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September 24, 1999/14 Tishri 5760, Vol. 52, No.4
Be fruit-fullEditorialSukkot, the Jewish Feast of Booths, the festival of in-gathering, begins at sundown today (Friday, Sept. 24). Sukkot emphasizes the traditional autumn themes of harvest and abundance.Celebrated in fragile huts, with roofs open to the stars, it reminds participants of both the preciousness and precariousness of life. Flimsy walls provide scant protection from the elements, yet make cozy enclaves encircling family and friends for al fresco dining. The motif of harvest and fulfillment is particularly meaningful, coming so soon after the High Holiday period of contemplation and reflection. It resonates in our personal lives, as we have just engaged in arduous self-examination, and in the life of our community, as we end one year and begin another. Last year was a fruitful one for the Valley Jewish community. We grew in size and developed in substance, expanding our reach, while honing our mission with ambitious plans for growth. We dedicated a 10-acre parcel of land at 40th Street and Shea Boulevard in Phoenix as a community campus, future home of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and other communal agencies. Temple Chai broke ground on a $2.2 million expansion, and Kivel Campus of Care purchased 17 acres in northeast Phoenix for an assisted living facility. The King David School, formerly Solomon Schechter Day School, moved to Scottsdale and became independent. Temple Solel's board of directors gave the go-ahead to the Solel School to expand its classes through eighth grade, and Phoenix Preparatory High School opened on the campus of Chabad-Lubavitch Center in Phoenix. Opportunities for us to study and worship proliferated, with classes offered throughout the Valley almost every day of the week. The number of devoted communal professionals and spiritual leaders grew. Indeed, we have access to a bounty of riches, and on Sukkot, with its injunction to rejoice, we celebrate not only the fullness of the earth, but the fullness of our lives - and our potential for an ever-more fruitful, satisfying new year. |
