Rabbi Stechler best defined our experience when he taught us how the Torah expects us to fulfill the mitzvah of שמחה on Sukkot:

ושמחת בחגך אתה...והלוי והגר והיתום והאלמנה...

Who would have thought that our work on the farm and the delivery of those robust vegetables to the soup kitchen in far off Winsted, Connecticut would ultimately help us fulfill one of the many mizvot of Sukkot. Joy and celebration have taken on a new dimension, one that empowers us to do good for others.

We were really lucky to work with Shamu, Megan, Adam and Risa. Their appreciation of God’s earth and all it yields, humbled us. The goats, whose milk they carefully guard, the bicycles they ride that defy the oil drillers, the “Pickelarium” where they preserve the  fruits and vegetables, and the gentle way they tend to the crops were all aspects of harvesting and a respect for the environment that were new for us “city” folk to see firsthand.

I watched in awe as you tirelessly dug up the pounds of potatoes and huge yellow beets, laughed as you uprooted carrots with their odd shapes, pulled up mounds of enormous kale leaves and fought off the nasty gnats and ignored the rain showers. You filled many huge black garbage bags with the harvested produce and dragged them on to our special “coach.” By day’s end, your feet, hands, and faces were covered with earth…and you were all smiling.

Having our meals in a Sukkah that faced the lake with views of mountains and trees, whose leaves were bursting with fall colors, added an unusual beauty and serenity. The night walk was enhanced by the bright moon, sounds of your laughter and your willingness to share your feelings and thoughts. The outdoor campfire where you all joined in song, (thank you Leesh for the guitar and Kate for your banjo) showed how united a community we had become in such a short time. How great it would be if we could continue this camaraderie and spread this warmth and ruach throughout the school. (The secret to our success may be linked to the marshmallows…)

At the “Open Door Soup Kitchen,” you really were amazing. Whether you were loading and stacking the canned goods for distribution, setting up the “sharing table,” washing our harvested produce, in garbage buckets filled with cold water, preparing the day’s meal in the kitchen, cleaning and reloading the refrigerators, or mopping the floors, you responded enthusiastically and with remarkable energy to any task you were asked to do. I also know that you took notice of the high chairs for the babies who are brought to the “Door” for their lunchtime meals, and their moms and the men who seemed lonely as they gracefully took their seats at tables, having arrived somewhat early for lunch.

Thank you for joining this mission and generating so much simchah.