by Alexis Goldring
My first Chabad event happened to be the Shabbat Dinner in the Sukkah this quarter. I was extremely nervous, seeing as it was my first Chabad event, but all of the nerves turned into fun and excitement! Everyone was so welcoming and it felt like this was my 100th Chabad event! We had Chinese food under the stars in the Sukkah, where we all sat around for hours catching up and socializing. Then out of nowhere, Miriam decided that I needed to dance around the Sukkah singing Shabbat songs that I knew from Jewish camp when I was younger! Everyone was clapping and singing, it felt as if I was back in Israel again and nothing else mattered!
After the official dinner was over, everyone just sat around and hung out. It was so great meeting new people, people that I would have otherwise not met. The religious aspect of the Sukkah was so refreshing from the everyday bustle of school and studying. I am so thankful Miriam forced me to dance around the Sukkah because it truly made me feel special and apart of something bigger. I will definitely go to this event next year and hopefully many other events! Without a doubt, I enjoyed every second of the Sukkah under the stars and blissful feeling of being with so many other Jewish students who are just like me!
This event was co-sponsored by the Hillel Foundation and The Rose Project of the Jewish Federation and Family Services of Orange County