Passover 2018

Erev Passover 7:31 p.m. | March 31 after 8:32 p.m. | April 1 Yom Tov ends 8:41 p.m. | April 5 7:38 p.m.

Candlelighting 7:31 p.m. | Shabbat ends 8:32 p.m.

15 NISAN 5778 | MARCH 30, 2018

CJN.ORG

$1.25

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Rabbi Richard A. Block and Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo, both from The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, lead 175 attendees in prayer during AJC Cleveland’s 15th annual Global Diplomatic Seder. | CJN photo / Alyssa Schmitt

AJC Cleveland Global Diplomatic Seder draws diverse crowd ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER @AlyssaSchmitCJN aschmitt@cjn.org |

N

early 175 people attended the American Jewish Committee Cleveland’s 15th annual Global Diplomatic Seder March 23 at The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood.

Members of various communities were invited to share in an interfaith seder while making connections across different faiths and backgrounds.

Many attendees were returning to AJC Cleveland’s seder dinner while others experienced their first. During the event, Rabbi Richard A. Block and Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo led guests through the reading of the haggadah.

“AJC Global Leadership Seder holds a very special place in Joyce (Wald) and my hearts. We believe in building bridges of mutual respect and understanding,” said Eric Wald, an AJC member who was gifted a seder plate at the event for his past work in helping organize the event. “The retelling of our people’s exodus of Egypt is a story of

hope, of aspiration and redemption. It’s also a very human story that in different ways has repeated itself throughout history.”

AJC Cleveland selects prominent members in the community to share their personal reflections on a specific theme that relates back to the Jews’ exodus from Egypt.

This year’s selection of speakers consisted of Reverends Lois Annich, the interim associate pastor at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights; Ken Chalker, the retired senior pastor at University Circle United Methodist Church in Cleveland; John C. Dorhauer, the general minister and president of United Church of Christ in Cleveland; and Otis Moss Jr., senior pastor emeritus of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland.

Each speaker focused on their personal experiences with the struggle for freedom.

To see local religious leaders share their understanding of the meaning of freedom during AJC Cleveland’s 15th Annual Global Diplomatic Seder visit bit.ly/CJNAJCSeder2018

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 41

42 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Food banks provide seder staples to those in need ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |

P

RELIGIOUS WOMEN IN

CONTEMPORARY ISRAELI CINEMA A CLEVELAND ISRAEL ARTS CONNECTION FORUM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM

assover is a special holiday for all, but provides unique challenges for those who aren’t fortunate financially.

Luckily for those in need in the Cleveland area, there are two kosher food banks – the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry in South Euclid and the Cleveland Chesed Center in Cleveland Heights – that provide assistance.

Devorah Alevsky, director of the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, said the organization distributes about 4,000 kosher packages for Passover annually and has had volunteers from area organizations, including Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood, Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, and athletes from the Cleveland contingent of the JCC Maccabi Games.

The Passover packages, which have chicken, matzah, grape juice and holiday groceries, were put together by more than 100 volunteers who came to the pantry over the past two weeks. The packages were then delivered to members of the Jewish community in need, all over the area.

Rivka Goldstein, the pantry project manager at the Cleveland Kosher Food

Pantry, drove to Ashland to deliver a package to a senior who said he had no money or way of getting to a Passover seder.

“I like the idea that when Jews sit down to a seder, they say ‘all who are hungry,’ and at our Kosher Food Pantry, it’s kind of a cliché, because we meet the needs of the hungry every day,” Goldstein said. “So, for Passover, we just doubled up our production and distribution.”

Meira Friedman, manager at the Cleveland Chesed Center, said her organization passed out more than 200 food packages to the Jewish community, giving away bags with fish, matzah, and paper and cleaning supplies that people may need for the seder. Friedman said this is one of the center’s busier times of the year.

“We have our regular March and April (monthly) pantries,” Friedman said. “Stuck in between those are the additional 200 packages. We probably give out between $10,000 and $15,000 wholesale in products.”

Friedman said the Chesed Center had groups from Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, Park Synagogue, Green Road Synagogue and Solon Chabad in Solon help pack Passover packages, in addition to individual volunteers.

“We’re here for anyone whose household

FOOD| 43

The Ritz Carlton 1515 West Third Street Cleveland, OH 44113 $50/person Includes kosher breakfast prepared by Ritz Carlton chefs, stimulating conversation with Israeli film experts, and a screening of the Israeli film The Testament at the 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival.* (Kosher dietary laws observed)

Volunteers from Green Road Synagogue help create Passover packages at the Cleveland Chesed Center in Cleveland Heights. | Submitted photos

Kindly respond by April 4, 2018 Phone: 216-593-2845 Email: jlisiewski@jcfcleve.org Special thank you to Howard Epstein & Gregg Levine for their support. *Films selected by the Cleveland International Film Festival do not reflect the position or opinions of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

www.jewishcleveland.org/arts

Volunteers from the Cleveland contingent for the upcoming Jewish Community Center Maccabi games prepare packages for Passover at the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry. Back row: Tyler Hoffman, left, and Wyatt Flack. Front row: Spencer Sharp, from left, Brennan Friedman, Jaren Leiken and Zach McCarren.

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 43

MARCH 30, 2018

& PASSOVER WISHING ALL A VERY

HAPPY HEALTHY

Montefiore Rabbi Joel Chazin helps Cindy Charms, left and Zitta Elbaum show off their handmade centerpieces for Passover seder at the senior community. | CJN photo / Ed Carroll

Seniors celebrate Passover ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |

M

oving to a senior community doesn’t mean one has to sacrifice Passover traditions. For those living in communities such as Montefiore and Menorah Park, both in Beachwood, getting to Passover seder is as easy as walking down to the dining hall.

Ida Kauffman, 94, a resident of Wiggins Place, an assisted living facility at Menorah Park, plans to spend her Passover there.

“We have a seder, the rabbi has a service and it’s quite lovely,” Kauffman said. “It’s set up with all the traditional settings. It’s always better to (celebrate Passover) with your own family, but (Passover at Menorah Park) is a good substitute.”

Kauffman said services provided at Menorah Park by Rabbi Howard Kutner make it feel “so much like home.”

Kutner said the community tries to make the service as traditional as possible, though they perform the seder at an earlier time to accommodate the residents. The residents’ families are invited to join, which Kutner said helps make the services seem more like home. “(Residents) probably hosted a seder for 25 to 30 people, and now find themselves in independent living or nursing homes,”

Kutner said. “It’s a beautiful, joyous holiday, but it might be bittersweet for them since they’re no longer able to do what they’ve done for the past 40 to 50 years. But by having the seders we do, it helps the residents feel better about themselves.”

Rabbi Joel Chazin of Montefiore said his community’s seder provides residents a warm atmosphere and they make the auditorium as festive as possible.

“We have wonderful volunteers that help transport residents to the auditorium,” Chazin said. “We get support from local colleges. Non-Jewish men and women come to help serve the food and participate with a full heart in enabling our Jewish residents to enjoy and experience the themes of the holiday.”

