I really felt a sense of Hakhel at Shabbat360. Hakhel is the biblical year of gathering, every seven years in the Jerusalem Temple, where the king read the Torah to the largest gathering of the Jewish people in order that they be inspired.
Walking the room at Shabbat 360, saying hi at the tables, I recognized many students, perhaps the majority of those present. Some are regular whom we see all the time. Others are students who came only once or twice or who have been in and out, attending various events — but never all together at the same time, under one roof, celebrating Jewishly together.
One student I haven’t seen since the first Shabbat of freshman year. I’ve forgotten his name, but I remembered that he sat on the table closest to the washing sinks. But he came to Shabbat360. A friend insisted that he be there.
Another student came on Rosh Hashanah with his own Shofar. A really good kid. But you know how things can be at college, and we haven’t seen him around for a while. But at Shabbat360 he vibrantly recalled our being together on Rosh Hashanah.
I met another student, who came all the time as a freshman, but then his friend transferred and he got busy with things, and is graduating this Sunday from UAlbany, and came out on this last Shabbat, one last time.
These are a but a few of many. And at Shabbat360 we were all there together, for 90 minutes or so, celebrating Shabbat, singing songs, just being present. I think simply being present was more than anything else. We were all there, as one community, as a people.
And that’s how the Rebbe sees Hakhel. We did a Torah-Tues on this earlier in the semester, where the Rebbe asks many questions about Hakhel, and without getting into all the detail, the point is that you don’t really have to hear or understand to be inspired. It’s about the experience, its about being present, and its about emphasizing and celebrating our core Jewish identity – and that’s what happened on Friday Night of Shabbat360 at UAlbany.
Thanks to all who worked on it and made it happen, and thanks to all (each and every one) for participating and making it what it turned out to be!