Jewish commuters in Jerusalem were delighted to alight upon a bus decked out as a traditional Sukkah – replete with bamboo roof and festooned with decorations – courtesy of a Muslim bus driver who was hoping the Sukkah-bus would “improve relations” with his passengers.
Ihab, a resident of Ras al-Amud in eastern Jerusalem, bought Sukkah decorations with his own money and requested permission from his employer, the Egged bus company, to decorate his vehicle. Once he received permission, it took him three hours to transform the bus into the hut traditionally used on the holiday of Sukkot.
“My goal is to improve relations with my commuters, in light of the fact they’re oftentimes strained, doubly so in Jerusalem,” Ihab told Ynet news.
The Sukkah bus (Photo: Amit Shabi, Ynet screengrab)
“Response from the passengers has been charming. I hear a lot of ‘Way to go,’ ‘Happy holiday’ and ‘What a charming thought’ from most people,” he added.
Muslim bus driver Ihab (Photo: Amit Shabi, Ynet screengrab)
“I haven’t decided yet what I’ll do the next time I decorate the bus. You also need to receive permission from Egged first, so God only knows,” the driver said.