Happy Passover From the officers of The Carnegie Shul Dr. Larry Block, President

Rick D’Loss, First Vice President

Dr. Paul Spivak, Second Vice President

Joel Roteman, Treasurer

Elaine Rosenfield, Secretary

Board Members Rosalyn Hoffman, Irwin Norvitch, Wendy

Panizzi, Michael Roteman, and Marcia

Steinberger

A Moral Compass They are words from a Chanukah song to be

sure, but they are so apropos to Passover that I

hope you won’t object to my using them here:

“Who can retell the things that befell us, who

can count them?”

We all know that the Passover seder is a

mitzvah we are called upon to perform every

year – to retell the story of our ancestors’

bondage as slaves in Egypt and the miracle of

their deliverance from slavery. We retell the

story of Pharaoh as he hardened his heart,

refusing to let the Jewish people go. We retell

the plagues that were inflicted upon the people

of Egypt including the final plague, the killing of

the first born. We retell the story of the

departure from Egypt, and the pursuit of the

Israelites by Pharaoh’s chariots, and we retell

the incredible miracle of the parting of the Red

Sea to allow the Israelites to pass to safety

while Pharaoh’s pursuing legions drown in the

Sea as the waters close to consume them.

But the remainder of the story, as told in the

Book of Exodus, contains many other things

that befell them as the Children of Israel

wandered through the dessert for forty years

before, finally, a whole new generation of Jews,

free from the slave mentality that sometimes

caused their parents to doubt the very God who

had so miraculously delivered them, was

permitted to cross over into the promised land.

It was a tumultuous

forty years of

wandering, but

along the way

through the

wilderness, the

greatest miracle of

all was to take place

– the gift to the

Jewish people of the

Torah and the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai,

for here in these incredible gifts from God, is

the moral compass that can lead anyone to a

better, more fulfilling, way of life.

Just as our forefathers sometimes lost their way

in the wilderness, doing things like building a

golden calf and rebelling against Moses, so does

each and every one of us sometimes lose our

way in our tumultuous journey through life.

But God has given us the moral compass, the

road map that will always lead us back down

the correct path. The Torah and the Ten

Commandments are always there to guide you

home if you should go astray. They are our true

deliverance.

President’s Message From Dr. Larry Block

In Tablet recently, Yishai Schwartz asked, "Can

we still be the People of the Book in the Age of

Twitter?" He continues to note that our

national culture as Jews could not be more

different than the torrent of frenzied pettiness

that now consumes so many of us.

Our tradition embraces the Torah and

subsequent texts such as the Talmud and the

myriad commentaries that have become part of

our heritage over the millennia since our people

left Egypt over 3,400 years ago. When we recite

the Shema, in the morning and in the evening

each day, we acknowledge that we are to teach

these words… and speak of them when we sit in

our houses, when we walk upon the road, when

we lie down, and when we rise up. In effect, we

are to meditate on them day and night.

Schwartz says, "One cannot meditate in 140

characters…" nor can one "wrestle with ideas in

accordance with the 24-hour news cycle. The

pundit has replaced the sage. Everyone is

talking; few are learning."

Soon, the holiday of Passover will be upon us,

reminding us of our obligation to learn by

retelling the story of our liberation from the

bonds of slavery in Egypt and subjecting the

text to close scrutiny. In order to fulfill that

obligation, we need to revisit the pages of the

Torah — specifically, the Book of Exodus — to

reacquaint ourselves with our beginnings. We

need to be reminded of the miracles that G-d

wrought for us in Egypt and in the wilderness as

we ultimately escaped the grasp of Pharaoh and

came to Sinai to collectively witness the

revelation of the Aseres HaDibros (the ten

utterances) and the Torah. Eventually, after 40

years of wandering in the wilderness, we came

to the Promised Land. Perhaps all of us undergo

our own 40-year period of wandering in the

wilderness in the effort to understand our own

Jewishness, i.e., our beliefs and traditions. The

Passover seders offer us an opportunity to

return to our heritage and confront it directly.

