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Hillel celebrates first on-campus Sukkot |
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Tuesday, 02 October 2007 |
 Zac Fleisher, a freshman criminal justice major, Roberta J. Fields, a sophomore political science major, and Jon Hoffman, a managing partner of MIX 102.3 FM, study the Lulav. An important symbol of Sukkot, the Lulav is made up of four plants: heart of palm, myrtle, willow, and citron. Anna Donlan
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by ASHLEY BENNERS
Lifestyles Reporter
If you passed through Sanford Mall last week, you may have noticed a green tent with hanging fruit pitched across from I.G. Greer Hall.
Inside the tent, members of “Hillel,” an association of Jewish students, gathered to celebrate Sukkot, a Jewish harvest holiday.
The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word “sukkah,” meaning booth or hut.
During this holiday, Jews are instructed to construct a temporary
structure in which to eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and
sleep.
The “sukkah” is reminiscent of the type of huts the ancient Israelites
dwelt in during their 40 years of wandering the desert after the exodus
from Egypt, and is intended to reflect God’s benevolence in providing
for all the Jews’ needs in the desert. Danny A. Batiansila, a
sophomore physics major, was particularly enthused by the celebration.
“This is the first Sukkot celebrated on campus,” Batiansila said. “I’m
really excited about it because while we celebrate we are showing the
campus that there are Jews here.”
Taking place in the wake of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom
Kippur, the day of atonement, the Sukkot celebration on campus aimed to
inform Appalachian State students about Judaism.
“We really want to correct certain stereotypes,” Batiansila said.
“People tend to have their own ideas about certain holidays. For
example, a lot of people believe that Hanukkah is the most important
Jewish holiday.”
Lyudmila Trost, a sophomore child development major and Hillel
president, also hopes to draw more attention to the growing
organization.
“Being Jewish is a huge part of my life,” Trost said. “Every college I applied to had to have a Hillel.”
After spending four years in an Orthodox Jewish day school and learning
to speak fluent Hebrew, Trost and her family moved to North Carolina
from Savannah, Ga.
“Most of my Dad’s family lives in Israel, and my parents actually met
in Eastern Europe,” Trost said. “Most of my family perished in World
War II.”
Though the campus Jewish community is small, Trost said she felt “almost at home” with everything Hillel does.
“This year, we are definitely getting more involved with the Boone Jewish community,” Trost said.
Hillel is a growing organization.
“We got a handful of new freshman this year,” Batiansila said. “We’re
trying to extend our reach on campus by having more events and going to
more services.”
Freshman criminal justice major Zac H. Fleisher said he was proud to be involved with the first Sukkot on campus.
“I love [Hillel]. My family told me to be careful about who I was
[religiously],” Fleisher said. “I have never done this much religious
activity in my life. I think it’s good for me.”
Though most members of Hillel are Jewish, students of every religious
background are encouraged to attend meetings and participate in events.
“We love diversity,” Batiansila said. “Anyone who is interested or
curious is welcome, no matter how foolish they think a question is."
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