6 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 

1942 - 2022

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

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morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205,
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thejewishnews.com

 
 
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The Detroit Jewish 
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student’s corner
Community Within a Community
T

he holiday of Sukkot 
we recently celebrat-
ed is where we build 
temporary structures to 
remind us of when the Jewish 
people strug-
gled to establish 
a permanent 
home after they 
were freed from 
Egypt. During 
the time of the 
Temple, the 
Jewish peo-
ple all gathered from near 
and far in the Holy city of 
Jerusalem. They came togeth-
er as a community to read 
selections from the Torah 
during Chol HaMoed. It was 
important for the Jewish 
Nation to gather in Jerusalem 
at the Temple, after all of 
the hardships they had been 
through and survived. 
Sukkot is a holiday sur-
rounding the act of ushpizin, a 

word stemming from Arabic, 
or in English, welcoming 
guests. It is a mitzvah to 
gather guests to enjoy a meal 
with one another inside of a 
sukkah. Inviting guests during 
this holiday is just one way 
the Jewish people form com-
munity. 
Community is so import-
ant to us; it is the founda-
tion of Jewish traditions as 
well as culture. It is stated 
in the Torah, “You shall 
rejoice on your festival” 
(Deuteronomy 16:14). When 
it comes to Sukkot in the 
Torah, we recognize this 
act of welcoming others 
when Abraham, our first 
patriarch, sat outside of his 
tent waiting to invite guests 
inside, so that he could serve 
them a well-prepared meal 
as well as make them feel 
at home. Additionally, our 
Sages expressed that true joy 

is shared joy, which is why 
sharing our space with guests 
on Sukkot brings forth so 
much joy. 
The Jewish people cele-
brate Sukkot for seven days, 
this is because we reference 
inviting one of the “found-
ing fathers” each day. The 
first day represents inviting 
Abraham, which brings us 
love. The second day rep-
resents Isaac, which brings us 
discipline. The third is Jacob, 
bringing us truth; the fourth 
is Moses, bringing forth 
endurance. The fifth, repre-
senting Aaron, brings humil-
ity, the sixth, Joseph, bears 
connection, and the seventh, 
David, brings us leadership. 
For example, the act of 
ushpizin can be related to the 
community at Leeza’s Cafe, 
a restaurant my family has 
been dining at for as long 
as I can remember. We have 

established a meaningful 
relationship with Liza, the 
owner, as well as her kind-
hearted employees. I am 
always greeted with a smile, 
and the employees will even 
sit down with my family 
and talk to us about what-
ever may be interesting at 
the time. I always leave the 
restaurant feeling a sense of 
community and joy. 
The connections that Liza 
and her staff have estab-
lished with the community, 
I believe, is one of the many 
reasons that everyone enjoys 
this restaurant so much. It 
is safe to say that Liza and 
her staff are constantly doing 
the good deed of welcoming 
guests, just like the Jewish 
people do during the seven 
days of Sukkot. 

Erin Starr is a senior at Frankel Jewish 

Academy.

PURELY COMMENTARY

Erin Starr

