Thoughts on the current heated debate in Israel
14 facts about the historic Jewish communities in Egypt
Matzah in Siberia
Hunger and a pillowcase filled Hunger and a pillowcase filled with the crispy crumbly matzah
Yiddish motto explains Yiddish the counting of the Omer the counting of the Omer
This Passover, Dr. Elyse Golob is feeling whole again after overcoming a turbulent past
The Jewish outreach and education network of Southern Arizona
2443 E 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rabbi Yossie Shemtov
REBBETZIN
Chanie Shemtov
OUTREACH DIRECTOR
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Feigie Ceitlin
Affiliates:
Congregation Young Israel, Chabad at the University of Arizona, Chabad on River, Chabad of Oro Valley, Chabad of Sierra Vista, Chabad of Vail and Lamplighter Chabad Day School of Tucson
After spending a few days in the holy land of Israel on our Land and Spirit community trip, a friend from Tucson checked in. “Hi Rabbi,” he wrote in a text message. “I hope you and your group made it safely to Israel, what with all the political demonstrations and the terrorist event in Tel Aviv.”
He wasn’t wrong in describing the fragile climate and the internal and external challenges the country has been facing.
think I don’t know what’s going on in Odessa? The purpose of my question was to hear in which ‘Odessa’ you live!”
That is the choice we thought we faced upon arriving in Israel. Which Jerusalem will we see, and do we even have a choice as to what will be etched in our memory?
history in the Western Wall Tunnels and modernity on the streets of Tel Aviv. We witnessed agricultural devotion on a kibbutz neighboring Gaza and heard about technological innovation. We walked on Caesarea’s Roman ruins and Safed’s rebuilt mystical city.
EDITOR
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
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Suzanne Cummins
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Feigie Ceitlin, Libby Herz, Menachem Posner, Mordechai Schmutter, Benjamin Weiss
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Chabad Tucson does not endorse the people, establishments, products or services reported about or advertised in Keeping Jewish unless specifically noted. The acceptance of advertising in Keeping Jewish does not constitute a recommendation, approval, or other representation of the quality of products or services, or the credibility of any claims made by advertisers, including, but not limited to, the kashrus of advertised food products. The use of any products or services advertised in Keeping Jewish is solely at the user’s risk and Chabad Tucson accepts no responsibility or liability in connection therewith.
Note: “G-d” and “L-rd” are written with a hyphen instead of an “o .”This is one way we accord reverence to the sacred divine name. This also reminds us that, even as we seek G-d, He transcends any human effort to describe His reality.
In the lead-up to our trip in March, I shared his concern about the future of the land and its people. The reports coming out of Israel depicted a divided nation, bitterly torn over societal differences and nonnegotiable issues. Shortly before I landed at the Ben Gurion International Airport, an anti-government protest blocked access to incoming and outgoing roads.
But I was reminded of a Chassidic tale about two residents of the port city of Odessa who came to visit their Rebbe, a spiritual leader they deeply respected and followed. When the first resident went in for a private audience, the Rebbe asked him: “Nu, what’s going on in Odessa?” His answer was an upbeat report about the camaraderie, kindness, and sincerity of the community. The Rebbe was very pleased by the update.
Overhearing the conversation, the second resident was disturbed by how his fellow had sugar-coated the situation and resolved to reveal the truth. When the Rebbe asked him: “Nu, what’s going on in Odessa?” he went into a full-scale description of the dire reality of the community. He didn’t hold back from detailing the locals’ selfishness, greed, and indulgence. The Rebbe responded with displeasure.
The second resident couldn’t understand what he did wrong. “I gave you an honest report of what’s going in Odessa!” he exclaimed. The Rebbe replied, “Do you
For the next few days, we crisscrossed the country on coach buses and bulletproof buses. We visited museums of war and peace, Zionist landmarks, and anti-Zionist enclaves. We touched on
We discovered there weren’t two Odessa’s - or Israel’s, in our case - to choose from. Sure, there were plenty of differences and disagreements among the people. And as we’ve seen at two of the protests, Israelis can get very loud and brash when making a point. But the underlining attitude was an undeniable passion and commitment to the country.
Israelis - similar to the sages of the Talmud - argue not because they hate each other. They argue because they care. That is why, as the author Daniel Gordis pointed out, there wasn’t looting, violence, or police brutality during the protests.
Instead, you had people open their homes for protesters to use their restrooms. When secular protestors descended on the religious city of Bnei Brak on March 23, residents welcomed them with love. “Refreshments and drinks to our Tel Aviv brothers,” one sign announced at a free food stand. A black-hatted religious man was seen offering a lite to a protestor’s cigarette.
What Israel is experiencing isn’t a divide among the nation. It is a disagreement in the family. And this family, however conflicted, will be sitting together around the Seder table and celebrating Passover. In commemorating our Exodus from Egypt, we will be reminded that we’ve been through worse and that we always strive for better.
- Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin is the Outreach Director of Chabad Tucson. He will be leading the next Land and Spirit - JLI Israel Experience on April 1-8, 2024.
Chabad centers in Southern Arizona are preparing to host over 10 community-wide Passover Seders—the festive ritual-filled dinner on the first two nights of the holiday—on April 5 and 6.
Passover is the most observed Jewish holiday in America and traditionally begins with the Seder, which is celebrated with extended family and friends. To meet the needs of those looking for a place to observe this tradition, Southern Arizona Chabad centers are having seders all over the community, welcoming all who wish to sign up to attend.