Two Montefiore residents, Cindy Charms, 58, and Zitta Elbaum, 90, said Montefiore’s Passover service brings back happy memories of being at home. “(The service) reminds me of my mother, and the food is good here,” Charms said.

Elbaum said she appreciated the traditional setup at Montefiore, and both she and Charms, along with other residents, helped create centerpieces for the seder.

“It’s beautiful,” Elbaum said.

“Everything is set up traditionally with beautiful table settings. I enjoy it all.”

216.291.1177

|

DOSUMMERS.COM

PROUDLY SERVICING CLEVELAND FOR 137 YEARS

“HOT..WHITE..

STUNNING!”

Your New Smile

Cosmetic - Implant Dentistry For Those Who Desire More...

•Smile Makeover | Porcelain Veneers | Dental Implants •Experience a “Test Drive Smile” on your own teeth •More Human, More Emotional, More Artistic •Amazing! Boutique Smile Studio

FOOD | 42 income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines,” she said. “We’re prepared to service more of the community, but there’s a good number of people who qualify who aren’t accessing our services.”

Beyond Passover, Alevsky said the

Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry holds monthly outdoor pantry markets on the first Monday of spring and summer months, and its first this year will be April 23 in the Green Road Synagogue parking lot.

“We have about 400 people come to each one,” Alevsky said. “It’s like an outdoor farmer’s market.”

HOW TO DONATE Kosher Food Pantry: Visit kosherfb.org or call 216-382-7202 Cleveland Chesed Center: Visit clevelandchesedcenter.org or call 216-932-3115

•Affordable Smiles - CareCredit. com | LendingClub.com

John Heimke DMD

Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry Voted as one of Cleveland’s Top Dentists, 2017

Visit our Video Websites: DSD Motivational Smile with consult.

General Dentist

www.EveryoneLovesMySmile.com www.dentalimplantsrockyriver.com

Call Today: 1.888.255.3588 DSD Smile Studio: Rocky River

44 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Past seder reflections Wishing you a Healthy and Happy Passover from your friends at Knuth’s Mary Ann Kovacs Lannoch

Wishing you a Joyous Passover!

Solon

When Mary Ann Kovacs Lannoch was 4, she and her surviving family members of the Holocaust held their first family seder in the United States in University Heights in 1951.

From left: Mary Ann Kovacs Lannoch, with her aunt Joli Kovacs Fleischer, uncle Paul Kovacs, cousin Susie Kovacs Sicherman, aunt Grete Kovacs, father Dr. Imre Kovacs, uncle Zoli Taubner, aunt Jozsa Kovacs Taubner, uncle Paul Fleischer and mother Ella Kovacs. Her cousins Erika Taubner Gold and Harold Fleischer took the photo. Of those present, Lannoch and Gold are the only two still living.| Submitted photo

Sandy Rozelman Euclid

“Many years ago when my children were very young, we would go to their Orthodox great-grandparents for seder dinner. My daughter was only about 3-years-old at the time and sitting in a highchair. After the haggadah was recited in Hebrew, grandma brought out an appetizer of schmaltz, chopped eggs and onions. When my daughter saw this on the plate, she asked, ‘Where’s the bacon?’ It got a laugh from everyone, except great grandma and great grandpa, may they both rest in peace.”

2270 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 | 216-321-4400 Anatoliacafe.com | info@anatoliacafe.com

Rozelman’s great-grandmother, Pearl, and great-grandfather Nate Rozelman | Submitted photo

Bobbi Fisher Kersey Solon

Wishing you a Joyous

“When I was a young teenager, we had our seder at my aunt and uncle’s home. My dad, who could be quite funny, went in the other room and called my aunt on their second (phone) line and told her he was Elijah, that he was outside and (asked if she) could she please open the door. Needless to say my aunt laughed very hard and we still, years after he has passed, share the story with his great-grandchildren.”

Kersey

Passover myNYCB.com • (877) 786-6560

Brynna Fish

Cleveland Heights ©2018 New York Community Bank – Member FDIC

Brynna Fish’s family celebrates the third night of Passover in 1930 in Dynow, Galicia-Poland. Fish said she still uses her grandfather’s matzah cover every Passover, sharing the story of the photo and his many trips to get the family out of Europe in the 1920s-30s. | Submitted photo

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 45

Gift shops offer Passover-themed presents ANSHE CHESED FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE BEACHWOOD

B’NAI JESHURUN CONGREGATION PEPPER PIKE

Glass seder plates and salt and pepper shakers make great gifts. | Photos / B’nai Jeshurun Congregation Children can enjoy foam finger plague puppets, stuffed animals and finger frogs. | Photos / Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

Ceramic seder plates are on display.

FRANK’S HEBREW BOOKSTORE SOUTH EUCLID

A glass seder plate with elegant metal designs sits on a table. | CJN photos / Jacob Cramer

Sign up for Breaking News Alerts

A painted seder plate depicts a gardening scene.

Stained-glass plates and Kiddush cups make great gifts.

GRAND JUDAICA CLEVELAND HEIGHTS

LOCAL. NATIONAL. INTERNATIONAL. BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD! CJN.ORG/BREAKINGNEWS

Passover tablecloths and bibs are available.

The store sells a variety of seder plates. | Photos / Grand Judaica

GIFT | 46

46 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

Quality Products & Workmanship

“Get It Done Rite with...

GIFT | 45

MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE BEACHWOOD

Residential & Commerical Serving in Northeast Ohio Over 20 Years

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Specializing in Maintenance-Free Pella and Marvin Wood Products. Fusion-Welded Vinyl Also Available.

1-833-SEAL-IT-UP

“Knowledge and Call Experience” give Local 440-478-2763 ( 7 3 2 - 5 4 8 8 ) us a step over www.sealtitesolutions.com the competition.

Ask about our financing options*

*Subject to credit approval. Ask for details.

The gift shop features a decorative seder plate, holiday kitchen book and kiddush cup. | Photo / Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage

TEMPLE EMANU EL ORANGE

There are a lot of Passover items to buy at Dean Supply!

A plate for gefilte fish is available.

The gift shop presents a unique black seder plate. | Photos / Temple Emanu El

THE TEMPLE-TIFERETH ISRAEL BEACHWOOD

Happy Passover Join the Dean Supply family and discover our personalized customer service matched by an incredible selection of affordable supplies.

We are open: Monday - Friday 8AM - 6PM and Saturday 9AM - 4PM 3500 Woodland Ave, Cleveland • 216-771-3300 • WWW.SHOPATDEAN.COM

The afikomen can be concealed with a small cover. | Photos / The Temple-Tifereth Israel

A colorful kiddush cup is on display.

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 47

MARCH 30, 2018

Celebrating Passover around town Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

Third graders and parents in Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple’s parent/child Hebrew class complete statements on what they appreciate about their freedom while learning about Passover.

Brandon Collier of Shaker Heights and his daughter, Caroline, agreed they love to “make my own choices.” | Photos / Anshe Chesed

Yabi Nursery & Child Care

Fairmount Temple

Elana Spieth of Cleveland Heights wrote, “Take vacations with my family” while her daughter, Mikayla, wrote “Draw and spend time with friends.”