Every part of the Seder is replete with meaning

and significance. It is our obligation to question

each aspect of the Seder, thereby increasing our

understanding and appreciation of our heritage,

and to convey this to our children and

grandchildren.

My best wishes to all of you and your families

and friends for a joyous Passover holiday (1st

Seder, Monday evening, April 10; 2nd Seder,

Tuesday evening, April 11). And, don't forget to

come to shul on the 1st two days of Passover

(Tuesday, April 11; Wednesday, April 12) and

the last two days of Passover (Monday, April 17;

Tuesday, April 18); remember, the Yizkor

memorial service is held on the 8th day of

Passover (April 18). Your attendance at shul on

those days would be very much appreciated —

and it's a mitzvah to help make a minyan!

Dayenu We all love to sing the song Dayenu at Passover.

It is a song that reminds us of many things that

God has given us, things like the Torah and the

Sabbath, and for each one we sing the chorus

“dayenu,” which means, quite simply, “That

would have been enough.”

And yet sometimes, in our daily lives, nothing

seems to be enough for any of us. We never

seem to be satisfied.

Now, I am not saying that it is bad to want more

in life. We all work hard to get a better life for

ourselves and for our children, but when do we

say, “enough is enough”?

What happens to us when greed rears its ugly

head? When do we do real harm to ourselves

by not being content with what we already

have? Why do some of us put the pursuit of

material things ahead of our spouses, our

children and our friends? Why does there

sometimes appear to be never enough time to

get things done?

Why does a ballplayer making $18 million a year

uproot a family and move to another city

because there is a chance to earn $20 million?

How much money do you really need? Why

isn’t $18 million enough?

Why does the CEO of a corporation make $25

million a year, while his employees have to go

on strike to make minimum wage?

Why do we often want more, more, more for

ourselves, when others need to beg just to get

by?

Dayenu does not have to be just the words to a

song we sing on Pesach. It does not have to be

something that applies only to miracles from

God. It can also apply to our everyday lives.

Passover might be a good time for each of us to

take a step back from the rat race of life and to

really look at all of our blessings in order to

determine when enough is enough and when

we have obtained Dayenu.

Five Stanzas of Leaving Slavery

1) If He had brought us out of Egypt. Dayenu 2) If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians. Dayenu 3) If He had executed justice upon their gods. Dayenu 4) If He had slain their first-born. Dayenu 5) If He had given to us their health and wealth. Dayenu

Five Stanzas of Miracles

6) If He had split the sea for us. Dayenu 7) If He had led us through on dry land. Dayenu 8) If He had drowned our oppressors. Dayenu 9) If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years. Dayenu 10) If He had fed us manna. Dayenu

Five Stanzas of Being With God

11) If He had given us Shabbat. Dayenu

12) If He had led us to Mount Sinai. Dayenu

13) If He had given us the Torah. Dayenu

14) If He had brought us into the Land of Israel.

Dayenu

15) If He built the Temple for us. Dayenu

The Five Sons In our Hagaddahs, we read

about the Four Sons,

the wise son, the

wicked son, the

evil son, and the

one who does

not know to

ask. But

Rebecca Rubenstein, writing in aish.com, says

there is also a fifth son. Here is an excerpt from

her article, which was originally published in

April, 2003:

You can look at the four sons as four generations of Jews in America today. The first generation of eastern European Jewry who emigrated to America at the turn of the century are represented by the Wise Son. This is the Jew who grew up with a strong connection to the Jewish way of life. It is inconceivable for him to think of working on Shabbat. He would work from Monday to Friday, observe Shabbat and get fired for not coming to work, and look for other employment the next week. He knows

why Judaism is important. His commitment is unshakable.

His son, the second generation, is represented in the Wicked Son. This is the rebel who wants to succeed in his new life and take on Western values. Although he has grown up in a home full of Jewish values and an integrated Jewish life, he rejects this in favor of integrating into Western society and becoming accepted as the new American.