The Seder takes participants through the story of the miraculous liberation of the Jewish people from bondage in ancient Egypt and shares the relevance and beauty of the age-old festival in the modern world.
By Benjamin Weiss
Each of Chabad’s community Seders will include a delectable catered dinner paired with fine kosher wine and handmade round “Shmurah” Matzah.
“This year, as we sit down to our Seder, we will be ensuring that everyone who wishes to celebrate Passover can do so,” said Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Executive Director of Chabad Tucson. “Our goal is to lower the barriers to Jewish engagement and ensure everyone feels welcome and included.”
Chabad is also arranging for kosher for Passover meals to be catered and delivered to people who are home-bound, in cooperation with Handmaker Jewish Services For Aging. Additionally, Chabad will be holding Seders and Passover programs in several independent living communities.
This year’s Passover seders carry added significance as Jewish communities worldwide celebrate the Year of Hakhel or “Gathering.” The Hakhel year is marked with gatherings focused on unity, Torah learning and practice.
Below are the Seders open to the public:
Chabad Tucson
2443 E 4th Street, Tucson
First Seder: Wednesday, April 5 - 7:00 PM chabadtucson.com/5466130
Chabad at the University ofArizona
1436 E Drachman St, Tucson
First Seder: Wednesday evening, April 5
Second Seder: Thursday evening, April 6 tinyurl.com/uofapassover
Chabad of Oro Valley
1171 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd #131, Oro Valley
First Seder: Wednesday, April 5 - 7:00 PM
Second Seder: Thursday, April 6 - 8:00 PM jewishorovalley.com/5426671
Chabad of Vail
First Seder: Wednesday, April 5 - 7:00 PM JewishVailAZ.com/passover
Chabad of Sierra Vista
401 Suffolk Dr, Sierra Vista
First Seder: Wednesday, April 5 - 7:00 PM
Second Seder: Thursday, April 6 - 7:30 PM jewishsierravista.com/5860160
Additional information about the holiday is available at Chabad.org/Passover
Elyse Golob brushed the cool stones of the Kotel (Western Wall) with her fingertips this past month. She scrolled through the Tehillim (Psalms) app on her iPhone and stopped at Chapter 22. A montage of her life played through her mind; the childhood years in Far Rockaway, the religious years in Lakewood, the career years in New York City, and the retirement years in Tucson, AZ.
Until today, everything had seemed fragmented - like scattered puzzle pieces belonging to sets that didn’t match. But right here, at the sacred remnant of the Holy Temple, everything fit perfectly.
Elyse was raised in a Conservative Jewish home in Far Rockaway, and attended
Talmud Torah and Jewish summer camps. As a truth-seeking teenager in the 60’s, she experienced a burgeoning interest in her Jewish roots. Thirsting to discover life’s meaning, she found an Orthodox Jewish couple who helped guide her Jewish journey.
In 1969, she found herself on a trip to the holy land of Israel. “The Rebbetzin asked me to do two things while in Israel,” Elyse recalls. “To eat kosher food, and to say Tehillim. She gave me a little book of my own.” The trip was eye-opening, and it strengthened her connection to Judaism. She threw herself into Jewish studies at a girls seminary the following year. It wasn’t long before she married a Jewish man who had also recently become religious. The pair moved to the religious hub of
Lakewood, New Jersey.
Though the marriage was flawed, Elyse was absorbed in raising her five children in the early years. “Then, when my youngest daughter was two,” she says, “I went back to college through a distance learning program and completed a bachelor’s degree.” She continued with her studies earning a Master’s degree and completing a Ph.D. program in Urban Planning.
By 1993, her marriage had become unbearable, and Elyse and her husband decided to divorce. She moved to the South Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope and worked as Vice President of Research and Policy for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. She later entered the academic realm, working for a
study abroad program sponsored by Boston University.
Around that time, Elyse’s son became engaged to a girl from South Africa, and the wedding took place in Israel. This was a very different trip to The Holy Land for her. “I went to Israel with my mother and two daughters,” says Elyse. “But at that point, I wanted nothing to do with Judaism.”
Her son’s new in-laws were less than accepting. Elyse returned from the trip with a bitter feeling. Shortly after that trip, she met and married her current husband. Elyse and her husband moved to Ithaca, New York where Elyse took a position at Cornell. But then, an opportunity opened at the University of
A recent trip to Israel provided professor Elyse Golob with healing and understanding
Arizona. “It was 60 degrees in the winter!” she exclaims – she jumped at the chance.
For eight years, she worked as Executive Director for the National Center for Border Security and Immigration, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In that role, she conducted and supervised innovative research in border security, immigration policy and crossborder trade. She loved it in Arizona and retired here, ready to have more time for visiting her children and for leisure.
But when the Covid pandemic hit, minor stressors turned into major anxiety for her. “I felt a lot of despair,” she recalls. She asked her daughter, “Do you have any positive podcasts or classes for me to listen to?” Her daughter suggested podcasts by Rabbi YY Jacobson, a renowned lecturer and Torah scholar. Those podcasts moved her on a deep level.
Reflecting on her life, she remembered how precious Judaism had originally been to her. Before Rosh Hashana of 2022, Elyse tuned in to a live class given by Rabbi Jacobson, who is based in Monsey, NY. At the end of the class, Elyse asked: “Rabbi, I had been religious for twenty years, but I left because of a difficult family situation. I thought all this was long ago in my past, but something is opening up in me. I don’t know where to go from here.”