Noam Cohen, from left, 10 months, Adi Schwartz, 8 months, and Yona Zukowsky, 9 months, have fun with matzah at Yabi Nursery & Child Care in University Heights. | Photo / Yabi Nursery & Child Care

5.23.18

7:30 p.m. | Beachwood High School Auditorium

Tickets at cjn.org/comedynight Book signing and dessert reception to follow Co-presenting sponsors: Peggy Garr, Howard Hanna

Contact Gina Lloyd for sponsorship opportunities at glloyd@cjn.org or 216-342-5196

48 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Chag Sameach from your friends at for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation

For a full list of locations in the Cleveland area, visit EmbassyHealthcare.net or call (888) 975-1379.

Zissen Pesach!

Don’t “Pass Over” excellent values I have on the market!

1 Salem Court, Beachwood $695,000

Donna Glazer

Legendary Service

32049 Pinetree Road, Pepper Pike $649,000

Office: 216-831-7344

4 Hampshire Court, Beachwood $549,900

Gross Schechter Day School

Gross Schechter Day School fifth graders Arielle Solooki, left, and Netta Buttel learn to bake matzah. | Photo / Gross Schechter Day School

Yeshiva Derech HaTorah

14903 Hillbrook Circle, Russell $525,000 6662 Brandamore Court, Solon $469,000

Morah SALE $ reg. $120

105

Joy SALE $ reg. $100

85 Heidi

Hazel SALE $ reg. $110

SALE $ reg. $100

95

85

TRUNK SHOW

Anikka

Fourth grader Zev Garfunkel re-enacts leaving Mitzrayim, or Egypt.

HaTorah

March 31, 2018

SALE $ Valid on regular price, in-stock & special 125 reg. $140 order Walking Cradles and Rose Petals products only. Not valid with any other discounts including Frequent Buyer Program. Prior sales excluded. Offer good thru April 8th

Saturday: 10a-6p Calista SALE $

Halle SALE $

each pair REG. PRICE

Preschooler Sruly Rappaport shows off his Pesach haggadah. | Photos / Yeshiva Derech

View the entire line with our Rep. Bill Sproull

reg. $100

reg. $140

125

85

Teri SALE $ reg. $130

115

FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE (while supplies last)

MAR-LOU SHOES 5471 Mayfield Road |Lyndhurst 440-449-SHOE (7463) Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10am -8pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12-5pm (closed holidays)

Trusted for

60 years.

Since 1958

Preschooler Aliza Traube plays with her paschal lamb.

Third grader Shani Tohn decorates a Pesach haggadah.

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Children like a seder for matzah, maror and more

T

he seder is a festive meal filled with reading and conversations, providing an annual reminder of the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, and the children at the table provide an important part of telling the Passover story. The Cleveland Jewish News talked with children at the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland’s Kid’s Club, an afterschool program held at The J in Beachwood, and asked their favorite part of the seder. Their age, place of residence, school and synagogue affiliation are included, if applicable.

Palley

Lefko

Roland

Wirick

“Everything.

Anything. The matzah. The maror” Akiva Palley, 6, Beachwood; Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School; Oheb Zedek-Ceder Sinai Synagogue

“Everything. I like everything. I can’t choose. But my actual favorite thing is finding the matzah but if it couldn’t be that then I’d choose everything.”

Cooper Lefko, 7, Beachwood; Gross Schechter Day School; Green Road Synagogue

“Finding the afikomen, spending time with my family and searching for chametz.”

Moriyah Roland, 5, Beachwood; Gross Schechter Day School; Congregation Shaarey Tikvah

“I actually have four: singing the Four Questions in front of my family with all my cousins and siblings, finding the chametz, eating matzah and spending time with family.”

Parker Wirick, 7, Pepper Pike; Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School

“One is finding the afikomen because you get prizes and you never know what you’re going to get, and a lot of the times I find it because a lot of people say I have small eyes but I have Rothchild big eye sights. My other first favorite part is spending time with family because sometimes all your family is just working and on Passover is where you get to spend time with family.”

Victor Rothchild, 8, Orange; Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School

Venezia

“When you find the afikomen, last year I found it.”

Violet Venezia, 6, Shaker Heights; Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School; Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

– Compiled by Staff Reporter Alyssa Schmitt

To watch children ask the Four Questions, visit bit.ly/CJNKidsSeder

Passover Greetings

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 49

To our Friends and Patrons

Barry Feldman Aaron Simkoff

1595 Lost Nation Rd. • Willoughby (440) 946-7473 www.kottlermetal.com

Wishing You & Your Family a Happy Passover! jna jxp dj

Alan B. Semel Board Chair

Michael G. Hyman President & CEO

Happy Passover!

JFSA thanks all who helped make it possible for our clients to participate in a Passover Seder this year.

Hope and Stanley Adelstein Trusts|B’nai Jeshurn Congregation|Cleveland Chesed Center|Congregation Shaarey Tikvah|Dave’s Supermarkets Jewish Relief Society|NCJW - Cleveland Section|Suburban Temple - Kol Ami|Temple Ner Tamid|The Temple - Tifereth Israel|Individual Donors

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION

of Cleveland

216.292.3999 | jfsa-cleveland.org

50 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Passover seders, events around town Our Warmest Moshe, Malka Wishes for& aPinky Rosenberg Agudas Achim Congregation jHUB Joyous Passover A Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous ChagNew Kasher Year And the Entire Staff of UNGER’S KOSHER MARKET Wish All Their Customers and Friends

V’Sameach Mrs. Malka Rosenberg Mr. Pinky Rosenberg and the entire staff of Ungers.

Beth Israel-The West Temple

UNGER’S KOSHER MARKET OPEN HOL HAMOED Thursday, April 13 8 AM - 7 PM Friday, April 14 8 AM - 4 PM Sunday, April 16 8 AM - 4 PM

58727

1831 South 1831 SouthTaylor TaylorRoad Road Phone 216-321-7176/Fax Phone 216-321-7176/Fax216-321-0777 216-321-0777 Open OpenDaily Dailyand andSundays Sundays Saturday Night after Shabbos Til 12 Midnite Saturday Night after Shabbos Til 12 Midnite Closed Shabbos and Yom Tov Closed Shabbos and Yom Tov

Agudas Achim Congregation will hold four days of Passover events March 30 to April 2 at the Bertram Inn & Conference Center, 600 N. Aurora Road in Aurora.

Reb Yitzhak Salomon, author and historian; Sean Manross, Arena International master of chess; Rabbi AJ Kusher of Agudas Achim Congregation; and Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum will be in attendance. The meals will be prepared by chef Yuval Rub. There will be 10 seder meals from 3 p.m. March 30 to 11 a.m. April 2. Takeout menus will be available.

Along with the seders, there will be adult and children programs, a 24-hour tea room with hot and cold drinks, non-gebrokts meals and a private and communal sedarim.

Admission is $1,200 per couple, all-inclusive. Family pricing is also available.

For more information and to reserve a space, call 216-816-3344 or email agudasachimpesach@gmail.com.

Beth Israel-The West Temple will hold two Passover events.

The temple will hold its congregational second seder at 6:15 p.m. March 31 at the temple, 14308 Triskett Road in Cleveland. Rabbi Enid Lader will lead the seder.

