Sukkot should be a time of joy, not of frustration—that is the philosophy of The Sukkah Project. For three decades, the company has taken the headaches out of the chag with its “klutz-proof” sukkah kits.
“Sukkot is ‘the’ chag—the most joyous holiday that the Jewish people have,” says Abram Herman, owner and CEO of The Sukkah Project. “It is a great reason to bring family and community together and reconnect with our heritage. Even if you are not a super observant Jew, it’s a wonderful excuse to have a party in the backyard!”
In 2026, Sukkot begins at sundown on Friday, September 25, which means this is exactly the right time to think about ordering a sukkah. This is also the start of the busy season for Herman’s company as they prepare to ship sukkahs around the world—some small enough to fit on an apartment balcony and others large enough to house hundreds of students at a university.
“We talk to customers who bought a sukkah 20 years ago, expanded it 10 years ago, and now they want one for their children, so we have multi-generational connections,” Herman says. “Because of the way we treat our customers, we develop a loving relationship with them.”
This year also marks a new initiative for The Sukkah Project, as the family-owned company launches The Sukkah Foundation to respond to members of the Jewish community who want to celebrate Sukkot but need a helping hand to own a sukkah.
“Part of what we do is tikkun olam, but we have never had a formal way of doing that,” says Herman. “Now, on our thirtieth anniversary, it seems to be the perfect time to bring my family’s commitment to the community full circle through The Sukkah Foundation.”
‘Memories for decades’
The Sukkah Project started decades ago in the woodworking shop of Abram Herman’s Uncle Steve, a psychology professor at Duke University.
“People knew him to be a handy guy,” Herman says. “They started asking him, ‘How do I make a sukkah?’”
Steve Herman developed a kit for an eight-by-eight-foot sukkah with a wood frame that the company still sells today. He had the foresight to reserve the web address “sukkot.com” and that eventually opened the door to an online business taking orders that could be shipped around the world. Over time, the business evolved into kits for metal sukkahs that Herman describes as “even more klutz-proof.”
As a youngster growing up in Fort Collins, Herman traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to visit his aunt and uncle and to help with the business.
He attended CU Boulder where he earned a degree in philosophy, which, he says, has been useful after he bought the business from his aunt and uncle 11 years ago.
“It is a degree in critical thinking, teaching you to think through the core of any problem to find the best results,” he says. “It works for the entrepreneurial side of this business.”
Herman moved The Sukkah Project to Grand Junction, Colorado, where final light manufacturing and assembly of the sukkah kits takes place. When he first took over ownership, it was almost a one-man operation, with Herman doing everything from unloading materials to producing a newsletter and answering customer questions. As the company grew, Herman added both full-time and seasonal employees.
The Sukkah Project creates sukkah kits that are original designs with high-quality materials. The company ships the kits around the world and also sells decorations and original Judaic art because, Herman says, “making the sukkah beautiful is also a mitzvah.” Customers run the gamut—from secular Jews to strictly observant ones representing Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox synagogues. Herman takes particular pride in the customer service he offers everyone.
“We hear from customers who bought one of our sukkah kits more than 15 years ago,” he says. “This is not a situation where you buy from us, and you will have to buy another one in two years. We understand that this is someone’s holiday where they will make memories for decades.”
‘We can say yes’ with The Sukkah Foundation
During the years that Herman has owned the company, he has become increasingly aware that he has some customers who want to have a sukkah but cannot afford one. From single parents and young families stretching every dollar, to households hit by job loss or medical bills, to schools and shuls hit by disaster—every year Herman saw a need in the Jewish community.
Last fall, Herman took a call from someone who wanted to donate toward sukkahs that could be given to people who would not otherwise be able to afford one. The call stuck in Herman’s head and sparked the idea of developing a formalized way to demonstrate tikkun olam, coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of the company’s founding.
“The genesis of this company was my uncle trying to help his community connect with their Jewish roots and create family memories,” Herman says. “Thirty years later, what better way to get back to our roots than to create a foundation to support people who want to perform the mitzvah of Sukkot.”
Working under the fiscal sponsorship of UpStart, an incubator for Jewish entrepreneurs, Herman has created The Sukkah Foundation with the motto “Every Jewish family deserves a sukkah.” Through the Foundation, he can raise tax-deductible donations, add funding from The Sukkah Project, and solicit requests for a free sukkah. UpStart will provide ongoing oversight, ensuring that the Foundation fulfills its mission.
As he prepares for Sukkot this year, Abram Herman will know that he is continuing the tradition of helping others that his Uncle Steve established. When someone wants a sukkah but cannot afford to buy one, he can now come to their aid through The Sukkah Foundation.
“We can say yes,” he says. “And we will have the funding to follow through.”