Rabbi Jacobson read the question out loud and then took a deep breath. Finally, he looked up at the screen. “Thank you so much for telling me this,” he said. “It means so much. I know it isn’t easy, so I suggest you take little steps. I recommend lighting Shabbos candles and giving tzedakah before you light. Listen to the voice inside of you. It will tell you what to do next.
Elyse was touched. “It was the first time anybody from the religious community provided empathy for what I went through.” Rabbi Jacobson offered to mentor her, and the two began to email back and forth. Elyse began lighting the Shabbat candles, and has been lighting them on Friday before sunset ever since.
She decided to put up mezuzot on the doors of her home. She contacted Rabbi
Rami Bigelman of Chabad on River in Tucson and explained that she had six door frames that required a mezuzah.
“You’re in luck,” Rabbi Bigelman replied, “because I have exactly six mezuzot in inventory that are still at the pre-Covid price.” Rabbi Bigelman then personally went over to her house to hang them up with a blessing.
With Passover fast approaching, Rabbi Bigelman invited Elyse to join his family for Seder night.” But my husband’s not Jewish,” Elyse said. “Let him come too!” the Chabad rabbi replied without hesitation. Elyse hadn’t attended a Seder in twenty-five years, and the thought filled her with anxiety. But once there, the songs and traditions of the Seder felt to her like coming home again.
A few months later, Elyse felt open to a new Jewish commitment. Checking her email, the most recent message announced a trip to Israel with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin of Chabad Tucson. “This is hashgacha protis (divine providence)!” Elyse thought.
She called Rabbi Ceitlin and explained that she was interested in the trip but was worried because her previous trip to Israel had felt soul-crushing. The rabbi allayed her fears, and feeling his warmth, openness, and receptivity, Elyse signed up for the Land of Spirit - JLI Israel Experience this past March. “And what I felt in Israel this time,” she says, “was wonderful. Chabad took care of us and provided warmth and acceptance.” Together with people of all backgrounds, she visited Jerusalem, Caesarea, Safed, Tel Aviv, the Gaza border, Rachel’s Tomb and Hebron, among other sites. This time, the connection was deep and affirming.
Although Elyse had lost the book of Tehillim given to her by the rebbetzin of her youth, she recited the words of King David, which were downloaded to her phone. “This time,” she says, “coming back to Israel connected me with how I felt as a teenager. It healed the hurt and pain of not being accepted during my second trip. I felt a closeness to Hashem. It all came full circle.” Elyse’s feelings of doubt were replaced by a sense of completeness and healing. This Passover, she is ready to celebrate with a full heart.
Passover (Pesach) is celebrated by Jews every year, commemorating the anniversary of our miraculous Exodus from Egyptian slavery, as told in the Bible. Passover 2023 is from April 5 to April 13, 2023.
Before the holiday:
A main component of the holiday is the prohibition from possessing and eating chametz - food or drink made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt, or their derivatives because it is leavened or fermented. Examples are breakfast cereals, licorice, most candy bars, pasta, vinegar, beer and whiskey.
In the run-up to the holiday, we clean our homes, offices, and vehicles, purging them of all crumbs and small pieces of food. We take all the chametz -both food and utensils used throughout the year (and not koshered for Passover)- and store it all away in closets or rooms that get locked or taped off. The chametz is temporarily sold to a non-Jew (often via a competent rabbisee form below).
There are many kosher-for-Passover packaged foods available - generally labeled as such. Of course, raw ingredients like washed fruits and vegetables are all kosher for Passover.
On the evening of April 4, we search our homes for chametz. The custom is to hide ten pieces of carefully wrapped bread around the house, in case we don’t find actual chametz (which is a good thing). It is a way for the kids to go on a treasure hunt of sorts, as they get into the spirit of the holiday.
On the morning of April 5, we burn the chametz that was found during the search, and all other chametz that isn’t stored away to be sold to the non-Jew.
First days of the holiday:
On the first two nights of Passover, Wednesday and Thursday nights (April 5 and 6), we conduct a Seder. More about the Seder is covered in a separate article, but the Passover table is usually set with our most beautiful tableware.
Before the Seder on the second night, we begin Sefirat Haomer, the counting of the 49 days between the holiday of our freedom (Passover) and the holiday of receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai (Shavuot).
Middle of the holiday:
The first two days of Passover this year lead right into Shabbat (April 8). Since you’ll be having three days in a row of either Shabbat or holiday, make sure to shop, cook, and otherwise prepare enough food to last for three festive days. (A process known as an eruv tavshilin should be done on Wednesday afternoon to permit cooking on Thursday and Friday).
Passover is eight days long. The first two days and last two days are full-fledged festival days, and the middle four days are Chol Hamoed, “intermediate” festival days. We use electricity but try to work as little as possible. Many families find Chol Hamoed a perfect time for fun family outings. On these days, parks, museums and zoos are often full of Jewish families enjoying the holiday.
The final days of Passover - Tuesday night, April 11 to Thursday night, April 13 this year, are celebrated as holidays, capping the weeklong celebration that begins with the first Seder. In Hebrew, the last two days are known as Shvii shel Pesach (Seventh of Passover) and Acharon shel Pesach (Last of Passover), respectively.