The catered meal will include vegetarian matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, apricot glazed chicken, herbroasted potatoes, salads and a dessert potluck.

Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for children ages 3 to 10 and free for children under 3. For more information, contact the temple office at 216-941-8882 or bethisrael@nls.net.

The temple will also hold its 12th annual Women’s Seder at 5:30 p.m. April 5 at the temple.

Attendees should contact Jackie Daukss at jacquelynbrooke18@gmail.com to see what food they should bring. The food must be non-dairy and in keeping with Passover dietary requirements.

Women of all ages are welcome. If someone needs a ride, they can contact Barbara Schwartz at 216-228-5246 or Susan Wagner at 216-221-6660.

For more information and to RSVP, visit signup.com/go/WxGSqeh.

B’nai Jeshurun Congregation

JIMMY JOHN’S

B’nai Jeshurun Congregation will have four Passover events March 30, April 6 and April 7.

On March 30, the synagogue will hold its Siyyum B’Chorium (fast of the first born) event at 7 a.m.

On April 6, the synagogue will have its Kinder Passover event from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

On April 7, Atid, the synagogue’s social group for those in their 20s and 30s, will hold its Feed the Yeast event at 9 p.m. at Forest City Shuffle Board, 4506 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland. The synagogue will cover the cost of shuffle board. Fairmount Young Professionals will also take part in the evening program, “Breaking Bread.” The synagogue will also hold Passover activities for children at 11 a.m. during Yizkor services.

B’nai Jeshurun is at 27501 Fairmount Blvd. in Pepper Pike.

Jewish Secular Community

Jewish Secular Community will hold a Passover seder, featuring the music of Chuck Fink, at 5:30 p.m.

April 1 at First Unitarian Church, 21600 Shaker Blvd. in Shaker Heights.

Those interested should RSVP to Peg Fishman by March 28 at 440-349-1330 or pegfishman@gmail.com. jHUB Young Adults will hold its End of Passover Celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. April 6 at CLE Urban Winery, 2180 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.

Attendees will enjoy a Moroccan dinner in honor of the traditional Moroccan Jewish end of Passover celebration, “Mimouna.”

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at bit.ly/2u4uwku.

Park Synagogue

Park Synagogue will hold two Passover events March 31 and April 6.

On March 31 following services, the synagogue will hold its congregational seder at 6:45 p.m. The dinner will be conducted by Rabbi Sharon Marcus and Cantor Misha Pisman. English and Hebrew selections will be available. Bonnie Davis will cater the dinner.

Tickets are $42 for adult members, $47 for adult guests, $15 for children ages 4 to 10 and free for children 3 and under.

For more information and to RSVP, visit bit.ly/2Fn2wtv.

Temple Emanu El

Temple Emanu El will hold two Passover events March 31 and April 5.

On March 31, the temple will hold its Passover Torah study at 9 a.m., followed by its Day 1 Passover Shabbat services at 10:30 a.m.

On April 5, the temple will hold its Passover Yizkor service at 7 p.m.

Both events are free and open to the community.

For more information, visit teecleve.org.

Temple Emanu El is at 4545 Brainard Road in Orange.

Temple Israel Ner Tamid

Temple Israel Ner Tamid will hold three events celebrating Passover March 30, March 31 and April 1.

On March 30, the temple will hold a shortened Shabbat service at 5:30 p.m.

On March 31, the temple will hold its Congregation 2nd Night of Passover seder at 5:45 p.m. Adults are $36, children ages 6 to 10 are $10 and children ages 5 and under are free. The seder will include ceremonial and traditional Passover foods. To RSVP, call the temple office at 440-473-5120 by March 26.

On April 1, the temple will hold its fourth annual Sober Seder at 4 p.m. The event is targeted to members of the recovery community. The seder will include a traditional Passover meal without wine.

A $20 donation per person is requested. For more information and to RSVP, call 440-473-5120 by March 26.

Temple Israel Ner Tamid is at 1732 Lander Road in Mayfield Heights.

Synagogues and organizations were asked to submit their Passover activities.

Compiled by Special Sections Staff Reporter Becky Rapse.

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 51

MARCH 30, 2018

Passover is in the cards for female entrepreneurs JACOB CRAMER

P

assover traditions are rich, providing for a more meaningful seder and empowering Jews to appreciate years of history.

However, preserving these traditions isn’t all that matters, according to former Cleveland resident Gail Silver, who lives in Cincinnati. While customs might transcend generations, Silver said that it’s easy to lose touch with the true meaning of the holiday.

Through taking adult studies classes with Rabbi Irvin Wise, senior rabbi of Adath Israel Congregation in Amberley Village, Silver managed to discover a deeper sense of Jewish rituals, including those of Passover.

“My family and so many others I’ve talked to race through the haggadah and the rituals (of Passover),” Silver said. “It feels long when we’re rushing through it, but when we have a sense of connection to the past, we don’t want to hurry.”

Hoping to make Jewish history “come alive” during the seder, Silver connected with fellow student Cindy Loon to design 15 cards illustrating seder rituals. Brushed with watercolor strokes painted by Loon, each card includes an explanation of the ritual’s purpose and spiritual meaning.

“Every seder, every year, we’re different

Seder for the Soul card sets will be used by families for the first time during this year’s seder.

people,” Silver said. “We come to the seder table with different experiences and learnings, and these cards are supposed to evoke our thoughts about who we are, what we have learned and how we need to improve ourselves in the coming year.”

This winter, Silver trekked to Cleveland holding a pink shoebox that carried 20 card sets to offer to local gift shops. She

Each card features a different seder ritual and its purpose. | Submitted photos

sold them to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage’s store and Montefiore gift shop, both in Beachwood, and has made her cards available on Amazon.com.

If the cards are well-received this year, Silver said she hopes to create cards for Shabbat and then other holidays.

LANDERHAVEN

“The sense of beauty and meaning in Jewish holidays are part of our history, but connections can be made that are relevant to our current lives,” she said.

Jacob Cramer is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.

From our family to yours, best wishes for a

For life’s most important moments.

Happy Passover The Executive Caterers Family New Image Photography

Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Showers, Weddings.

Flexible event space with a variety of rooms and outdoor locations.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR EVENT PLANNERS TODAY! 440.449.0700 or info@landerhaven.com

6111 LANDERHAVEN DRIVE CLEVELAND, OH 44124

52 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

MARCH 30, 2018

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 53

Root for your NEW home team at...

D E V E L O P M E N T

GREATER ATER CLEVELAND A NEW HOMES TEAM

S O L U T I O N S

Schedule your private tour: 216.678.9303 • Info@KWNewHomesTeam.com

Pre-Home Opener Open House Thursday 4/5 from 5-7pm be entered to win a $300 home opener package

LiveAtEdgewoodTrace.com

OPEN HOUSE S A T U R DAY S & S U N DAY S

1-4PM ( E X C L U D I N G H O L I DAY S )

Starting at $599,900

54 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Jewish day school students learn about Passover

P

assover is a busy time for all, but certainly for Jewish day school teachers who each year devise creative plans to educate students about the holiday. In addition, students and teachers alike celebrate. Area Jewish day schools were asked to submit their plans for Passover, and here’s what they are up to: FUCHS MIZRACHI SCHOOL

At the heart of the seder is the statement that “In every generation, people are supposed to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt.” This is a challenge for children who live relatively privileged lives in a free, democratic country. It takes study: learning about what servitude in Egypt was like.

