Holiday celebrations with FGCU students

By Rabbi Mendel Gordon

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Jewish students had an incredible holiday season. Starting with Rosh Hashana, we got together for a wonderful brisket dinner. The door kept swinging open with more and more students walking in to celebrate. On the second day, we had a large crowd for shofar blowing with tashlich in the center of campus.

During Yom Kippur, many students fasted for the first time or used the DIY Yom Kippur booklets we gave out, concluding with a great breakfast.

Then onto Sukkot, where the real fun started. In addition to a large sukkah at Chabad, we had two sukkahs on campus — one in the center of the main campus and a second one by the freshman dorms.

Girls paint night in the Sukkah

We had an awesome time the fi rst night of Sukkot, with a falafel and shawarma dinner at Chabad. The Sukkah was packed wall to wall.

The following days included Subs in Sukkah on campus and an open snack bar for students to pop by and enjoy anytime.

Sunday of Sukkot featured a girl’snight-out exercise, painting the message of Sukkot. We each have something unique, and when we unite together, we complete each other.

Seniors at American House enjoy being in the Sukkah

The holiday celebrations didn’t just stay on campus; we brought the joy to others as well. A group of students helped put up a Sukkah by American House assisted living, giving the eight Jewish residents there a chance to celebrate the holiday. It was a lot of work to put a Sukkah up, then take it down all in one day, but seeing the excitement of our senior friends stepping into a Sukkah for the first time in many years was well worth the effort.

The grand finale of the holiday season concluded with Simchas Torah, celebrating the completion of the Torah and starting again from new. We joined Chabad of Bonita Springs for a lively celebration, singing and dancing with the Torahs.

“It was the first time I held a Torah since my bar mitzva,” remarked Alex.

Another special part of Simchat Torah by day was the two Kohanim students who came to give the special Kohen blessing. Preston did the blessing for the first time in his life, following the tradition of many generations of the Kohanim back to the times of Moses.

The holidays may have ended, but the joy, connection, energy and Jewish pride is something we’ll take with us into the rest of the year!