Friends,

 

As we pause to welcome Shabbat this week, we find ourselves in the middle of Sukkot, that beautiful time when we step away from the comfort and security of our homes to dwell in the sukkah. These temporary structures, open to the sky and vulnerable to the elements, remind us of life’s fragility and call us back to what truly matters. 

 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks refers to the holiday as the "Festival of Insecurity."   Our ancestors wandered without a permanent home, living in temporary shelters just like the sukkah we sit in today. Yet they named this holiday “z’man simchateinu," the time of our greatest joy.

 

"Succot decodes for us the secret of joy," teaches Rabbi Sacks.  "Joy doesn’t come from great buildings of brick and stone - it doesn’t come from what we shut out - but from what we let in. Joy comes from a roof open to heaven, a door open to guests, and a heart open to thanksgiving.”

 

This week, my heart was full when I learned that Christopher Newport University had their first ever sukkah on campus, thanks to our CNU Hillel. Seeing students gather together to celebrate this ancient holiday, sharing meals and joy under the s’chach, was a powerful reminder of why our work matters so deeply.

 

Jewish Peninsula is proud to support Hillels across the Commonwealth with an annual allocation, but our relationship with CNU Hillel is unique and special. We don’t just provide funding—we employ a Hillel advisor who works directly with the students, and we are the sole funder of their programming. This is only possible because of your generous commitment to our Annual Campaign.

 

Standing in the sukkah this week, I was struck by how much it embodies what Hillel represents and why investing in Jewish life on campus is so vital. Just as the sukkah acknowledges fragility while creating sacred space for gathering, Hillel provides a sanctuary for Jewish students during what can be an uncertain time in their lives. These college years are fragile by nature—a time of questioning, growth, and discovery.  And over the past two years especially, Jewish students have faced unprecedented challenges on campus.  

 

Now more than ever, it is essential that Jewish college students find connection with one another and with their heritage. A place to celebrate, to question, to belong. A sukkah of their own.

 

Thank you for making this possible.

 

Shabbat Shalom and Moadim L'Simcha, 

Eric Maurer

CEO

emaurer@jewishpeninsula.org