A Harvest Celebration

Shari Theresia / Roundup

Wednesday was the annual Pierce and Valley College Hillel Sukkot celebration at Pierce College.

But this year the Pierce/Valley Hillel joined forces with the Chayalim club for the festivities.Sukkot is a joyous harvest celebration to give thanks for the earths bounty and is celebrated over a one week period.

The name of the holiday is derived from the “sukkah” which is a “booth” that once symbolized Gods protection in the desert. It is decorated with curtains, fruits and symbols of the holy day.

“We like to welcome all our guests and we are excited to bring the campus community together to celebrate with us,” said Nomi Gordon, director of Hillel. “The door to the sukkah is open to welcome all visitors.”

Historically Jews are to dwell or at least eat in the sukkah for the seven days of the festival. The sukkah at Pierce was a colorful decorative “booth” admired by the many students and faculty who stopped by the celebration. Another part of the holiday is the lulav and etrog.

Gordon as well as some Hillel members did the Sukkot blessing with the lulav and etrog.

“The lulav is a palm branch and etrog is a lemon-like fruit,” said Ryan Altshulei, president of Hillel.

The blessing is a positive commandment from the Torah. There was Israeli music, soda and kosher sandwiches for all that were in attendance.

Also members of Chayalim and Hillel handed out flyers that educated students on the holiday as well as their clubs.

For more information on the holiday or either of the clubs sponsoring the event log onto the Hillel club web site at www.hillelatpv.com or the Chayalim club web site at www.chayalim.com