Students walked away from the University Student Union with plenty of sandwiches yesterday, but they were not foot-longs from Subway.
These sandwiches were free and in celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot.
The local Jewish group organized “Sandwiches in the Sukkah,” an event that gathers students together to observe the Jewish holiday, Sukkot. The group held its event inside a Sukkah, or a self-made hut, outside the University Student Union and served turkey sandwiches to students.
Sukkot is an annual weeklong Jewish holiday that commemorates when the Jews were released from slavery in the desert, after which they built a Sukkah and ate inside it, according to Beach Hillel Programming Associate Irene Sachi.
Drew Kaplan, the Beach Hillel campus rabbi, said it is common for Jews to eat, sleep and spend time in the Sukkah throughout the holiday.
“It’s a nice time to have lunch and be able to connect with many of the students,” Kaplan said. “We welcome every student from all religious groups, not just Jewish.”
A Sukkah can be made using a variety of materials, including tree branches, and is often decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes. Sachi said Beach Hillel used metal poles with cloth coverings and bamboo sticks to create their Sukkah.
“It took about 20 minutes to put up the Sukkah, and it’s a good deed to stay here and eat a meal,” said Sachi. “We offer turkey sandwiches to anyone who wants one.”
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Danielle Protas decorated the Sukkah, and she said she knows the importance of the Jewish holiday.
“I like to decorate; it makes it a more memorable and cozy place, like your home,” Protas said. “It commemorates the holidays and the new season, which is agricultural based.”
Beach Hillel will wrap up the festivities today with a “Sukkot Hop,” visiting multiple homes of the group members and eating and drinking together. For more information on the Sukkot Hop, contact Beach Hillel through their Facebook page.