Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

One of the special rituals of Sukkot is "Ushpizin", which means "guests" in Aramaic, when we welcome the spirit of our ancestors to the Sukkah. We invite Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David to join us, along with, in my opinion, their spouses and families. 

One interpretation for this ritual is that by ritually inviting our spiritual heroes to the Sukkah, we will be more motivated to invite flesh and blood guests to celebrate with us. The ritual creates momentum in our lives.

This year United Synagogue invited 100 "Lone Soldiers" to the Sukkah at the Fuchsberg Center in Jerusalem. Unlike Israeli-born soldiers, Lone Soldiers, most of whom have made aliyah, have no family in Israel to visit or rely on during their military service.

Thanks to the generosity of Jack and Ana Berger of Chicago, over 100 of Israel's Lone Soldiers enjoyed delicious Sukkot meals together. Two weeks earlier, over 100 Lone Soldiers shared Rosh Hashanah meals that were generously sponsored by Scott and Andrea Bernstein of Syosset, NY. 

I want to share this description of the Rosh Hashanah meals by Meira Weinstein Flaster and Josh Flaster of TheCenter for Lone Soldiers in Memory of Michael Levin z"l:

The group was fun, dynamic and diverse - 3 religious Brazilian Lone Soldiers from Rio de Janeiro - (one in Givati, one in Golani, one in Tzanchanim), 2 brothers from Raleigh N. Carolina (in intelligence and computer-related roles), 3 Russians in combat and combat support roles, about a half dozen Brits serving in combat units, 1 Australian in the IDF's Hebrew course at Mikve Alon, a few Israeli lone soldiers, who were once part of the Haredi world (and are serving in the army...so there families have left them) and a large group of US and Canadian-born lone soldiers.

The tables were arranged first in rows, and then moved into two large squares at the soldiers' request - to allow them to see and interact best with one another. Hebrew, English, Russian and Portuguese-speaking soldiers co-existed quite nicely - with army slang and the experiences and advice and insider's tricks for adjusting to life inside and outside of the army being the main themes of conversation.

All of the soldiers were greatly appreciative, and stuck around the Fuchsberg lobby for an additional hour after the 3 hour long meal ended.

Many of the lone soldiers who came to these meals had no options or invites for the holiday. They greatly appreciated the meals, and inquired about staying on Shabbatot at Fuchsberg as well.

What I find deeply moving is that the Fuchsberg Center and our larger community took care of these brave souls, who take care of the Jewish people 365 days a year. In addition, thanks to the generosity of the Bernstein's and Berger's, these Lone Soldiers were neither alone nor lonely for the haggim.  

Since 2009, the Fuchsberg Center and USCJ's Israel Committee have collaborated with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin. Michael was a Philadelphia native who came to Israel with USY, Camp Ramah and Nativ before making aliyah. He was killed in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 at the age of 21. 

During the year Nefesh B'Nefesh also runs excellent programs and offers much needed services to Lone Soldiers. Equally important, they are building an infrastructure of support for young adults who make Aliya and who will serving in the IDF.

I want to recognize the efforts of Rabbi Paul and Nina Freedman who serve as United Synagogue's official liaison for these initiatives. Their sons, Chashi, Benny and Giddy, were all Lone Soldiers before their parents made Aliya, so the Freedman's know first-hand how much this support means to the soldiers and their families. They are tireless champions of Israel and the Lone Soldiers.

This year "Ushpizin" had more meaning than ever because these soldiers did not need to guess where they would have a festive holiday meal. I imagine that at the Fuchsberg Center's Sukkah our ancestors were watching joyfully as they watched these Lone Soldiers celebrate. 

What a way to enter the new year!