Binghamton University is hosting Sukkah Survivor, a week-long event where students try to sleep outside for as many nights as possible to raise money for the homeless.
The week-long competition, sponsored by Hillel, the Student Volunteer Center, Sodexo and Habitat for Humanity began last Friday, running from 8 every night until 7 the next morning. Contestants, who are organized in groups of three, decide how to split up their time at the event throughout the night.
The event follows the traditions of Sukkot, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the 40 years the Israelites wandered the desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt. The students participating in the fundraiser sleep in tents, or Sukkahs, each night of the competition.
Prizes, including Ipod Shuffles and Target gift cards, will be awarded to the teams that raise the most money. Winners will be announced Friday night.
According to Rabbi Shalom Cantor, raising money for the homeless is very much linked to the holiday of Sukkot. The holiday honors the Israelites passage across the desert, and their need to constantly change their residence.
“[The event is about] exposing ourselves to the lack of permanence and recognizing that there are people who have to deal with the lack of permanence all year long,” Cantor said. We can help to provide for those without homes today.
Binghamton’s Sukkahs, erected at the Dickinson Amphitheater between Dickinson Dining Hall and the Old University Union, host Sukkah Survival contestants as they compete to spend the most time within the shelters.
Family and friends sponsor each of the teams, and these donations, based on how many nights the participants spend in the Sukkah, will go to The Center for Self Sufficiency, located on Front Street in Binghamton, which provides temporary and long-term housing and counseling for the homeless of the Greater Binghamton area.
“Braving the Binghamton weather will make people realize what homeless people have to deal with on a regular basis,” said Ashley Ames, a junior at BU who is a Hillel organizer for the event.
Snacks are available throughout the night, as well as breakfast provided by Sodexo, for participants. Different activities also take place every night, including a movie marathon Tuesday, and performances from the Pappy Parker Players Wednesday and the a capella group Rhythm Method on Thursday.
Traditionally Sukkot, the plural of Sukkah, means a hut or booth.
A standard Sukkah includes at least three walls and uses natural elements, like branches, in the roof, which is partially open to the sky.
“Part of the experience of Sukkah is that the shelter has an open door to it and we are commanded to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and heal the sick,” said Amanda Winer, a sophomore Judaic studies major at BU. “This ties into the significance of the whole event.”
In addition to sponsoring participants, donations for the Binghamton Center for Self Sufficiency can be made through the Hillel Office in the New University Union.