Given the ongoing concerns about COVID-19 and the fact that gathering outdoors is considered safer than indoors, Sukkot and its huts have provided the perfect circumstances for celebrations.

Plenty of St. Louis Jews built sukkahs this year — some for the first time. We asked people to share photos of their structures, which must have at least two walls and part of a third, and to reflect on why they built the huts and what the holiday means to them.

We would like to see your sukkahs. If you built one this year, please email your photos and thoughts to [email protected]

If you belong to a congregation, please include the name of it. Also please tell us a bit about yourself — occupation, family, etc.

Check out our gallery below.

Thanks and chag sameach!

Gallery • 9 Photos

Galve Deleste and Rian Edwards, members of Congregation Temple Israel, built a sukkah for the first time this year at their home in Brentwood. The primary inspiration was Edwards' ongoing conversion to Judaism. "We built it so that Rian could experience it and understand Jewish traditions," said Deleste, 28, who serves as director of marketing and sales for BeLeaf, a hemp and CBD company.