hop will be Oct. 10 starting at 3 p.m. at the Yammer sukkah. An adult Sukkah Hop, featuring gourmet foods and wine from Little Savannah chef Cliff Holt, will be on Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. Reservations are $10 per person, $15 per couple.

Knesseth Israel will also have a Sukkot Kumzitz, campfire with a musical Havdallah and toasted marshmallows, on Oct. 11 at 7:15 p.m. The holiday season concludes with Simchat Torah, starting with Tishreifest, a pre-Simchat Torah celebration on Oct. 16. The afternoon service will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by Barbecue and Beer at 5:45 p.m., and the Simchat Torah service at 7 p.m.

Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham
will have Pizza in Our Hut and Lulav Shakes on Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. Reservations are $6 per person. A Sukkot service will be held on Oct. 9 at 11 a.m.

Temple Beth-El in Birmingham will have a community and religious school cookout on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. On Oct. 10 there will be dinner in the sukkah following the 5:45 p.m. service. Registration for the dinners is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 5 to 13.

Beth-El will have a Sisterhood in the Sukkah program on Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. to meet Emily Hausman, wife of new Beth-El Director of Congregational Learning Rabbi Joseph Robinson.

Simchat Torah services will be on Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. There will also be a Torah celebration and consecration for 18 students on Oct. 17 at 5:40 p.m.

Chabad of Alabama will have its Sukkot Extravaganza at Bais Ariel Chabad Center in Birmingham on Oct. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. There will be zorb balls, a rock wall and inflatables.

For adults, Chabad of Alabama will have Sushi and Scotch in the Sukkah, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The event is $18 for adults, $30 for couples, and $5 for You Belong in Birmingham members.

Dothan will have several Sukkot events. The sukkah at Temple Emanu-El will be built on Oct. 8 starting at 5:30 p.m. Pizza will be served. There will be a sukkah decorating Shabbat potluck dinner and service on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. On Oct. 11, Lisa and Melvyn Cohen have invited the congregation to celebrate their move to Dothan with Havdalah in their sukkah at 6:30 p.m.

On Oct. 12, the Arenson family will celebrate the building of their first sukkah starting at 3 p.m., in conjunction with the Smily family. The congregation is invited, and potluck items are not required but are welcome.

Emanu-El will have Consecration for three students at Simchat Torah services, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Etz Chayim in Huntsville will build the sukkah on Oct. 5 at 2:30 p.m. A Kiddush in the sukkah will be held on Oct. 9 and 16 at 5 p.m. Shemini Atzeret services will be Oct. 16 at 9:30 a.m., with Yizkor approximately 10:30 a.m. Simchat Torah will start with a kosher dairy potluck dinner at 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 16, followed by services and Consecration at 6:30 p.m.

At Ahavas Chesed in Mobile, the sukkah will be open for those who want to “shake a lulav and leave.” Hours will be from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, 10, 12 and 13, and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 14.

On Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., there will be a Guitar Shabbat for Sukkot, followed by a dairy potluck meal in the sukkah. On Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. there will be a book club discussion of “Save the Deli” by David Sax, with Barry Bukstein providing first-hand experience. That will be followed by Yizkor at noon. Simchat Torah will be observed that night at 6.

Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile will have a Sukkot service on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., and Simchat Torah with Consecration on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

Temple Beth Or in Montgomery will have a Set Up The Sukkah Songfest on Oct. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. International performer Jilla Webb will be accompanied by Kurt McKinney for the celebration, which will include “lots of great food.” The event is free and open to the community.

Beth Or will have its Sukkot service on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m., and Simchat Torah on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m.

Rabbi Scott Kramer and wife Irene of Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery open their sukkah to the community on Oct. 12 for a dairy/pareve potluck social from 3 to 5 p.m.

Sukkot services will be Oct. 8 at 6 p.m., Oct. 9 and 10 at 9 a.m., and an afternoon service at the Kramer home on Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Shemini Atzeret evening service will be at the Kramer home on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m., and at the shul on Oct. 16 at 9 a.m.

Simchat Torah will be celebrated on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m., followed by the annual Lil Perlman Memorial Cabbage Dinner. Simchat Torah morning will be Oct. 17 at 9 a.m.

Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Beer Garden in the Hut fundraiser for religious school programming, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. There will be beer for adults, soft drinks and juice for children, and pizza for everyone. Sukkot services will be Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., Simchat Torah will be Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

Florida
Temple Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will have Sukkot and Simchat Torah services on Oct. 10 and 17, at 7:30 p.m. The Simchat Torah service will be a Kumzing celebration.

In Pensacola, Temple Beth-El will have a sukkah building party and lunch on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. Young Jewish Pensacola will have a sukkah dinner on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.

Beth-El will have Sukkot and Shabbat Under the Stars on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., and Simchat Torah will be celebrated on Sept. 15 with dinner at 6 p.m. and the service at 6:45 p.m.

B’nai Israel in Pensacola will have services for the first two days of Sukkot at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 a.m., along with Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on the same schedule.