His son, the third generation, is represented by the Simple Son. This child has spent Seder nights at his grandparents' table, has seen his grandmother light the Shabbat candles. He has a spattering of knowledge picked up at Hebrew school, but he doesn't know the meaning behind any of the symbols and is not very motivated to go beyond what he sees.

His son, the fourth generation, is represented in the "One who doesn't know how to ask." This child does not have memories of his great grandparents. He celebrates the American holidays and other than knowing that he is a Jew, has no connection whatsoever to Judaism. He sits at a traditional Seder night and does not even know what to ask because it is all so foreign to him.

Today there is a fifth son, who is off in India or out at the movies on Seder night, not even aware that Passover exists. Anyone sitting at the Seder table is still connected to the Jewish people and heritage just by being there. We just need to get him curious and interested enough to ask a question that interests him and you can open the door for him.

Do you know a fifth son? He may be your own

son or he may be the son of a friend. If you

know one, perhaps you can invite him to your

seder where he can start down the road to

wisdom.

The Seder Plate One thing that is common to every seder table

is the seder plate. You can buy one made in

Israel. You can buy a very fancy and expensive

one. You can use a very simple plate. It doesn’t

matter what kind of plate is used. What does

matter is what you put on the plate.

The items to be included on the seder plate are

defined in you Hagaddah, but still, some people

use slight variations. For example, Eastern

European Jews are apt to use boiled potatoes

instead of fresh green vegetables as karpas.

Here is an article from dummies.com discussing

the traditional items that are placed upon the

seder plate:

Seder plate: The seder plate (there’s usually one per table) holds at least six of the ritual items that are talked about during the seder: the shankbone, karpas, chazeret, charoset, maror, and egg. While the booming seder plate industry would like you to buy a beautiful, ornate, and expensive plate, you can use any plate. If you have kids, get them involved by decorating a paper plate with pictures of the events or things the seder foods symbolize.

Roasted lamb shankbone: One of the most striking symbols of Passover is the roasted lamb shankbone (called zeroah), which commemorates the paschal (lamb) sacrifice made the night the ancient Hebrews fled Egypt. Some people say it symbolizes the outstretched arm of God (the Hebrew word zeroah can mean “arm”). If you don’t like the idea of a bone sitting on your table, you may consider using a roasted beet instead. (That’s what vegetarians usually do.) This isn’t a new idea; the great Biblical and Talmudic commentator Rashi suggested it back in the eleventh century.

Roasted egg: The roasted egg (baytsah) is a symbol in many different cultures, usually signifying springtime and renewal. Here it stands in place of one of the sacrificial offerings which was performed in the days of the Second Temple. Another popular interpretation is that the egg is like the Jewish people: the hotter you make it for them, the tougher they get. This egg isn’t even eaten during the meal; the shell just needs to look really roasted.

Maror (“bitter herb”): Any bitter herb will work, though horseradish is the most common. Bitter herbs bring tears to the eyes and recall the bitterness of slavery. The seder refers to the slavery in Egypt, but people are called to look at their own bitter enslavements, whether addiction or habit.

Charoset: There’s nothing further from maror than charoset (“kha-ROH-set”), that sweet salad of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon that represents the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks.

Karpas: Karpas is a green vegetable, usually parsley (though any spring green will do). While karpas may symbolize the freshness of spring, others say people eat it to make them feel like nobility or aristocracy. Some families still use boiled potatoes for karpas, continuing a tradition from Eastern Europe

where it was difficult to obtain fresh green vegetables.

Chazeret: The chazeret (“khah-ZER-et”) is a second bitter herb, most often romaine lettuce, but people also use the leafy greens of a horseradish or carrot plant. The symbolism is the same as that of maror.