It takes empathy: the ability to imagine life from someone else’s perspective. And it takes a sense of connection to Jews around the world, past and present.

At Gross Schechter, our teachers aim at all three: knowledge, empathy and connection.

One highlight at Schechter comes in third grade, where Yehudit Sharaby’s students learn to conduct a Yemenite seder. In younger grades, they study the structure of the seder, laws of chametz and matzah, what it’s like to live in slavery and more. With Sharaby, they take that knowledge and empathy and add a powerful twist: Jews around the world observe Pesach, but in different ways. The students feel connected to Jewish communities and cultures other than their own. Without fail, they bring their knowledge home and add flavor to their family’s seder. And they never forget those Yemenite customs.

HEBREW ACADEMY OF CLEVELAND

Sixth grader Avigail Rudolph shows a Passover painting. | Photo / Fuchs Mizrachi School

In the early childhood program, students have been cleaning their classrooms with sponges, changing over their play kitchens for Passover, learning Passover songs and stories and eating a whole lot of matzah.

In the older grades, students have been pouring over the pages of haggadah in search of deep questions.

They then proposed their own answers and explored answers from Jewish commentaries. They look forward to sharing their very own haggadahs with their families at the seder.

GROSS SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL

Preschoolers Levi, left, and Elijah Ryazanskiy make Passoverrelated crafts. | Photo / Gross Schechter Day School

THE JOSEPH AND FLORENCE MANDEL JEWISH DAY SCHOOL

Sam Harris, from left, Elyana Plotkin, Ian Ludwig and Neta Cohen hold their own seder at the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School. | Photo / Mandel JDS

Every grade will learn the story of Pesach in order to understand the holiday, why it is important and how it came to be. As always, we are getting ready for the holiday by cleaning our classrooms and getting rid of all the chametz.

Students also participate in the ritual of bedikat chametz (checking for chametz) and burning chametz.

After that, each grade will participate in their own seder.

In the upper grades, we are discussing the deeper meaning behind our rituals, focusing mostly on the meaning of slavery and freedom, and the differences between physical and spiritual slavery.

- Responses were compiled and edited by Staff Reporter Amanda Koehn

Hebrew Academy preschoolers Nochum Schwarz, from left, Bracha Drazin and Mordechai Tzvi Elefant look over a kids’ haggadah. | Photo / Hebrew Academy of Cleveland

For 75 years, Hebrew Academy of Cleveland has prepared generations of youngsters for a meaningful Passover and this year is certainly no exception. All aspects of the festival permeate the classrooms and hallways where tradition comes alive and children of all ages are enriched through story, song, music and art.

Hands-on activities include creating personalized kittels, pillow cases, haggadahs and more. The laws and customs of Pesach and much of the text of the hagaddah are studied and the four questions in multiple languages are mastered. Some classes bake matzah through the Living Legacy Foundation while others engage in intergenerational programs. Special programs include guest speakers and activities. All classes participate in the school-wide Maos Chitin tzedakah campaign with proceeds going to the needy in Israel and closer to home.

MOVING? Call 216-342-5185 or email circulation@cjn.org to change your address so you don’t miss an issue!

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 55

MARCH 30, 2018

Fairmount Temple holds interfaith seder

Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood held its annual interfaith seder March 13. Guests sampled seder plates and heard about Passover traditions while clergy shared the story of Passover.

27970 Chagrin Blvd. #209 Woodmere 216-514-1702 Val Bendersky

Sheila Farkas

Rabbis Jordana Chernow-Reader and Joshua Caruso lead the seder. | Photos / Chad Tindel

To all of our clients, family, and friends…

Chag Sameach!

Val Bendersky • Sheila Farkas • Carol Dolin • Frida Gudina • Nancy Squires Hoffman • Judy Joseph • Kathy Kurkov • Igor Lapinsky • Josh Lovinger • Linas Mackenas • Aaron Newman • Michael Siegal • Sandy Sieman • Toni Wolf • Barbara Blatt

Fairmount Temple member Dr. Roland Philip pours wine and grape juice for guests at his table.

Fairmount Temple member Ruth Dombcik breaks the matzah.

Senior Living Reimagined Maplewood at Twinsburg offers assisted living and memory care. With sun-drenched common spaces, engaging activities, a long list of amenities including farm-to-table dining, spa and more, we invite you to visit us today and see for yourself.

Wishing you a Happy Passover!

2463 Sussex Boulevard, Twinsburg, Ohio | 330-840-7404 | MaplewoodAtTwinsburg.com Rabbi Joshua Caruso shows the Torah to seder guests. | Photo / Fairmount Temple

56 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Holiday hotline here to help Park Synagogue ensures congregants can partake in Passover story, seder JACOB CRAMER

S

inging “Dayenu,” double-dipping parsley into salt water and hiding the afikomen for children to find make the annual seder a memorable experience.

However, those new to the Cleveland area or without large families may not have anywhere to go to celebrate the occasion.

When Toby Bresky, chair of the family life council at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, noticed a few years ago some congregants had no seder to attend, she established the “Passover seder holiday hotline.” The hotline, which is coordinated by program and volunteer director Ellen Petler, has enabled about 20 of the synagogue’s members to find homes for dinner on the holiday.

“We want to try to help as many of our members as possible who might not have a home seder meal,” said Petler, who oversees a similar program during the High Holy Days.

“We certainly don’t want to see people by themselves when this is a holiday that is usually celebrated with other family members and friends, so to help people in that respect is important.”

Miriam Rose of Beachwood, whose family would fill the house with seder guests when she was young, enjoys welcoming guests through the hotline because it reminds her of childhood seder memories.

“I don’t have a lot of family in Cleveland, and my husband, Dan, and I like to host seders,” Rose said. “When I

have extra places at my table that seats eight, (and) I like to invite people who may not have a home to go to. They make connections with people that they wouldn’t otherwise, and everyone feels included and part of the family for the day.

“At Passover, we open the doors and say, ‘Let all who are hungry come and eat.’ As Jews, we’re supposed to welcome people in. You should be thankful for what you have and also be willing to share with people who may not.”

Joan Kekst of Beachwood, who joined the program three years ago with her daughter, Amy Kekst, shared similar sentiments.

“When Park Synagogue first put out a message that there were members of the congregation who had nowhere to go on Passover, we invited three young men,” she said.

“They’ve been coming to every holiday with our family ever since.”

Although Kekst has already frozen matzah balls and made chicken noodle soup for this year’s seder, she allows the guests to bring their own food and traditions to the seder table.

“One of the guests is allergic to apples, so instead of making charoset with apples, he does it with pears and has begun experimenting with all kinds of recipes,” she said.

“This year, he’s making more, and he even makes a separate bowl for my granddaughter (Pamela Kekst), who is allergic to nuts.”

