Happy Passover! Pesach Festival Service
Yizkor Pesach
Saturday, April 4, 10:30 AM Pollin Chapel
Friday, April 10, 10:30 AM Pollin Chapel
Bulletin April 2015 Nisan-Iyyar 5775 Vol. 64, No. 7 Established 1858
“Who knows one? I know one...” Rediscovering the Passover Seder Experience by Ida Rae Cahana Senior Cantor In every Hagaddah, from the most basic “Maxwell House” to the exotic Sarajevo Haggadah, the recitation of the Passover story begins with an overview of the parts of the seder so no one feels lost or confused. Then, almost immediately, children are asked to recite four questions, and the adults are expected to provide the answers through the telling of the Passover story. While we will hopefully get to the final part of the seder as outlined, finishing with songs and praise, I imagine that at many tables, people will linger over the questions and the plagues of our time. If you have some adult time to be expansive around your table (or perhaps at a different second or third or fourth seder dedicated to adults), please consider adding this question: “Where are we seeing examples of anti-Semitism around the world and in our own country, and what will we do to call attention to it as a true plague of our time?” The freedom we enjoy to live full and vibrant Jewish lives is one to cherish and not take for granted. As I prepare to send off three more children to college in just a little over a year’s time, I am truly shocked by the recent blatant examples of anti-Semitism at two universities in California. Of course, there are many more plagues of intolerance towards other minorities meriting calls to action, yet I feel the need to answer the first part of Hillel’s maxim, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” before attending to the equally important second half, “And if I am only for myself, what am I?” Engaging our guests, young and old, in the experience of retelling our people’s seminal and defining experience as if we ourselves
are going through it requires some preparation and planning. Keeping the story relevant as well as fun and asking each person to contribute something will make your seder deep and wonderful. This year, Passover begins Friday night, April 3rd, and whether you are hosting or attending a seder or just beginning to consider either of those options, creating this kind of memorable seder has its own unique expectations. Many families have longstanding and beloved customs while newcomers to Judaism and those rediscovering their Jewish roots want to unpack the traditions that everyone else seems to know and understand. We can learn from each other and try out some surprising and lovely ideas to make the story of Passover come alive. Start with taking a look at the website of the Reform movement’s national organization, The Union for Reform Judaism, at www.urj.org. For example, I found a terrific article with listening samples here: www.reformjudaism.org/ what-do-you-know-aboutpassover-music.The URJ also has lots of ideas from recipes to décor to discussion ideas and more.
Photo courtesy of Rabbi and Cantor Cahana
Echad mi yodea? Who knows one? I have given you one thought, a “fifth question,” for your seder this year (or next year!). Perhaps you would like to share an idea with people you know for amplifying the seder experience. May we inspire one another and move each other to greater appreciation of our beautiful Jewish heritage. And may we act to protect the precious freedom that is ours, to safeguard it for our children, and for all people.
The True Story of the Orange on the Seder Plate In the early 1980s, Susannah Heshel, the Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, encountered a Haggadah written by students at Oberlin College that was intended to express feminist concerns. One ritual they added was to place a crust of bread on the seder plate to show solidarity with Jewish lesbians. (As the thinking went, “There’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate.”) After this experience, Heschel began putting an orange on her family’s seder plate to demonstrate solidarity with Jewish lesbians, gay men, and others who are marginalized in the Jewish community. The orange shows the fruitfulness for all Jews when everyone is included in the community; spitting out the seeds symbolizes the rejection of homophobia. Will you put an orange on your seder plate this year?
How many other afikomen like this one can you find hiding in our April bulletin? If you think you know, e-mail passover@bethisrael-pdx.org for a prize!