Global Jewish Reflections | The Meaning of ‘Hachnasat Orchim’: Experiencing Jewish Argentina with JDC Entwine

Six months before Sukkot began, Rachael Houser felt the spirit of this holiday on a JDC Entwine-HUC trip to Buenos Aires.

By Rachael Houser - JDC-Weitzman Fellow and HUC-JIR Rabbinical Student | October 14, 2024

Rachael Houser (right) receives a cup of mate — a traditional Argentine beverage — during her visit to Buenos Aires, just one example of the hospitality she experienced there.

Global Jewish Reflections is a recurring feature highlighting the spiritual wisdom of rabbis, Jewish educators, and others from around the JDC world.

Houser enjoys a cup of yerba mate with other JDC Entwine participants.

In packing for our trip to Buenos Aires, we Jewish professionals had been very thorough — sunscreen, bug spray, good socks for long hikes, ruffled skirts for tango class, even some scribbled divrei Torah (sermons) we were prepared to give at a moment’s notice. But for all our preparation, we had neglected to do something very basic — check the weather.

Our trip to Buenos Aires was booked for May, so almost everyone in our group assumed it would be balmy spring weather with breezy nights. I was one of many who realized upon arrival that Argentina’s May is nothing like America’s May. It was autumn in the southern hemisphere, and most of us had brought only one spring-friendly jacket. Almost at once, we had to contend with the elements, layering our clothes and huddling in groups on our walking tours, practically kicking ourselves for not doing the extra five minutes’ worth of Googling that would have revealed this vital piece of information. 

As I rubbed my ears and the tip of my nose for warmth, I couldn’t help but think of the holiday of Sukkot. Derived from the command in Leviticus 23 — “You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt — I, your God Adonai” — Sukkot is an autumn holiday in America, where Jewish communities build small huts, or sukkot, to spend a week in. We eat, we relax, we study, and we even sleep under the meager protection of the sukkah, whose roof is thatched with branches such that you can still see slivers of sky and stars. These seven days remind us of the 40 years in the wilderness where the Israelites wandered without any permanent dwelling, living in tents and moving from place to place. The holiday gives us a sense of compassion and connection to our ancient past when our ancestors were never too far removed from the elements.

Sukkot is also an opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with nature as it transitions from summer colors to fall. However cold we were in Buenos Aires, we all remarked that the cold was worth it, because we were a lucky band who would get to experience fall twice in one year. Crisp yellow leaves crunched underfoot as we visited the Plaza Embajada de Israel. Bitter, beautiful winds whipped around the mausoleums we saw in Recoleta Cemetery. We couldn’t believe our luck.

A main theme of Sukkot is hachnasat orchim, or hospitality to guests. While we dwell in our sukkah, we are instructed to invite strangers and friends to share a meal with us and take shelter from whatever weather the day brings. Hospitality was shown to us in spades in Buenos Aires. Everywhere we went, be it a school full of engaged students or a synagogue that had prepared a meal for us to share, our Argentine hosts went above and beyond to bring us cheer and teach us about their home. Cared for every step of the way, our hearts immediately opened toward learning.

Hospitality was shown to us in spades in Buenos Aires — cared for every step of the way, our hearts immediately opened toward learning.

But the memory I love best is one that had all the hallmarks of Sukkot — all it was missing was a sukkah. After a long day of visiting schools and community centers, our tour guide Paola gathered us on the rooftop of our hotel for a yerba mate ceremony. She explained to us that mate was the drink of choice in Argentina. When a guest came to visit for the first time, tradition dictated that mate be offered. An entire collection of mate cups had been gathered. She started by teaching us how to pack the mate tight into half of the cup, then pour boiling water into the other half. Then it was our job to host each other, packing and pouring and giving cups to our trip-mates. Giggles were heard across the rooftop as we all had our first sips. Some went wild for the bitter, earthy taste. Some politely coughed and reached for the Splenda. Though the chill persisted, everyone lingered with each other, electing to remain outside to enjoy the breeze and each other’s company.

Six months early, I felt the spirit of Sukkot in Buenos Aires, clutching warm mate in my cold hands and toasting our luck with new friends I had made from all over the country.

Rachael Houser is a fifth-year rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) and traveled to Argentina as part of the Weitzman Fellowship. Prior to rabbinical school, Rachael was an actress in New York City and performed with theater companies in Long Island and Brooklyn.

Working with children at the JCC and volunteering at Temple Emanu-El put her on the path to the rabbinate. During rabbinical school, Rachael has served as a student rabbi for Temple Beth Sholom in Michigan and Temple Israel in Paducah, Kentucky. She has also done work as an outreach and engagement intern for HUC-HIR and the Skirball Museum; served as a fellow for the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati and the Religious Action Center in Ohio; and has completed a chaplaincy unit at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. She is currently the rabbinic intern at Adath Israel Congregation.

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