Kekst loves to celebrate the holiday with her loved ones, but she said everyone should be able to rejoice in the Passover experience.

Joan Kekst, from left, daughter, Nancy Zucker, and granddaughter, Pamela Kekst, prepare matzah dough before a seder. | CJN photo /

Jacob Cramer

“What in the world can it cost to invite someone to your seder?” she said. “If you’re doing 30, why not 31?”

Jacob Cramer is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.

Nominations are now open at cjn.org/12under36 Do you know a young Jewish leader who is influencing Northeast Ohio through their professional or personal achievements?

Nominate them today for the inaugural 12 Under 36 awards.

Ceremony will be held on August 23, 2018.

Nomination deadline: April 30, 2018

Questions? Contact Gina Lloyd at 216-342-5196 or glloyd@cjn.org

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 57

Passover memories abound for young families JACOB CRAMER

D

irty diapers, colds that circulate the family and finding a caretaker are known plights of becoming a parent. However, one less acknowledged dilemma is finding time to spend with loved ones.

Stacie Hutner of Orange, who hosts an annual fourgenerational seder with her husband, Kery, said that Passover has been a great way to help her kids connect with older family members that they don’t see on a daily basis, including her 101-year-old grandmother, Loretta Shainker of Beachwood. “(My grandma) can’t hear very well so she can’t really participate, but she loves being with everyone,” she said. “She looks forward to seeing the kids and wants them to be close to her and get to know her.

The kids give her lots of kisses and hugs, and she jokes around with them and tries to make them feel important. We’re always laughing with my grandma saying, ‘What did you say?’ when she says, ‘I can’t hear you.’ She’s kind of silly interrupting, so it’s really fun and memorable that way.”

Although her children Landon, 5, and Dylan Hutner, 2, would argue that matzah ball soup, macaroons and fruit jellies are the best part of the holiday, Hutner knows that having the family together is what they will remember.

Since her children have attended the Mandel Jewish Community Center’s preschool in Beachwood, she said “it’s really nice to see how much they learn about Passover in school and then share with the family. They do the prayers and understand what it’s all about.”

Karen and Lee Lazar of Solon also participate in a four-generational seder, which they enjoy because of family traditions.

When their children, Wendy Kerschner, of Chicago and Stephen Lazar of Brooklyn, N.Y., were young, they would assemble handmade siddurs each year before the seder. Though these siddurs started pictorial, Karen said “they became more meaningful and relevant” as the children grew older. This year’s seder will incorporate a siddur from when their children were toddlers, as well as a matzah cover with stains from when Karen’s late father (Charles Laine) would spill his wine. She said she hopes to continue the tradition with her grandson Judah, 2, and his newborn brother Nate Kerschner, who live in Chicago.

Above all, she said her favorite Passover memory is when she tried to bring the 10 plagues to life for her kids in a creative way.

“For blood we did silly string, for hail it was ping pong balls, and for frogs it was jumping plastic frogs,” she said. “I still get grief about it, so clearly it made an impact.”

Seders can be filled with fun and laughter, but for Kerry Kertesz of University Heights, the best seder memories are sweet moments.

“At last year’s seder, watching my then-4-year-old daughter, Lily, sing the four questions made me proud, and it impressed me to see her recite what she’d learned at Mandel JDS,” she said, referring to the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School. “My girls also have really taken to helping me prepare the meal. They are by my side as we cook and bake for the families.”

“I love combining the traditions of my childhood with the ones from my husband’s, and also creating some of our own with our children,” she added. “I like telling my kids about the seders with my cousins I had

Karen Lazar, from left, Wendy Kerschner holding Judah Kerschner, and Delores Lazar during Passover in 2016. | Submitted photos Randy, left, and Lily Kertesz, 2, scoop homemade matzah balls into broth.

Landon, 5, and Dylan Hutner, 2, use Mandel JCC preschool haggadahs at the seder table.

growing up. We still use the same haggadah from my childhood, and it fills my heart to pass down the stories and traditions.”

Getting the whole family together can be rare, especially for young families. Nonetheless, moments like the seder give children a cultural and familial foundation.

“They can learn about hope, perseverance, and the importance of asking questions,” Kertesz said. “Kids can also learn to be grateful and give thanks. We sing “Dayenu,” which means ‘it would have been enough,’ and remember how lucky we are.”

Jacob Cramer is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern at the Cleveland Jewish News.

Wishing You and Your Family a Happy and Healthy Passover Cleveland Heights City Council Carol Roe, Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Vice Mayor Mary Dunbar Kahlil Seren Jason Stein Cheryl Stephens Michael Ungar Tanisha R. Briley, City Manager

58 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

MARCH 30, 2018

LOCAL

Communication key to interfaith couples celebrating holidays ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |

F

amilies come together during Passover to partake in the seder and celebrate the Jewish people’s freedom from being enslaved by the Egyptians, but it can be a challenging time for interfaith families who have one Jewish spouse and another spouse practicing a different religion. But interfaith families can overcome some of the challenges of celebrating Passover and other non-Jewish religious holidays by being open about what each spouse wants through communication.

Jessica and Fred Miller of Twinsburg and Michelle Gerstenhaber and Dan Breha, who live in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, are interfaith families that approach the holiday in different ways.

For the Millers, Jessica grew up in a Conservative Jewish household in the Cincinnati area, while Fred was raised as a Roman Catholic, but never considered himself devout and stopped practicing Catholicism in college. Jessica Miller’s parents still keep kosher, and Jessica and Fred Miller said they try to travel to Jessica’s parents’ home for Passover seder whenever possible because they feel it’s important to pass along both Jewish traditions and Jessica’s family traditions to their two children, Evelyn, 3, and Eleanor, 4 months.

“It is a fairly traditional seder, but we don’t cover all of the readings,” Jessica Miller said. “(My) parents always host a vegetarian second seder and we include many of the traditions from (my) mother’s family, including egg soup and going around the room with each person reading a paragraph of the story. The seder always ends with (my) grandmother and mother singing the Passover songs while

Fred, Eleanor, Jessica and Evelyn Miller. | Submitted photos

keeping the beat with their hands banging on the table. This is my favorite part of the seder.”

For Gerstenhaber and her husband Breha, Passover presents a similar set of circumstances, though they don’t consider them challenges. Gerstenhaber was raised in what she calls a “Conservadox” family, a blend of Orthodox and Conservative traditions. Breha’s mother is Catholic and his father is Lutheran, but his family never combined churches, though he mostly identifies as Catholic today. Gerstenhaber said since she and Breha have been together, they’ve done a mostly traditional Passover seder and in recent years, Breha’s parents have joined Gerstenhaber and her parents for the seder.

“We’ve been together for a little more than 10 years,” Gerstenhaber said of her relationship. “We’re really open and have gotten good at communicating what’s important to us as far as faith and raising a family. We both partake in each other’s traditions. Our plan is to keep celebrating both holidays. We’re interested in learning about the other’s

ALL OF US AT

Michelle Gerstenhaber and Dan Breha in Israel.

religion and we teach each other about our religion. We’re both open-minded, we don’t think there’s any challenges (regarding our religions).”

