Sukkah Dinner
Our High School students enjoyed Emanuel’s Sukkah Refugee Dinner, as they shared our Sukkot rituals and the meaning and joyousness of this holiday with our guests. Our Sukkat Shalom included guests from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Thailand, Sudan and Somalia. It was an evening of stories, song, food, music, laughter, joy, and the creation of new understandings about ourselves and those often seen as other. Below, are some student reflections on this special evening.
Rabbi Daniel Siegel
The Refugee Sukkah Dinner was a beautiful experience. Being able to share a part of my Sukkot holiday, which highlights impermanence, with people whose homes were made impermanent, and being able to provide a temporary “home” for them on this one night, really encompassed Judaism and our responsibility as Jews. I learnt that there is no real way to define a refugee, as everyone I spoke to had completely different experiences in their journey to Australia, some under severely dire circumstances. The night itself was a very positive experience, with a fusion of languages, cultures and wonderful discussions. Miriam Itzkowitz – Year 11
The Sukkah Refugee Dinner was a fun experience which allowed an insight into the lives of refugees. It was a great way to learn the stories of refugees in a more interactive way than that of a speech. The night started with a light hearted ice-breaker with all members of the dinner introducing themselves with their name, where they were born and then stating their favourite food and/or animal. This allowed both the students and the refugees to be able to start conversations and then the night really began. It was incredibly interesting to hear stories of people who had travelled so far and faced such adversity and yet were able to start their lives anew in Australia. One refugee, Asif, who had travelled to five different countries before coming to Australia and meeting his wife, Nui, who had also been a refugee, came to the dinner with their son. The experience of speaking with these individuals helped us understand how real these people are and erased some of the stigma about refugees. Derin Grushkin – Year 11
The refugee sukkah dinner was an incredibly joyous and fulfilling event. It helped me to really interact with and understand the individuals we shared dinner with. I really enjoyed sharing with the people around me who had incredible stories of six long years of journeying. One of my favourite moments was taking a boy called Daniel, who was age 3-4, on our school slide. His mother told me that he was learning both Thai and English as his first languages. Overall, the dinner was a really amazing experience and I highly recommend everyone to join in next year. Jemma Salamon – Year 11
Our Sukkah evening spent with our refugee guests was insightful, joyful and celebratory. It was a wonderful model of an accepting society; an array of people rejoicing in dialogue and shared stories under the stars. Asha Friedman – Year 11
Once in the sukkah, I was very surprised to find that I had situated myself between some of the most outgoing refugees. Specifically, to my right I sat next to Yasin, who had spent time in both Naru and Villawood and yet had a larger-than-life personality, and to my left was Hooman, who was extremely smart and funny. What struck me first was just how energetic both of them were, seeming to enjoy playing little pranks on me and other friends at the table, and really just enjoying the entire night. Towards the beginning of the evening, the sukkah was blowing in the wind and it was cold and I didn’t have a jumper. Hooman, who had a spare one in his bag, offered it to me, and immediately the hospitable nature of everyone sitting around the table really hit me. Everyone was so kind and special and each one had such valuable life experiences to share. People like Yasin knew nine languages and this helped him become as mediator in the detention centres he was held in, as he could settle disputes. I really valued the memories and fun times that we had around the Sukkah dinner, and it really helped me in having a perspective on what life outside detention centres can be for people like Hooman and Yasin. Cade Collins – Year 11
I have always been someone who loves experiences outside of our small, contained bubble of the eastern suburbs. So, when I was told about this amazing opportunity, I was so excited, and the night was far better than I could’ve expected. I have known about the refugee crisis for a while but only recently started getting more involved through the school trips to Villawood Detention Centre and the Newtown Asylum Seekers Centre. Over the past few months I’d learnt so much already. Talking to refugees, no longer in detention, at out Sukkah dinner gave me a whole new set of experiences. Talking to people who have been through detention and the flawed immigration system has shown me new perspectives and truly inspired me to try help as much as I can. I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity to broaden my knowledge and learn more about other cultures and truly understand the importance of belonging and home – privileges many of us take for granted. The dinner really made me connect with Sukkot through its traditional roots of welcoming and learning – that which I never would’ve understood without this phenomenal experience. Hannah Lax – Year 10