Louisiana
Gemiluth Chassodim in Alexandria
will have a Sukkot celebration in the courtyard, weather permitting, on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. There will be a dinner and family service. Simchat Torah will be Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m.

The Beth Shalom Religious School in Baton Rouge will decorate the sukkah on Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dairy potluck at 6 p.m. and services at 7 p.m.

On Oct. 16, Beth Shalom will have a Simchat Torah celebration featuring the Panorama Jazz Band. The Men’s Club will host a deli dinner at 6 p.m., followed by the service and Consecration at 6:45 p.m. The service will include the congregation’s traditional “candy Hakafah.”

Additional festival services will be held on Oct. 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 9 a.m.

At B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge, there will be a Shabbat service and potluck dinner in the sukkah on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. Simchat Torah will be celebrated on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

B’nai Israel in Monroe will have a Sukkot service and covered dish dinner on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. Simchat Torah services will be on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

Temple Sinai in New Orleans will have a family celebration on Oct. 8 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., decorating the sukkah, followed by a family Sukkot service and pizza.

On Oct. 12, there will be a Simchat Torah celebration and Consecration during religious school, at 10:45 a.m.

Temple Sinai will also have Sukkot Under the Stars on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served and there will be information about free adult programming in the coming year. The event is open to the community at no charge, coordinated with the National Jewish Outreach Program.

Touro Synagogue will have Slice in the Sukkah, Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. Canned goods are requested to decorate the perimeter of the sukkah, which will then “build the pantry” at Broadmoor Food Pantry. Cantor David Mintz will have lunch in the sukkah on Oct. 10 and Rabbi Alexis Berk will be there on Oct. 14, community members are invited to bring a brown bag lunch and join them.

Following Touro’s 6 p.m. Shabbat service on Oct. 10, there will be Shabbat Sukkah: Vintage Wines and Harvest Moon in the sukkah.

Touro’s Simchat Torah will be at Danneel Park on Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m. A picnic will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by a Torah parade and music by the Panorama Jazz Band.

Gates of Prayer in Metairie will have an outdoor picnic and service on Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m., and Sukkot services on Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. During Shabbat Sukkot, services will be outdoors at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 and 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 11.

Simchat Torah will be on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. with Consecration, and on Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m.

Shir Chadash in Metairie will honor Rabbi Ethan Linden and Liba Kornfeld for their five years in New Orleans at a Sukkot service and dinner, Oct. 10 at 6:45 p.m. The menu will feature a selection of New Orleans favorites. Cost is $18 for adults, $12 for children ages 6 to 13, and free for 5 and under. Reservations are being taken through Oct. 3, and a vegetarian option will be available if requested in advance.

Liba Kornfeld will lead Shakshouka in the Sukkah at Shir Chadash in Metairie on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. It will be a presentation on Israeli foods, a cooking class and dinner. The program is free and BYOB, but limited to the first 30 participants to reserve.

Beth Israel in Metairie will have a sukkah build and decorating at 9 a.m. on Oct. 5. In addition to regular services, there will be several programs in the sukkah. A Chol Hamoed party is scheduled for Oct. 12. On Oct. 13, there will be Monday Night Football in the sukkah starting at 7:30 p.m. On Oct. 14, it’s Cork and Canvas for the Ladies, at 7 p.m.

The Simchat Torah celebration will include a buffet dinner on Oct. 16 at 7:15 p.m.

Chabad in New Orleans will host Sukkot Under the Stars for Young Jewish Professionals, a dinner and drinks event at the home of Rabbi Mendel and Malkie Rivkin, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.

B’nai Zion in Shreveport will decorate the sukkah on Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. That will be the day’s religious school session, there is no school that morning.

Rabbi Jana DeBenedetti will be holding dinner in the sukkah on Oct. 8 and 15 at 6 p.m. Congregants are invited to drop by with their own meals. The sukkah will also be open to those who want to eat there any time from Oct. 9 to 15, and with advance notice a lulav and etrog will be made available.

Sukkot services will be on Oct. 9 at 9:30 a.m., and Yizkor for Simchat Torah will be at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16.

On Oct. 17 at 6 p.m., B’nai Zion will have Simchat Torah services and Consecration.

Agudath Achim in Shreveport will have Sukkot services at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 a.m. for the first two days. Shemini Atzeret will be on Oct. 16 at 9:45 a.m. At 6:30 p.m. there will be a covered dish dinner , followed by Simchat Torah services.

Mississippi
Beth Israel in Gulfport
will have Simchat Torah with Rabbi Jeremy Simons of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Shemini Atzeret services will be at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and Simchat Torah services.

Jackson’s Beth Israel
will have Pizza in the Hut on Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 6:15 p.m. outdoor service. Dinner reservations are $7. There will also be a Sukkot service on Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. Simchat Torah will start with a potluck dinner on Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 6:15 p.m. service. The morning service and Consecration will be Oct. 16 at 10 a.m.

Chabad of Southern Mississippi will have a community sukkah party on Oct. 12 at 3 p.m.