This Sukkos, Chabad of Tallahassee & FSU set out with a simple goal based on theRebbe’s Sicha on 13 of Tishrei: to share the joy and mitzvos of Sukkot with anyone and everyone.

Throughout Tallahassee and across Northwest Florida, Rabbi Schneur and Chanie Oirechman, Rabbi Ari and Rivky Oirechman and Rabbi Shalom and Bryna Oirechman together with their younger children and the Chabad of Tallahassee team, worked to make sure that Jews from every walk of life could experience the special joy of Zman Simchaseinu.

The outreach extended far beyond the walls of the Chabad House.

Students at Florida State University celebrated Sukkot together, gathering in the Sukkah, making a bracha on the Lulav and Esrog, enjoying Yom Tov meals and experiencing the warmth and energy of Jewish life on campus.

At the same time, the Oirechman family and Chabad team spread out across the area to reach those who could not necessarily come to Chabad themselves.

They visited elderly members of the community and individuals who were alone in their homes, bringing along the Lulav and Esrog and, most importantly, the message that they are part of a larger Jewish family and had not been forgotten during Yom Tov.

The joy of Sukkot also reached a population that is often almost completely removed from Jewish communal life: Jewish inmates incarcerated in prisons throughout Northwest Florida. Visits and outreach brought them the opportunity to connect with the Yom Tov and to know that even behind prison walls, the Jewish community was thinking about them.

Chabad’s Sukkot activities also reached Florida’s state leaders, continuing its year-round work of bringing Jewish pride and the message of Torah and mitzvos into the heart of the state capital.

From college students to state leaders, from seniors in their homes to inmates in prisons, the same message traveled throughout the region: the joy of Sukkot belongs to every Jew, wherever he or she may be.

For Rabbi and Mrs. Oirechman, accomplishing so much simultaneously has an additional secret—their large family.

“That’s one of the benefits of having so many children,” Rabbi Oirechman said with a smile. “On Sukkot, everyone can go in a different direction and bring the joy of Yom Tov to another Jew.”
Some were reaching students, others were visiting members of the community, while still others helped bring the mitzvos and spirit of Sukkot to Jews who otherwise might have gone through the holiday without the opportunity to celebrate.

The result was a Sukkot that stretched far beyond any single Sukkah.

“The Rebbe taught us that every Jew matters, and that we have to go out and reach them wherever they are,” Rabbi Oirechman said. “Whether someone is a student on campus, an elderly person sitting alone at home, a state leader, or an inmate in prison, we want them to know that they are part of Am Yisrael and that the joy of Sukkot belongs to them too.”

Chabad of Tallahassee & FSU expressed its gratitude to the many friends, supporters and community members whose partnership makes this extensive outreach possible.

Thank you for making it possible for us to bring the joy of Sukkot to anyone and everyone, throughout Tallahassee and across Northwest Florida.