For the Millers, the big challenge for them is finding time to spend with both sides of the family, especially since Passover can fall close to other holidays on the calendar.

This usually leads to the family spending Passover with Jessica Miller’s parents in Cincinnati, and missing other holidays with Fred Miller’s parents in the Pittsburgh area.

“We’re raising the girls Jewish, but do celebrate (other holidays),” Jessica Miller said. “These holidays are celebrated as family holidays with Santa Claus and the bunny without any religious connotation. We do teach the girls about G-d.”

For Breha and Gerstenhaber, who don’t have children yet, their best advice is to approach each holiday without any preconceived notions.

“The biggest thing is to have an open mind,” Breha said.

“It makes it a lot easier.”

Try experimenting with different wines this seder

ANDREW ZASHIN FAMILY HAIR STYLING

2252 Warrensville Ctr. • 216-932-5410

WISH OUR GOOD FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS

A HAPPY PASSOVER

HAGGADAH HADASSAH both are filled with stories of inspiration and freedom

In this season of celebrating freedom, we wish you and your families a Happy Passover!

Hadassah Central States PO Box 9964, Columbus 43209 347.446.0061 www.hadassah.org

D

www.zrlaw.com

uring the Passover seder, Jewish people around the world read the haggadah, the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. No doubt, in spite of their hardships, our ancestors discovered new and interesting things along the way.

This Passover, I think those enjoying wine at their holiday tables should embrace that same spirit of discovery and try some of the many new and fascinating kosher wines coming onto the market. Recently, while on a trip to Israel, I attended a wine-tasting dinner sponsored by a small winery in the Lower Galilee called Château Netofa.

I was familiar with this winery, having previously tasted its delicious rose wine, and their top of the line “Latour” red. Those wines amazed me. When I first tasted them “blind,” I assumed they were French hailing from Provence and the southern Rhone region, respectively.

The wines I tasted at the dinner similarly did not disappoint. The red wine was a blend of Syrah, as it is called in France, and sometimes called “Shiraz,” and Grenache.

The white wine was a blend primarily of a varietal called Roussanne, little known among wine enthusiasts, especially those who keep kosher. Chateau Netofa eschews the more common Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay grapes choosing instead to focus on those grapes the winemaker deems most appropriate for Israel’s climate.

I had the pleasure of meeting the winemaker that night, fittingly named Pierre Miodownick. I asked him if it was

difficult making marketable kosher wine from unusual grapes in Israel. His answer was as fitting as his name.

Pierre quoted David Ben Gurion’s famous statement: “In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.”

I am unsure if the wines of Château Netofa are available locally. I am sure, however, if you are creative, you can find them or something like them. But that’s really not the point.

Keeping the sense of discovery in mind, I recommend this Passover that you experiment and try something new.

Fantastic kosher wines are being made all over the world and especially in Israel, the “start-up nation.”

The one specific recommendation I will make is a Savignon Blanc called “Goose Bay,” from Marlborough, New Zealand. This venerable grape has found a new home in New Zealand. It is bone dry, extremely fragrant and exceptionally food friendly because of its high acidity. It is locally available.

L’chaim.

Andrew Zashin is a wine collector who writes a monthly law column for the Cleveland Jewish News.

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 59

MARCH 30, 2018

Kosher butchers have slice of variety for Passover BORIS’ KOSHER MEATS

TIBOR’S KOSHER MEATS

14406 Cedar Road University Heights

2185 S. Green Road University Heights

Owner Boris Mikhli stocks his shelves with a kosher beef rib steak. | CJN photos / Jacob Cramer

Owner Tibor Rosenberg, left, and employee Ilan Senders prepare cuts of meat for Passover.

60 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Getting children, teens involved in seder is key ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER @AlyssaSchmitCJN aschmitt@cjn.org |

just sitting there, sometimes your mind wanders. But if you’re actively involved in doing something, you feel it and you participate in it and your body knows it.”

Galili noted a seder shouldn’t be like other holiday dinners where there may be separate adult’s and children’s tables – everyone should sit and participate together. Also, for pre-teens and teenagers, she recommends suggesting

P

assover is a time where Jews of every generation aim to personally understand the exodus from Egypt. One of the best ways to encourage such thinking in children is during the seder dinner.

“Our Jewish tradition teaches everyone should be included regardless of age, ability,” said Ginny Galili, executive director of the strengthening families division of Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland in Beachwood. “That’s what’s been mandated to us – to include everyone in the story, for everyone to participate and for everyone to learn the story.”

To help young children pay attention during the seder, Galili recommends having something that keeps their hands busy. She said Legos can be used at or around the table so children can build structures that pertain to the

Galili

Harris

haggadah, like pyramids.

Engaging young children during the telling of the Passover story helps them understand it better and keeps their minds from drifting, said Dahlia Harris, early childhood engagement associate at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights.

“I think the more involved the kids are in the seder, the more they absorb the story, the more they understand how important it is,” Harris said. “I think they get more from it because if they’re

they bring something to the table, like articles they think can relate back to the haggadah or seder.

“Your pre-teens and your teens feel like they have as much ownership of the seder, and the family traditions around seder and the Jewish traditions around seder, as everyone else around the table,” Galili said. “It isn’t simply an adult-driven thing they are enduring, but this is theirs.”

How to get kids involved in a seder

• Encourage them to design a matzah cover • Create seder-themed placemats with the stages of seder on it to keep track during the service • Make afikomen bags, which are later hidden with matzah inside • Help put together a personalized haggadah for the family • Make puppets to liven up the Maggid section of the haggadah Source: Dahlia Harris, JECC early childhood engagement associate

Teens share perspectives on Passover “I think Pesach is a metaphor.

We left Egypt, but we also had to leave a close-minded perspective to become free, so it’s still relevant to learn about today.”

Clara Rose, 18, Solon High School senior, Solon Chabad

The meaning of Passover can change to fit each generation’s perception of current world happenings.

The Cleveland Jewish News asked teenagers from Cleveland NCSY and BBYO Ohio Northern Region about the modern significance of Passover and they shared what they thought.

Weiss

Muencz

“I think it’s more important than ever to have the seder, and learn the story and to remember it, because I feel the lesson from the story is that Hashem is real and that he did take us out of Egypt.

And that story can be used as a reminder whenever it’s needed.”

Isaac Weiss, 15, Shaker Heights High School sophomore, Jewish Family Experience “I see Passover now as a modern-day thing that it teaches kids patience. The Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert, and I think we’ve lost patience.

We have everything that we want on our phones and we really don’t have to wait for anything. ... I think that’s why we don’t have bread for eight days – it teaches us to lose something and look forward to

something.”

Ryan Muencz, 17, Beachwood High School junior, Park Synagogue

Rose

Schultz

“I think Passover is mostly about freedom to live your life to the fullest extent. I think as Jews, we’re responsible to repair the world. ... I think it’s also about releasing yourself of things that hold you back to reach your full potential.”

Emily Schultz, 18, Beachwood High School senior, Jewish Family Experience

“I think it all depends on each individual person and how observant of Judaism they are.

For me, it’s more of a time to get together with family and to sort of observe stories of Judaism and such, for other families it’s more of a time to reflect and how to adapt to what happened in Berkowitz the stories. ...I definitely think it differs throughout each family, throughout each synagogue, throughout everything.”