Like other holidays, we do no work, other than certain acts connected to food preparation, we recite holiday prayers, and women and girls light candles on the eve of both days.
During the morning services of the eighth day, Yizkor memorial prayers are recited for departed relatives.
On the final day of Passover, we strive for the highest level of freedom, and focus on the Final Redemption. Following the Baal Shem Tov’s custom, we end Passover with “Moshiach’s Feast” — a festive meal complete with matzah and four cups of wine, during which we celebrate the imminent arrival of the Messiah. The feast begins before sunset and continues until after nightfall.
After the holiday:
Nightfall on Thursday is the official end of Passover. Wait an hour to give the rabbi enough time to buy back your chametz before eating it. But once the time has elapsed, a meal with bread never tasted so good.
Tuesday,April 4 Search for chametz after 7:12 PM
Wednesday,April 5 - Eve of Passover Eat chametz by 10:16 AM Burn chametz by 11:14 AM Light candles at 6:29 PM First Seder night
Thursday,April 6First day of Passover Light candles after 7:24 PM Begin counting Omer Second Seder night
Friday,April 7Second day of Passover Light candles at 6:30 PM
Tuesday,April 11 Light candles at 6:33 PM
Wednesday,April 12Seventh day of Passover Light candles after 7:29 PM
Thursday,April 13Eighth day of Passover Holiday ends at 7:30 PM
I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Yossie Shemtov to act on my behalf to sell all chametz and mixtures thereof possessed by me. Rabbi Shemtov has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein. This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.
Full name: _____________________________________
Address/es: ____________________________________
Signature:
Fill and mail this out to Chabad Tucson - 2443 E 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719. You can also fill it out online at ChabadTucson.com/chametz
The Seder is the ceremonial Passover meal that includes reading, drinking 4 cups of wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions. Celebrated on Wednesday and Thursday, April 5 and 6, after nightfall, it marks the anniversary of our people’s miraculous Exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago.
Recite kiddush over the first cup of wine (or grape juice if needed), with the Seder plate and holiday candles nearby. While drinking the four cups of wine or eating matzah, we recline (lean to the left) as a sign of freedom and luxury.
Ritually wash your hands (as before eating bread), but without reciting a blessing.
Eat a small piece of vegetable dipped in salt water. Dipped appetizers were a practice of royalty, hence a sign of freedom, whereas salt water evokes the tears of our enslaved ancestors.
Break the middle matzah in half. Put aside the larger half to be eaten at the end of the meal (Step 12—afikoman); reinsert the smaller half between the two whole matzahs; it is the symbolic “bread of poverty” over which we retell the story of the Exodus.
Some appoint children as afikoman guardians, suspending it over their shoulders—reminiscent of the unleavened dough that accompanied our ancestors from Egypt, “bundled in their robes upon their shoulders” (Exodus 12:34). Others hide the afikoman and reward the child who finds it.
5. Magid - TELL
Pour the second cup of wine. If there are children present, they pose the Four Questions to the adults. If not, the adults pose them to each other. Those who are celebrating alone pose them aloud to themselves.
In response, read the Haggadah’s narrative of the Exodus that incorporates history, textual analysis, prayers, and songs. At the conclusion of this step, drink the second cup of wine.
6. Rachtsah - WASH
Wash your hands ritually and recite the blessing that concludes with “al netilat yadayim.”
7. Motzi - BRING FORTH
In preparation for eating the matzah, touch the three matzahs and recite the blessing Hamotzi —”Blessed are You G-d... who brings forth bread from the earth.” Proceed immediately to the next step.
8. Matzah - UNLEAVENED BREAD
Touch the top two matzahs and recite tonight’s unique blessing over “the eating
of matzah.” Eat a piece from each of them. Matzah reminds us of the dough our ancestors prepared but couldn’t wait for it to rise due to the hurried Exodus.
9. Maror - BITTERNESS
Recite the blessing over the maror, bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness of slavery. Before eating, dip it in charoset— the paste resembling the mortar used by our ancestors in forced labor.
10. Korech - RAP
Dip a second portion of bitter herbs in charoset and place it between two pieces of matzah (use the bottom matzah) to create a matzah-maror sandwich.
11. Shulchan Orech - SET TABLE
Enjoy a festive meal. It is customary to begin with the egg from the seder plate. Many serve fish, soup and meat during the meal.
12. Tsafun - HIDDEN
Retrieve and eat the afikoman (see step 4), which represents the original afikoman (“dessert”) eaten at the end of the seder meal— the meat of the Passover lamb.
13. Berach - BLESS
Recite the Haggadah’s “Grace After Meal” over the third cup of wine, and then drink the wine.
14. Hallel - PRAISE
Pour the fourth cup of wine and a fifth one (that isn’t consumed) for Elijah the Prophet, who will herald our future, ultimate Redemption. Elija is greeted as we open the door with 2 candles and recite “Vehi “She’amda.”
Recite the Hallel (psalms of praise) to thank G-d for the miracles of the Exodus.
15. Nirtzah - ACCEPTED
Having fulfilled the Seder’s steps as prescribed, we are confident that G-d accepts our performance. In conclusion, we joyously proclaim: “Next Year in Jerusalem!”
We asked members of the “Kosher in Tucson” group on Facebook how they made their charoset on the Passover Seders, as the ingredients vary between communities, family customs and personal taste.
