By the time you read this article, it will almost be Shemini Atzeret – you know, the famous eighth-day celebration that ends the seven-day holiday of Sukkot. Not to be confused with Simhat Torah, which we celebrate the night before Shemini Atzeret, unlike the Orthodox and Conservative Jews who celebrate it the day after – in other words, on the second day of the eighth-day celebration of the seven-day holiday of Sukkot (is it Thanksgiving yet??)
But as I write, it is still Sukkot, the air is crisp, the lulav and etrog are still fresh and verdant, the Sukkah is still standing in all its resplendence, and the Jets are still terrible. So I’d like to tell you about the two ushpizin – honored guests – who I am inviting into our sukkah this year. Both of them embody an essential Jewish value closely aligned with Sukkot – hachnasat orchim – the Art of Welcome.
The first is Saul Zabar (z”l), who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 97. Although he had dreams of becoming a doctor, he took over the family business when his father passed away unexpectedly at the age of 49, and the Jewish world hasn’t been the same since. With his brother, Stanley, Saul built Zabars into an appetizing empire – a New York City fixture, and a beacon of Jewish peoplehood, shipping his famous lox and other specialties around the globe. He was known for his exacting standards when it came to selecting fish, making it no surprise that his store sold approximately 2,000 pounds of smoked fish per week. The argument could be made that Saul Zabar did as much to popularize a certain strand of Ashkenazi Jewish culture as any other Jew of the last 100 years. But most importantly, under Saul’s stewardship, countless baby namings, Yom Kippur break fasts, and Sunday brunches were outfitted with delicious, familiar food that made everyone feel at home. This, after all, is the essence of hospitality.
The second Ushpizin is still very much with us – New York City Comptroller, Brad Lander, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the New York City government. I’ve actually met the former NYC Councilman in very Jewish circumstances – we both attended a Passover “Seder in the Streets” to celebrate the Jewish responsibility to welcome, and fight for, the strangers in our midst. Lander grew up a Reform Jew outside of St. Louis, and has been heavily involved in the Jewish, and progressive world ever since. As he said in a recent interview in the Jerusalem Post, “That combination, you’re organized to stand up for Jews who are facing oppression, and you organize to build a more equal and inclusive society grounded in the idea that everybody’s created in the image of God, to me were profoundly Jewish actions that are very much a part of my identity and my politics.” Lander is also a lifelong Zionist, but has tried to bridge the growing divide among Jews who possess an increasingly broad spectrum of strong feelings about and relationships with Israel. Most importantly for me, I have seen how Comptroller Lander has literally embodied the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger by continually putting his own body on the line to protect vulnerable New Yorkers being targeted by ICE at their immigration hearings. He has been physically abused and arrested on several occasions while accompanying a defendant on their way out of court.
When I shake the lulav in our sukkah, I feel the presence of these honored ushpizim as I share with my ancestors an appreciation for the ephemeral nature of the structures we build. In recent days, it has become all too clear that even the most permanent-seeming safeguards to our safety and freedom cannot be taken for granted. Sukkot reminds us that our structures alone will not keep us safe. Our true strength comes from our commitment to be an active part of a welcoming community – one that values the dignity and humanity of every person, all created b’tzelem elohim – in the image of God.
Moadim l’simcha – may we all move forward with joy and justice,
Cantor Eric Schulmiller
