Author: Sasha Pokrovskaya
On Friday at 6 p.m., seven students gathered by the fountain in front of Lower Herrick. They were there to celebrate Shabbat, the beginning of the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. This practice is held every Friday at sundown by Hillel, the Jewish organization on campus.
The ceremony started by lighting the candles in memory of the two temples of Jerusalem. A prayer accompanied this symbolic action. Traditionally, wine follows the prayer, representing celebration and a joyous occasion. Instead, the group serves juice because they need special permission to serve wine on campus.
The toast is the Hebrew word “l’chaim,” meaning “to life.” The students departed saying the words, “Shabbat Shalom,” meaning “peaceful Sabbath.”
Hillel observes Shabbat weekly on Oxy’s campus. However, the number of students who attend is often low. “There is an interesting disconnect between the Jewish population on campus and those that are practicing,” Hillel President Ellis Raskin (junior) said. “By practicing, I mean, active members of the community.” According to the Hillel website, in 2005, there were 125 Jews on Oxy’s campus. The difference between attendance and the number of Jewish students on campus is puzzling to Oxy Hillel members.
“I hope that Jews reach out to Hillel as a possible home on campus,” Financial Vice President Gisele Goldwater-Feldman (junior) said. “We’re really a welcoming club and lots of fun.” Goldwater-Feldman said that the purpose of Hillel “is to provide a Jewish community for Jews on campus . . . we’re really lucky to have it and be able to practice it. Our recent ancestors were not.”
Hillel is part of an international Jewish campus organization which originally started in 1923 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Since Oxy is not located near any temples, Hillel provides an important connection with the Jewish culture and religion for many students. It enriches the Oxy community with various Jewish religious and cultural events throughout the year. “All of our events have an element of Judaism,” Goldwater-Feldman said.
There are several events planned for this semester. First and foremost is the celebration of High Holidays. In Judaism the High Holidays are the most important time during the year. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. This year, Rosh Hashanah begins on Monday, Sept. 29, 2008. Hillel is going to Rosh Hashanah at USC for the first night, and to Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park for the second night.For Yom Kippur, Oct. 8 and 9, Hillel will attend Temple Sinai in Glendale. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement in the Jewish tradition and is the most important day of the year. Both of these events are free, but interested students should RSVP by e-mailing Ahuva Zaches (azaches@oxy.edu)
Later in the semester, during mid-October, Hillel has invited Israeli soldiers to speak on campus. Coming from a private organization called Parallel Lives, their speeches will focus on the code of ethics to which an Israeli soldier swears.
Interested students are encouraged to sign up for the mailing list by emailing Hillel at hillel@oxy.edu and join the Hillel Facebook group.
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