From the Rabbi's Desk - April/Nissan

We are just a few weeks away from Passover. Susan and I are excited to be sharing the first seder with our congregation at Shalimar Point Golf Club. Because Passover begins on a Saturday night this year it was my suggestion that we gather for the first seder and alter the Temple Beth Shalom tradition of a community seder on the second night. This way there would be no worries about having to get up early for work or school the next day.

I recently found a picture of my parents at the Temple Beth Shalom seder in the Spring of 1994. They were so excited to come to the place that I had been serving as the student rabbi, and they were anxious to meet some of the people about whom I had talked about so fondly. They were warmly welcomed and so impressed with the community. Like their son, they too fell in love with the beauty of the Gulf and the white powdery sand.

My mother is in the process of moving from her home of 55 years to a senior community. I suggested that she make a return appearance to Fort Walton Beach once we are unpacked and settled in our new house. Though coming for Passover this year is not in the cards for her, perhaps she will join us for another holiday this year. I will be heading to New Hampshire this Spring to help her with that transition.

It was the incredible transition of our people that is the essence of the Passover story. Coming to know freedom from the grips of Pharoah, our ancestors escaped with matzah in hand to begin a new life. From the moment the exodus occurred the Israelites were commanded, from the Almighty, never to forget the horrors of slavery, and to retell the story each year. Like them, we too are commanded to remember the story, and in the telling we consider anew those who still are enslaved or bound in some way, and what our obligations are to them.

Like so many Jewish holidays, we gather to express our gratitude and to reflect on the values of our faith and to eat. What must we eat? Every Jew must taste matzah and maror (bitter herbs), on Pesach. The seder has evolved to include the traditions of karpas and charoset too. Food is such an important part of the holiday, not only to eliminate chametz from our diets, but for all the wonderful treats we add. For my wife, matzah brei is a blessing. Not so much for this rabbi. I look forward to the Passover popovers that I have been eating since I was a child. I even included a few of my favorite Pesach recipes in our bulletin.

Services for the 7th day of Passover will be held on Shabbat morning, Saturday, April 19th. This will include Yizkor, the prayers that we offer for our beloved departed. We last held a Yizkor service on October 12th, the afternoon of Yom Kippur. Please join us for holiday services. Some Jews observe 7 days of Passover, and some observe 8 days, but whatever is your tradition, remember that Pesach is a celebration that does not end at the seder. Susan and I will be hosting a Kosher for Passover lunch following services.

Beginning on the second night of Passover, we start counting the days until Shavuot. This is known as the period of the Omer. Originally this was the period between the spring barley harvest and the early summer wheat harvest. Our sages came to teach that these seven weeks were the period from the exodus to the receipt of the 10 commandments at Sinai.

These 49 days are a chance to reflect and to grow. We will be offering a special blessing at services throughout this period for the Omer. I also share with you that lunch and learn on Wednesdays at 12 noon will take a hiatus from Mussar study during these 7 weeks. We will focus on reflections for the period of the Omer using Rabbi Karen Kedar’s wonderful book, “Omer: A Counting.” It is a beautiful book available on Amazon.

With my best wishes for a joyous Passover,

Rabbi