Charoset, from the Hebrew “cheres-clay,” is a paste that resembles the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they toiled for Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. It is used to dip the Matzah and maror. Some enjoy it later as a spread and even a yogurt topping.
Here are some of the answers we received:
Aaron Greenberg: Makes about 20 servings;
5 Apples (the kids like Fuji)
1 cup Dates-chopped for sweetness
1 cup of Red Wine (I like it dry)
1.25 cups Walnuts-chopped
2 tsps Cinnamon
Irene Stern Friedman: I mix apples, walnuts, a small amount of pecans, raisins, cinnamon, sugar, and Manischewitz Concord grape wine or grape juice, depending on who the guests are.
Avi Rovinsky: Apples, ground almonds, Kedem wine and cinnamon.
Deb Siegel: I add dried apricots to step outside of the box.
Madeline Friedman: Apples, walnuts, cinnamon and Manischewitz concord wine - just the way
my bubbe made it. It tastes best the second Seder.
Evelyn Sigafus:
I make it the way my mom made it: grated apple, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, a bisel sugar, and red wine/juice. I’m Ashkenazi.
Cathy Libman Olswing: Mix of sweet and tart apples, pecans, sweet red wine, and cinnamon.
Marvin Hankin:
Tart apples, dates, sweet red wine, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, and mashed bananas.
Israel Pickholtz: Apples and walnuts (chopped not mashed), cinnamon and kiddush wine.
Hallie Bongar White: We add a bisselah honey to the chopped apples, red wine, dates and walnuts (or pecans).
Lisa Schachter-Brooks: I do dates, figs, apricots, raisins and toasted almonds and pecans with a tiny bit of juice to get it mixing.
Robyn Schwager: Dried fruit (whatever you can find kosher for Passover), nuts (your favorite ones) and honey.
Phyllis Braun: I make a Persian version with dried fruits including apricots and dates, several types of nuts, apple, pear, orange, fresh ginger, cinnamon and a bit of juice.
By Feigie Ceitlin
INGREDIENTS:
3 onions
Kosher salt
Dry red wine
2nd cut brisket
DIRECTIONS:
Thinly slice one onion and place at the bottom of pan.
Dice up the other two onions and saute in a pan until golden.
Place the meat into the pan.
Pour about half a bottle of red wine over the meat.
Sprinkle heavily with kosher salt.
Place the sauteed onions over the top of the meat.
Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven at 325 degrees, about 3-4 hours depending on the size.
*
The blessing: Shehakol
Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam shehakol nihiyah bed’varo. Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be.
Enjoy!
It is well documented in the no-longersecret archives of the KGB that the Soviets were against all religions. But they were particularly intolerant of Torah-observant Jews. During World War II, Soviet Russia waged its great battles not only against the Nazis from without, but also against the Jews within.
In those dismal years, observing Shabbat, blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, learning Torah, baking matzah and celebrating Passover put those who did so in imminent danger of being marked counter-revolutionaries guilty of treason and sent to forced labor camps.
Yet there were diehard souls devoted to Yiddishkeit—my Uncle Chatche and Aunt Pesia among them—who continued to live a Torah life within Communist Russia despite the danger.
In their little house, in a suburb of Moscow, my uncle and aunt baked matzah.
My memory holds a picture of Aunt Pesia, a flowery kerchief covering her hair, standing in front of the table, while Uncle Chatche— face framed by his grey-streaked beard and a black yarmulke on his head—stood in front of the heated brick oven. She rolled
the dough, he caught it on a spade and put it on the coil. And, lo and behold, out of the oven came a crisp, delicious matzah. To me, that was a miracle of Heaven!
When Passover arrived, my father, aunt, uncle, and all us children had a secret Seder with matzah, wine, and the Four Questions.
But as the Nazis advanced toward Moscow, the danger from German airplanes flying closer and closer to our home city increased, and so, along with other families with young children, we were evacuated to Siberia. And to Siberia, Father brought a matzah, which he hid in a tightly laced pillowcase.
The day before Passover, Father, a widower, had to go to work, and we three children waited out the long day in our Siberian home—a shack devoid of heat, running water, and food.
The tightly tied pillowcase, with the crispy crumbly matzah inside it, sat on the table, beckoning temptingly.
At some point in the afternoon, finally succumbing to hunger and temptation,
three small figures slowly approached the table.
We knew we couldn’t eat the matzah, but surely touching it would be OK. At first, we just touched the pillowcase lightly, feeling its ridges and holes. But then, like a little demolition crew, working with our fingers and hands through the fabric of the pillowcase, we broke the matzah into pieces, then smaller pieces, and then smaller and smaller yet, and finally almost into crumbs.
“No harm done,” we said to ourselves, to justify our deed. “The matzah is still there; we didn’t eat it.”
I don’t remember the exact feel of the matzah crumbling in my hands, but I can tell you this: That matzah, separated from us with just a thin sheet of fabric, inspired our imagination. We talked about what it would be like to actually bite into this crunchy, tasty food and not be hungry anymore. Then we began to dream of the end of the war, when the world would become good again, and how it would feel if our very room would be filled with white bread from floor to ceiling, or if we had a houseful of bread, or better yet a big building entirely filled with bread.
We would start at the door, eat our way through the whole building, and finally be sated.
Later, when Father came home, he brought potatoes in his sack. Was he angry about the crumbled matzah? I ask myself today, but I don’t remember. He cooked the potatoes in the small pot we had, and then he made a Seder, giving each of us a taste of the matzah crumbs.
