Chabad Sukkah Closer to the Action

Chabad Sukkah Closer to the Action

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

November 1, 2005

With all of the positive publicity regarding the University of Maryland Hillel and its sukkah in parking Lot 1, the rest of the story remained untold.

Directly outside of Byrd Stadium, the home of Terrapin football, on the press box side of the stadium, stood the Chabad Sukkah Mobile run by students and members of the Chabad Jewish Student Center. Those entering the Sukkah Mobile pronounced a couple of holiday-appropriate brachot and enjoyed honey/pound cake and took home a colorful and informative calendar.

No solicitations for donations, no sermons, just the Reader’s Digest version of Sukkot in a tiny oasis amid the chaos of 54,000 Terrapin and Hokie fans jamming their way into Byrd Stadium – myself and two friends included. As a season ticket holder, member of the Alumni Association and Terrapin Club, I am not, however, a contributor to Hillel, for personal reasons.

I do plan to contribute to the Chabad at the University of Maryland and would encourage others to do so as well. This organization provides many needed services to students, but do not garner the publicity and ultimately the dollars of that of Hillel. Some of Chabad’s activities include, but are not limited to free Shabbat dinners, fairs, social events and holiday observances.

Bais Menachem Chabad Jewish Student Center is located at

7403 Hopkins Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

. The phone number is 301-277-2994 and the website is www.umdchabad.org.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and political consultant living in Alexandria, VA.

[This column appeared in the Washington Jewish Week.]