Rabbi Warns High-Rise Apartments Without Sukkot Balconies Will Lose Value

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu has issued a warning that modern high-rise apartments lacking dedicated spaces for sukkot, the temporary huts used during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, will significantly decrease in value within a few years. He argues that as more Israelis move into high-rise buildings, developers and architects must incorporate creative designs to accommodate private sukkot, especially during a period of perceived spiritual awakening in Israel.

Official statistics from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics show a significant increase in the construction of high-rise buildings. In 2024, approximately 325 buildings of 15 stories or more were constructed, accounting for about 24% of all new apartments. The number of apartments planned for buildings of 16 stories or more has steadily risen from around 10,120 in 2019 to an estimated 18,500 in 2025.

Currently, most new high-rise apartments offer no space for sukkot, with only a few buildings providing limited communal garden space that is insufficient for private use, such as sleeping or eating. Rabbi Eliyahu refutes claims from developers that building sukkot is impossible, suggesting innovative architectural solutions, such as integrating sukkah balconies into the building's facade, similar to designs seen in structures like the Burj Khalifa.

He emphasizes that this is not a passing trend but a fulfillment of prophecy, linking the spiritual revival in Israel to the need for architectural adaptation. Rabbi Eliyahu urges prospective apartment buyers to demand sukkot-friendly designs from developers, viewing it as a way to remember God's protection throughout Jewish history. He believes that forward-thinking economists and architects will recognize that future property values will be tied to the inclusion of sukkot spaces.