And oh, what a Seder that was! With a song and a smile. In my memory, everyone in my family was happy that night. The potatoes from Father’s sack helped, but it was the crumbled matzah out of the pillowcase that really stood us by. It quenched our hunger not only for food, but for a holiday, and for gladness.
At the end of the Seder, Father sang Chad Gadya softly with a smile. And for that small pocket of time, we felt safe and satisfied.
Every day during the month of Iyar, we observe the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer, or counting the Omer. This mitzvah begins on the second day of Passover and continues until the eve of Shavuot. The counting is practiced daily after nightfall with some counting from a Siddur (prayer book), while others rely on a mobile app to assist them.
The counting of the 49 days corresponds to the time when, in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, an “omer” or measure of barley was offered each day during this seven-week period. “You shall count … from the day that you brought the omer as a wave offering,” the Torah instructs us in Leviticus 23:15. We continue the tradition of counting even after the Temple’s destruction.
What is unique about this mitzvah is that each day is equal in importance. Counting each one is necessary for the days that proceeded and the days that will follow. Each day contributes to the totality of the counting and carries a significance of its own. Kabbalists even offer a meditation that focuses on 49 inner traits and qualities to reflect on each day.
“This seven-week period is not an ordinary one,” explains Rabbi Simon Jacobson, author of “Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer.” “This counting expresses a Jew’s eager anticipation of receiving the Torah on Shavuot, 49 days after experiencing the liberation of Passover. This period is a time of personal refinement and introspection in
preparation for receiving the Torah.” You would think that once the Jewish nation was liberated from slavery in Egypt, their new status would suffice (“Dayeinu,” as we say at the Seder). But G-d made it clear that we should never be spiritually satisfied. “When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship G-d on this mountain,” the verse reads (Exodus 3:12). We always strive for new heights.
This approach to emotional development and spiritual growth is perfectly encapsulated in the Yiddish motto attributed to Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn, the fourth Rebbe of the ChabadLubavitch known as the Maharash (1834-1882). He said, “Tzi az gut iz gut – iz besser nit besser?” (If good is good, would better not be better?)
Everyone and everything on this earth can be perfected. Things deteriorate and people slack off from time to time. It’s our nature. In fact, even a Torah scroll must be checked by a scribe from time to time to make sure all of its letters are intact.
The Omer period reminds us of that need, to go from strength to strength in our faith and practice of it. And for that matter, we can always look more broadly at communal activities and institutions and ask ourselves, “If good is good, would better not be better?”
It is a Mitzvah called Sefirat HaOmer (“Counting of the Omer”) to count the days between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The counting this year will begin in the evening of the on the second night of Passover - Thursday, April 6 and ends in the evening of Thursday, May 24.
Each individual should count the days of the omer by himself and herself, for the Torah states: “And you shall count for yourselves.” This mitzvah is applicable today even though the Holy Temple no longer stands and we no longer bring the omer offering.
Every night, after dark, say the following blessing, and then count the proper day:
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has made us holy with His Commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Then we count the day saying: “Today is one day (or two days, or three days, etc.) of the Omer.”
It is customary that following the counting of the omer, one recites Psalm 67, for according to tradition that psalm has forty nine words, corresponding to the days of the omer
Passover, the first Jewish holiday, celebrates our people’s miraculous exodus from Egypt. Led by Moses and Aaron, our ancestors witnessed G‑d bringing 10 plagues upon our Egyptian slavemasters before leaving for freedom. Before G‑d split the sea for his nascent nation, He said: “For the way you have seen Egypt is [only] today, [but] you shall no longer continue to see them for eternity.” Several hundred years later some Jews did come back and even became idolators, but they were not (as G‑d promised) ever again in Egypt as slaves.
Following the destruction of the First Holy Temple, a small, humble Jewish
By Menachem Posner
community remained in the Holy Land, governed by Gedaliah ben Achikam. After Gedaliah and many other Jews were murdered at a Rosh Hashanah feast, the community was in tatters. Some migrated to Egypt, where they hoped to escape famine and war. The Prophet Jeremiah warned them not to go, but they went nonetheless. Even after they settled there, Jeremiah continued to castigate the people for leaving the Holy Land and for serving idols in Egypt.
During the Second Temple period, around the time of the Chanukah story, when Egypt was the center of the Alexandrian Greek empire, it was home to a significant Jewish community.
Under the leadership of a priest named Chonyo (Onias), they even built a large temple, which they saw as a parallel to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Chonyo’s temple was not, however, sacred. In fact, the Mishnah states that any priest who served in Chonyo’s temple was not allowed to serve in Jerusalem, just like priests who served idols.
By order of King Ptolemy, the Jews living in Egypt translated the Torah into Greek. The Sages say that day was as terrible for the People of Israel as the day that the Golden Calf was made, because the Torah was unable to be translated adequately.
The Talmud describes an opulent synagogue in Alexandria, which could
contain many thousands of worshippers who sat according to profession. It was so large that it was impossible for everyone to hear the cantor. One person was thus designated to stand on the bimah (platform) in the center of the column‑ lined sanctuary and raise a handkerchief whenever it was time to say “amen.”
Tragically the entire congregation was killed—a punishment, the Talmud tells us, for resettling in Egypt.
In the post‑Temple era, two great centers of Jewish scholarship arose—one in the Holy Land and the other in Babylon—each of which eventually produced a Talmud. In Egypt, there were representatives of both.
