Why we break the matzah at Passover

Of all the holidays on the liturgical calendar, Passover, which began at sunset Wednesday, has the highest percentage of participation by Jews worldwide-even more than Rosh Hashonah, Yom Kippur or Chanukah.

Why? Most likely because it is home based, with a focus on the family, sitting around the dinner table. Prior to the meal being served, a Seder is conducted,which is the orderly retelling of the Exodus story using narrative readings, song and symbolic foods.

Early on the leader takes a whole matzah, the flat unleavened bread and breaks it in two, taking one piece and hiding it, to be found by the children later and eaten at the end of the proceedings. Usually the stated reason is that this keeps the youngsters interested as the evening unfolds. However, not surprisingly, over the millennia, many explanations have been proffered for this ritual.

One is that it helps remind us of those who have to face food insecurity . A hungry and poor person, when in possession of something to eat, will often break off a bit to save for later, not knowing when their next sustenance might be available. Therefore this act is an experiential prompt for us to remember to come to the aid of those in need.

Another is to ensure that although we are joyfully celebrating together with loved ones, we ought to be mindful of those who have shattered lives, and broken hearts. As we split the matzah in half, it is a stark reminder to work to bring people whose worlds have been torn apart in different ways, back to wholeness. Indeed this important message is further underscored by the requirement to locate the missing matzah so it can be returned to the table. It’s a clear metaphor. We ought to make the effort to seek out individuals who need us to bring them back--to physical or emotional good health, or reunited with their families, and to hopefully be reconnected to the community.

The overarching theme of Passover is to be grateful for our liberation . But freedom does not only mean that we can do whatever we want. It also allows us to have the means and the ability and therefore the obligation to take care of the ones who are not yet free from whatever has enslaved them--be it poverty, addiction, or mental illness.

As Spring signals renewal, and many faiths celebrate various holidays, let us recall and be inspired by the broken matzah, and usher in a season of striving to make all lives whole again.

Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El of Long Beach.

Puck drops for Hagen

The City of Long Beach partnered with the FDNY Hockey Team Fundraiser Series in honor of Gerrin Hagen and the G2H Foundation this past weekend. More than a thousand people attended the event which featured hockey games between members of the Long Beach community, the Nassau County Police Department, the FDNY and the Mississauga Ontario Fire Department. In true Long Beach fashion, the community rallied for a wonderful family and an even better cause. It was truly a special fundraising event.