Part 3: "The Sukkah of Shalom" by Arthur Wallace

In “The Sukkah of Shalom” by Arthur Wallace, the author talks about his wish for the United States to hold a national sukkot after 9/11, in order to reflect and learn through this Jewish tradition of a one-week period of prayer and introspection. The sukkot, consisting of a small hut with a vulnerable roof made of leaves, reminds its observers that we are all vulnerable, and therefore impels us to learn as much as we can from every experience in order to make our community stronger. By participating in this annual time of reflection, the author comes to recognize that “however much and in whatever way I love my neighbor, that will turn out to be the way I love myself. If I pour contempt upon my neighbor, hatred will recoil upon me” (107). He identifies this as part of the cause for the United States experiencing 9/11 and being a target for hatred—as retribution for the anger and destruction it has wreaked on other countries. Hence, he proposes a period of national introspection and coming-together to recognize what has happened, in a rational manner. Similarly, as RAs we want our residents to become equipped with the tools to reflect on their own choices and forge personal strength and growth in their own lives. This is the first-year goal of “hav[ing] had ongoing opportunities to process the behavioral cycle of action, impact and reflection as it plays out in their lives.” Our job as RAs is to encourage the residents to build their own mental sukkot (or possibly physical, if they’re up for an arts-and-crafts project) and partake in introspection, as well as help build some sukkah (plural of sukkot) when the issue they’re reflecting on requires some wisdom of experience or extra help, or simply when they want the valued perspective of their RA. J