Cairo’s famous Ben Ezra synagogue was originally frequented by Jews who followed the (now defunct) Jerusalemite tradition. One feature of the Jerusalemite tradition is finishing the Torah over three years instead of in an annual cycle. The globetrotting Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela (12th century) records that the Jerusalemites of Cairo had a longstanding tradition of joining together with the Babylonian Jews, who were completing the Torah on that day, for a joint prayer service.
7. Saadia Gaon Battled Karaites There
The great Rabbi Saadia Gaon was born in the Egyptian Faiyum region in the late 9th century. At the age of 23, he defended Jewish tradition and opposed the Karaites, who rejected rabbinic teachings in favor of their own original interpretations of Scripture. They forced him to leave Egypt and he went to the Holy Land and then to Babylon. He was one of the great leaders and teachers in Jewish history, who rendered the entire Torah into flowing Arabic, and whose teachings and traditions remain central to Judaism today.
8. Maimonides Was Nagid Moses Maimonides, the great Spanishborn philosopher, scholar, and leader, lived in Cairo, where he served as nagid (leader of the community) and personal physician to Sultan Saladin. Under his influence, Jewish observance was enhanced and Jewish precepts were taught in a way that many could appreciate and incorporate, including repentant former Karaites.
9. Most Egyptian Jews TodayAre Sephardim
In the wake of the Catholic persecution of Jews in the Iberian Peninsula, which culminated with the Spanish expulsion of 1492 and the Portuguese expulsion of 1496, Spanish Jews (Sephardim) streamed into the relative tolerance of Muslim Arabia and North Africa, including Egypt.
10. TheArizal Grew Up There
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), known Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), known as the Arizal, was among the most celebrated Kabbalists. Orphaned at the age of 8, he was raised by his maternal uncle, Rabbi Mordechai Francis of Alexandria. In Egypt, he studied under
Rabbi Betzalel Ashkenazi, the author of the Shita Mikubetzet, and Spanish-born Rabbi David ibn Zimra, known as the RaDBaZ. Yet much of his learning was done alone, in solitude, on the banks of the Nile River.
11. European Jews Came at the Turn of the 20th Century
With Europe becoming increasingly hostile to Jews, and the Suez Canal opening up many new business opportunities, European Jews, including Ashkenazim, joined the ranks of Egyptian Jews. The Ashkenazi community temporarily swelled during World War I, when the Ottomans expelled many Jews without Turkish citizenship from the Holy Land.
12.AlmostAll Left in the Late 40s and 50s
As Zionist activity accelerated in Mandatory Palestine, it became increasingly dangerous for Jews in Egypt. Discriminatory laws were enacted, homes and synagogues were attacked, and life was unbearable. A significant portion of the community fled shortly after the Israeli War of Independence, in which Egypt fought against the Jewish forces. By the end of the 1950s, most Egyptian Jews had been expelled. Today, there are less than a dozen officially recognized Jews living in Egypt. The synagogues have crumbled or become museums, the Jewish schools are devoid of Jewish children, and the 2,500-year-old Jewish community in Egypt has all but disappeared.
13. ThereAre Egyptian JewsAll Over the World
A significant portion of Egypt’s Jews immigrated to Israel, and many others scattered to Europe, North America, and South America, enriching Jewish communities with their unique traditions and culture.
14. They Observe ‘El Tawhid’on the First of Nissan
On the first day of Nissan, two weeks before Passover when we celebrate the Exodus, Jews of Egyptian descent gather for Seder El Tawhid (“Unification”). This nighttime gathering includes reading from Torah and Psalms and the recitation of El Tawhid, a Literary Arabic text that tells of the greatness of G-d and His kindness to His people.
When I was a kid, I always wondered how the whole children-hiding-the-afikoman during the Passover Seder custom is even fair. The father knows every corner of the house, there’s nowhere he can’t reach, and he’s been a kid once. Plus, he had the afikoman to begin with. How did he even lose it to the kids?
And now, as an adult, I realize that it’s actually not fair to the parents.
The father can reach all the high places, but he can’t reach all the low places, especially after a huge meal, not to mention the two cups of wine and a shot-glass full of marror that are not getting along. And the kids had all year to think up a hiding spot, and he has until midnight to figure it out. And if he holds onto the matzah in the first place and doesn’t let the kids grab it, he’s the bad guy. And he bought the matzah in the first place! He earned the money, and matzah is not cheap. Let these kids earn their present!
“Look, I’m going to sit on it and not get up. If you can make it disappear from under me, you deserve the prize. I’m too tired. I just cleaned the entire house, multiple times. Just last night, Mommy hid ten pieces of bread, and I had to look for them. And tonight you’re hiding one piece of matzah and I have to look in all those same places again? Why am I always the one looking? I’m not even good at it! Last night I only found 9 pieces, and Mommy negotiated for a necklace.”
So some parents make rules. That’s one benefit to being a parent – you get to make the rules. When my wife was growing up, her parents had a rule that the afikoman had to be in a lit room. And the only lit rooms were the living room, dining room, and kitchen, all of which my father-in-law could see from his seat. When I was growing up, my parents didn’t
he ever finds is because my mother tells him where it is. His strength is that he’s more of a negotiator. So he’d sit there and bargain with my sister down to get us small presents, and then she’d get up and retrieve it. So one year, I told her where to hide it, and then I snuck away from the table and hid it somewhere else.
