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The original version of this story incorrectly explained the Passover holiday. It stated Passover celebrates the prophet Elijah visiting the homes of Jewish families, when the holiday actually recognizes the Exodus from Egypt.
Updated 10/20/10 at 2:20 p.m.
I came to CU to learn. And not just about biology and literature. I came to learn about the lifestyles of other people from all over the country.
Two weeks ago, with the occurrence of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, I had the chance to learn about a religion other than my own.
My best friend since I was 11 years old is Jewish, so I always assumed I had a decent amount of knowledge concerning the religion. Growing up, I went to bar mitzvahs, a few services and a Hanukkah celebration or two. I loved getting school off during all of the Jewish holidays.
I quickly learned that I knew very little about the religion last year when my friend Lauren Lipman asked if I wanted to go to Seder with her, and I asked if that was a band. It turns out Seder is a dinner celebrating the beginning of Passover. Passover recognizes the Exodus from Egypt that occurred after generations of Israelite slavery, according to the Hillel website.
With the Jewish holidays including Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot all occurring within the last month, and three Jewish roommates, I had the perfect opportunity to learn more about the religion.
“The month is fun with all the holidays,” said Lindsey Schumer, a 20-year-old senior broadcast production major. “It’s fun to celebrate with friends as well as meet new ones, especially celebrating in a college town.”
Additionally, CU boasts a fairly large Jewish community, so I thought it would be easy to learn about Judaism.
“The Jewish community is so big you don’t have to be as practicing to go to the events,” said Lena Antman, a 21-year-old senior political science major. “They welcome all.”
On Thursday, I attended a service and dinner for Sukkot at the University of Colorado Chabad, located on 17th Street in Boulder.
I walked up the stone steps of the house, dressed up and notebook in hand. I was greeted by three young children sprawled out on the living room floor, wearing kippahs, reading books about trains and shouting about a recently lost tooth.
I got off to a slightly rocky start when I introduced myself to Rabbi Yisroel and attempted to shake his hand. He politely stepped back and informed me that in Orthodox Judaism, men and women do not touch.
“In the Orthodox religion, the men can’t touch any other woman but their wife to be respectful and not create temptation,” Schumer explained to me.
I ventured into the kitchen, where I was introduced to Rabbi Wilhelm’s wife, Leah Wilhelm. She notified me of a reporter’s worst nightmare, that I was not allowed to take notes while I was there because people are not supposed to do any work during the holiday.
Nervously, I entered the living room, where chairs and a white screen starting to show wear and separating sides for men and women had been set up for services, and sat down. Rabbi Wilhelm preformed a 15-minute service in rapid Hebrew and then invited all of us, about 10 people in total, to the backyard to have a dinner of salad, chicken, vegetables, soup and Hallah in the Sukkah, which is a structure built for the holiday of Sukkot.
“[A Sukkah] is generally made out of natural materials because the Hebrews made these structures when they were traveling through the desert,” said Mara Rosenthal, a 20-year-old junior advertising major. “The ceiling of the Sukkah is supposed to be thin enough to see the stars.”
Throughout the dinner, Rabbi Wilhelm talked about the significance of the holiday and how Isaac, a son of Abraham, was the visitor for that night.
“Inner peace,” he said. “Isaac teaches us inner peace. He teaches us to stay put and make our surroundings perfect … Isaac is our hero.”
That night presented a light-hearted mood, which was very different from what I was expecting.
I was raised Catholic, and I’ve always experienced long church services with a serious mood followed by a chaotic family brunch.
On Friday, I attended an event at Chabad.
The Sukkah was packed with Jewish students celebrating Sukkot and eating sushi to the point where people were sitting on the floor. It was less intimate than the night before, but the mood was just as cheery.
“Going to Chabad is more of a cultural and social aspect of when I celebrate Sukkot,” said Maggie Lowenberg, a 21-year-old senior international affairs major. “I can spend time with my friends and eat in a Sukkah under the stars.”
And the students seemed to be a part of a tight-knit community.
“[It is] an aspect that makes it easier to become friends with fellow Jews,” Rosenthal said. “It’s a bond that most of us share and talk about often when we come in contact with each other… It actually makes school feel a little more like home.”
Part of this is due to the fact that CU offers many opportunities for participation in the Jewish community.
“It’s really exciting because there are so many groups: Hillel and Chabad and Greek life,” Antman said.
Lowenberg, who is also the president of the Jewish sorority, Sigma Rho Lambda, agreed.
“It’s so remarkable to see the plethora of events and get involved,” she said. “[The sorority has] been an absolutely amazing part of my experience of being Jewish at CU.”
Schumer emphasized the importance of making connections through these events.
“My Chabad and Hillel experiences have been about learning more about my religion as well as meeting others with the same beliefs,” Schumer said.
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Nicole Zimbelman at Nicole.zimbelman@colorado.edu.
