B’nai Shalom: A Sukkah of Learning, Community, and Joy by Ashley Kantor Eckstat
In the Torah we are told that on the 15th day of the 7th month there shall be chag hasukkot–the festival of booths–and that we shall live in sukkot for 7 days. In thinking about the holiday of Sukkot and the structure for which it’s named, I couldn’t help but think of B’nai Shalom.
A sukkah is protective. One interpretation of this Torah portion says that sukkot are literal booths that we lived in while traveling the desert after leaving Egypt. On the other hand, another says that sukkot references the “clouds of glory,” or divine protection from God. At B’nai Shalom, our students are in a safe space–physically–which I never take for granted. But they are also in a safe space emotionally and spiritually, where they know they can be accepted for who they are and be given the space and the grace to make mistakes–and then learn from them.
B’nai Shalom Families gather for “Breakfast in the Sukkah”
A sukkah is an open, welcoming space. It is a mitzvah during Sukkot to host guests in your sukkah. At B’nai Shalom, we welcome families from a range of diverse backgrounds, Jewish denominations, and lived experiences. We value the enriching effects of learning alongside and from people who are different from ourselves. Just as we invite others into our sukkah for holiday meals, B’nai Shalom strives to give everyone a seat at the table.
Rabbi Isaac Luria compared the walls of a sukkah to an embrace from God: two full walls (the upper arm and forearm) and the third partial wall (the hand). This evokes images of God as nurturing, protective, and loving. This too is like B’nai Shalom. Sending your child into a school where you know they are truly seen, loved, and nurtured by their teachers and staff is a priceless gift.
A sukkah represents a full-body, immersive experience. Sitting in a sukkah is a unique mitzvah in that we are completely surrounded by the mitzvah itself. The acts of eating in the sukkah and taking the lulav and etrog employ all five senses and engage us fully. This aligns with the approach to learning at B’nai Shalom. From field trips that bring coursework to life, to meaningful service-learning projects, to hands-on experiential activities, B’nai Shalom students from preschool through 8th grade are exceptionally engaged in their education.
But, a sukkah is temporary–just like our students must one day graduate and move on. Even though we only live in the sukkah for one week out of the year, it is a ritual that connects us to our ancestors, strengthening the bond that is passed from generation to generation all the way back to the Israelites in the desert. We carry that experience with us through the rest of the year–the understanding of who we are and where we come from. Not only are we commanded to have this experience, we are commanded to “rejoice” in it. In the sukkah, and at B’nai Shalom, we find countless opportunities to revel in the unique and specific Jewish joy of celebrating traditions, being a community, and honoring our roots while engaging in the world around us–a deep joy that remains with us long after the sukkah walls are taken down.
Chag sameach!