And the negotiations used to take hours. I’m pretty sure, looking back, that my father was trying to teach us how to negotiate, but it didn’t take. My negotiation skills are nonexistent. When someone calls me about a writing job (I’m a writer), I’m always like, “I charge X, but I can really do less.” They don’t even have to say anything. I’m very eager to please.
For the first few years of being a father, I had a seriously unfair advantage. I wanted to be an easygoing father who would get his 3-year-old an afikoman present without negotiating, but there’s nowhere he could have hid it that I wouldn’t find it. I was a reigning champion who had never had my afikoman found once – even the year I hid it right under the table. So I basically had to spend a few years pretending to look for it but purposely not finding it, especially the years that we spent the Seder at my in-laws. And the year that my kids hid it on a high shelf—Well, high for them. It was directly parallel to my face.
But now my kids are old enough to make it harder for me, and they’ve gotten to asking for things that are over our price range. “Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll put it together with tomorrow night’s present.”
have any rules. Well, actually, my father had one rule: We could hide it wherever we wanted, but he wouldn’t get up to look for it. I don’t know why I kept forgetting this. I was sure I had memories of a father looking for the afikoman. It must have been someone else’s father.
So as the oldest, I used to come up with all these increasingly-elaborate hiding spots,
and my father did not once get up and look. And then I would come up with something even more elaborate the next year.
For example, one year my strategy was to hide it in my bedroom at the bottom of a suit bag hanging in my closet. There is no way in a million years that he would have found that by midnight. He wasn’t even good at looking for things. Everything
And my wife goes, “Hey! Who says you get to steal it again tomorrow night?”
My wife wants to steal it tomorrow night. Sure, you can say that officially the afikoman custom is about keeping the kids awake, but maybe you also want to keep your wife awake. She’s been running nonstop. And anyway, we generally have a harder time getting the kids to go to sleep.
1. I am the evil king whose downfall is celebrated at the Seder
A. Achashverosh
B. Antiochus
C. Pharaoh
D. King Tut
2. I’m the hero of the Exodus whose name is mentioned just once in the Haggadah
A. Moses
B. Aaron
C. Miriam
D. Izzy Finkelstein
3. I ask a blunt question and “get my teeth blunted”
A. The wise son
B. The wicked son
C. The simple son
D. The son who does not ask
4. I’m the only food on the Seder plate that isn’t eaten
A. The beitzah (“egg”)
B. The zeroa (“shankbonbe”)
C. The charoset (“paste”)
D. The marror (“bitter herb”)
5. I ask the Four Questions aloud
A. The Seder leader
B. The eldest member of the group
C. The child
D. The greatest scholar present
6. We spent an entire Seder night expounding on the story of Exodus
A. Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua, Elazar, Akiva, Tarfon
B. Rabbis Hillel, Joshua, Shammai, Akiva, Tarfon
C. Rabbis Shmuel, Joshua, Elazar, Akiva, Tarfon
D. Rabbis Gamliel, Joshua, Judah, Akiva, Tarfon
7. I composed the mnemonic for the 10 plagues (DeTzaCh ADaSh BeAChaV)
A. The Maggid
B. Rabbi Judah
C. Maimonides
D. Rav Shmuel
8. I wrapped Passover lamb, matzah and bitter herbs all together
A. Hillel
B. Korach
C. Moses
D. Pesach
9. I must see myself as having literally left Egypt
A. The Jews who live in Israel
B. Everyone who experienced a miracle
C. The authors of the Haggadah
D. Every Jew in every generation
10. There is a cup set for me at every Seder table in the world
A. Elijah the Prophet
B. Pesach the Seder Mentch
C. Uncle Arnold, who always leaves early
D. Elisha the Prophet
When the Jewish people finally left Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. They didn’t know what to do. The Egyptians were chasing them from behind and a deep sea was right in front of them. They were trapped! But then G‑d performed a miracle: He told Moses to hold his stick over the water, and miraculously the water parted and the Jewish people were able to walk through on dry land.
You will need:
1 Sturdy shoebox
Blue paint and brush
Mod‑Podge and a sponge brush
Light blue, light brown, and green tissue paper
Sand
Small plastic shot glasses
Character printouts and markers (or plain paper and draw the characters yourself)
Scissors
Tape
Twine or ribbon
Tag
Zip‑top bag
Directions:
1. Select a sturdy shoebox. Ours is light blue. Cut along the corner edges as shown. Paint the 2 longer sides dark blue.
2. Cut strips of light blue tissue paper into waves by cutting rounds into the top. Apply Mod‑Podge over the painted area and place tissue paper across both sides. Apply a generous coating of Mod‑Podge to seal the tissue paper.
3. Cut off the short edges of the shoebox. Generously coat the middle section with Mod‑Podge and place brown tissue paper down the center. Trim any excess so it fits the center of the box. Apply another coat of Mod Podge and pour sand onto the tissue paper. Shake off excess.
4. Cut out green tissue paper for seaweed and affix to the sides of the box using ModPodge under and on top of the paper. Print out and color some fish pictures and add to sides. Color Moses and tape onto a shot glass.
5. Print and color more people and affix to shot glasses with tape. You can make as many as you want! Your kids can play with the figurines and have them cross the Red Sea over and over again.
6. Wrap the box with twine. A zip‑top bag holds all the figurines.
“Haggadah Who Am I?”
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