Sam Berkowitz, 15, Beachwood High School

freshman, The Temple-Tifereth Israel “I think it’s a time we can reflect on what our history is – knowing where we came from and the making of the people who we are now. I think that kind of unites everyone, which is important because we live in a world where a lot of people Rubanenko are very separated and it brings at least the Jewish people together. We can look back and see we all came from the same place.”

Elana Rubanenko, Orange High School freshman, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation -Compiled by Staff Reporter Alyssa Schmitt

Boker Tov YOUR DAILY NEWS FROM THE CJN The CJN’s daily eNewsletter delivers the latest headlines to your inbox every weekday morning for FREE!

SIGN UP NOW AT

CJN.ORG/BOKERTOV

LOCAL

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 61

MARCH 30, 2018

Hosts can tweak seder to best include children with special needs ED CARROLL | STAFF REPORTER @EdCarrollCJN ecarroll@cjn.org |

F

or Passover, there are common ways to get children involved in the traditional seder. For families with special needs children, those common ways might still work, with just a little bit of tweaking.

“I think we have to include all of our children in the seder because we want to pass on our heritage, and I don’t think it matters if they’re typically developing or a child with special needs, we want to include them,” said Rena Wertheim, program director at the Friendship Circle of Cleveland in Pepper Pike. “I think it’s very important to include the child with special needs by giving them the same exposure as a typical child.”

Still, a traditional seder involves long periods of sitting around, waiting and listening, which are not exactly the strong suits of any child. For that reason, Sara Ireland-Cooperman, director for Cleveland Yachad, the local

branch of the National Jewish Council for Disabilities, said there has been a push in recent years to make the story of the Exodus as interactive as possible.

“Frog puppets, plagues charades, even those who go all out with full-on, head-to-toe Egyptian garb, are some examples of those who have taken ownership of their seder and choose to be actively engaged with the commandment of storytelling,” she said. “(Hosts) will need to consider (their) guests (beforehand) and make sure they do not have a problem with some of the social and sensory components (a) seder might entail, and plan ahead with them in mind.”

Ilana Hoffer Skoff, executive director of Milestones Autism Resources in Warrensville Heights, agreed having the host inform guests of what to expect from the seder is helpful for families of children with special needs.

She also said a great way to involve children on the autism spectrum is to give them a specific task to perform during the seder.

“For example, early in the seder when you’re washing hands, some families will walk around with a bucket and with a pitcher and with towels,” Skoff said. “Giving one of those tasks to a person with autism, it gives them something to do, they’re busy for a few minutes around (and) people get to know them. And the other thing that’s nice about it is it’s a script: it’s ‘here’s a towel,’ it’s ‘here’s the bowl.’ They have something specific they’re supposed to say and something specific they’re supposed to do, and it’s a really nice way to engage them.”

Mia Buchwald Gelles, operations director at Milestones, agreed and added that children with autism – like all children with special needs – make important contributions to their community and such events. Thus, hosts should be accommodating.

“They’re part of the community, so if you’re inviting a family, obviously as a host you want to be welcoming and no one is going to say ‘can you leave so-and-so at home?’” Gelles said.

Gelles

Ireland-Cooperman

Skoff

Wertheim

“You want to open your house and say ‘what can we do to make this easy for your child or your teen to be there with you?’”

Testimony theater presents five inspirational stories of determination and survival... documented through interviews with Holocaust Survivors... written and portrayed by teen actors.

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”

- Elie Wiesel Community Partners:

Monday, April 16, 7:00 p.m.

Cleveland Heights High School Dina Rees Evans Auditorium 13263 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights Free and open to the community.

Parking available on site and in adjacent commercial district.

@akiva is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and a partner agency of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland

For more information, contact info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org

62 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

LOCAL

MARCH 30, 2018

Fairmount Temple teens, clergy tell Passover story in ‘Jewmanji’ Wishing You a Happy Passover!

30100 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 101 Pepper Pike, Ohio 44124

(216) 593-7400 | (800) 225-8520 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com

Happy Passover to all my patients & friends

Solon Orthodontics

Providing orthodontic care for children & adults with exceptional quality & service

ABBIE MURPHY | DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER amurphy@cjn.org

M

embers and clergy of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood are no strangers to making funny holiday movies.

Back in 2016, “Clergy Car Karaoke at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple” received more than 9,000 views on Facebook alone. This Passover season, they wanted to do something new.

Temple member Dr. Alex Hirsh and Rabbi Joshua L. Caruso put their heads together to come up with “Jewmanji: Welcome to Caruso the Desert (Jumanji Passover Parody).” The four-minute film is a take on the popular 2017 film, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”

Hirsh, a dermatologist by day, wrote the script and shot the entire film using his own equipment.

“It’s a fun hobby, and he had a blast putting it

Philip D. Bomeli, DDS, MS 6370 SOM Center Road, Suite 101 Solon, OH 44139 (440) 349-5885 www.solonorthodontics.com

together and obviously he had a lot of good instinct because it turned out much better than I would have ever dreamed,” Caruso said.

In just 24 hours, “Jewmanji” received more than 4,000 views online.

“We engage our teens, we engage our adults – all this is important work of tikkun olam – but at the same time, we can laugh at ourselves,” Caruso said.

The cast is comprised of Senior Rabbi Robert A. Nosanchuk, Caruso, Rabbi Jordana Chernow-Reader, Cantor Sarah J. Sager, Ben White, Julia Polster, Danielle Krantz, Max Alter and Elizabeth Kleckner.

To watch the film, visit bit.ly/JewmanjiPassover

A couple of easy Passover reads for children

THIS PASSOVER, CELEBRATE 70 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT. INVEST IN ISRAEL BONDS.

“THE PASSOVER PARROT”

By Evelyn Zusman; illustrated by Krysten Brooker Pages 32; Kar-Ben Publishing $7.99; ages 3 to 8

It’s time for Leba to ask the Four Questions at the Passover seder. But nobody will assist her. That is until Hametz the Parrot arrives and he not only helps her, but also solves the dilemma of who stole the afikomen – the hidden piece of matzah. This is the 25th anniversary edition in a newly illustrated book.

“PAULIE’S PASSOVER PREDICAMENT”

By Jane Sutton; illustrated by Barbara Vagnozzi Pages 32; Kar-Ben Publishing $7.99; ages 3 to 8

Paulie the moosi-cian is all set to host a Passover seder for his friends, but the seder doesn’t go according to plan. There are too many mistakes and that makes the hunt for the hidden afikomen a real puzzle.

– Bob Jacob, Managing Editor

Development Corporation for Israel Commerce Park Building Four 23240 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 810 Beachwood, OH 44122 216.454.0180 • cleveland@israelbonds.com

ISRAELBONDS.COM This is not an offering, which can be made only by prospectus.

Read the prospectus carefully before investing to fully evaluate the risks associated with investing in Israel bonds.

Member FINRA Photo credits: Adobe Stock, iStock, James S. Galfund

AN INVESTMENT IN 70 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT

0

th

Anniversary