Community members were able to recognize a Jewish holiday from their homes.
Sukkot was celebrated across the county last week.
This annual event is typically observed in a sukkah, a vegetation-covered hut that’s set up outside, according to a release from Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Gainesville & Manassas.
The structure seeks to remember the Jews who, in Biblical times, wandered in the wilderness of the desert while traveling to the Promised Land. During their journey, they were surrounded by miraculous clouds.
Because many local residents are remaining home due to the Coronavirus, Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Gainesville & Manassas brought the sukkah to them.
“Our goal is to make Judaism and Jewish practice accessible to every one of Prince William County’s Jews,” Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Gainesville & Manassas Director Rabbi Shmuly Perlstein said in a release. “That’s why this year, we decided to place a sukkah on wheels and bring a safe holiday experience, to homes throughout the county.”
Traveling more than 250 miles, the mobile sukkah visited over 50 homes in Bristow, Gainesville, Haymarket, Manassas, Woodbridge and Warrenton.
“Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the message of Sukkot rings loud and clear,” Perlstein said. “We eat in the Sukkah to emphasize we all rely on G-d’s protection. We bring together the Four Species to emphasize the importance of unity even while we are each unique and diverse. These timeless messages guide us through these unprecedented times.”
Perlstein started Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Gainesville & Manassas a few years ago. It provides Jewish education, outreach and social service programs.
To learn more information about Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Gainesville & Manassas, visit its website, call 571-445-0342 or email info@ChabadGainesville.com.