Salt water: Salt water symbolizes the tears and sweat of enslavement, though paradoxically, it’s also a symbol for purity, springtime, and the sea, the mother of all life. Often a single bowl of salt water sits on the table into which each person dips their karpas during the seder. Then, it’s traditional to begin the actual seder meal with each person eating a hardboiled egg (not the roasted egg!) dipped in the bowl of salt water.

Matzah: Perhaps the most important symbol on the seder table is a plate that has a stack of three pieces of matzah (unleavened bread) on it. The matzot (that’s plural for matzah) are typically covered with a cloth. People have come up with numerous interpretations for the three matzot. Some say they represent the Kohen class (the Jewish priests in ancient times), the Levis (who supported the priests), and the Israelites (the rest of the Jews). What symbolism you attribute to this trinity isn’t all that important, as long as you’re thinking about it.

During the struggles of Soviet Jewry, a fourth piece of matzah was added to the seder plate to symbolize the struggles of Jews who were not yet free enough to celebrate the Passover. Today, some families still use that fourth matzah as a way of remembering all people who are not yet free to celebrate as they wish.

Wine cups and wine (or grape juice): Everyone at the seder has a (usually very small) cup or glass from which they drink four cups of wine. Traditionally, the four cups represent the four biblical promises of redemption: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you from their slavery, and I will redeem you

with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people . . .” Others say the four cups represent the four letters in the unspeakable Name of God.

Some of the symbols aren’t eaten, such as the roasted lamb shankbone and the roasted egg. However, when it comes time to eat the karpas, the charoset, and the other symbols, different families have different traditions. Some eat the symbols from the seder plate; others give each person their own mini-seder plate to eat from; at larger events, these items may be served family style, with large bowls being passed around so that people can serve themselves.

Passover Memories When I was a little kid growing up, we always went to my bubba and zayde’s house for Passover. Sadly, my memories of these Passovers are not that great. We had to get all dresssed up, and in those days that meant putting on a starched white shirt, which I hated, and a wool suit, which was scratchy.

The seder seemed very, very, very long, and even a child dared not talk during the seder. The highlights were my bubbe’s gefilte fish, homemade and delicious, and, of course, the hunt for the afikomen.

We also had the “children’s model seder” at our shul, Parkway Jewish Center, and that was something that I absolutely looked forward to.

As I got a little older, there was a period of time when I was the youngest boy at the seder, and it was I who got to sing the four questions, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was proud of my progress in Hebrew school, and everyone made a big fuss about my delivery.

Now, as an adult, it is I who conducts the family

seder every year. We usually have about a

dozen or so people in attendance and I truly

enjoy leading these seders. My wife, Ellen, is a

fantastic cook, and the meal is always

exceptional.

But the highlight for me is that when I Iead the

seder I feel a special connection with my Jewish

heritage and I really feel that I, too, am being

freed from bondage.

And now, with my son living in Israel, when I

say, “Next year in Jerusalem,” at the end of the

seder, I have a very special reason to hope that

next year’s seder may actually be in Jerusalem.

As you prepare for your seder this year, why not

take a moment or two to reflect upon some of

your own favorite Passover memories?

Passover Humor The Passover seder is a very serious event.

After all, we are retelling the story of our

ancestors’ bondage in Egypt and their

miraculous deliverance from slavery.

But not only are we retelling that story, we are

also celebrating that miracle of deliverance. So

why not add a little humor to the celebration.

Here are some Passover related jokes that will,

hopefully, add a few chuckles to your evening:

Q: What do you call someone who derives

pleasure from the bread of affliction?

A: A matzochist.

A small group of leading medical people have

published data that indicates that Seder

participants should NOT partake of both

chopped liver and charoses. This combination

can lead to Charoses of the Liver.

A blind man is sitting on a park bench. A Rabbi

sits down next to him. The Rabbi is chomping on

a piece of matzoh. Taking pity on the blind man,

he breaks off a piece and gives it to the man.

Several minutes later, the blind man turns, taps

the Rabbi on the shoulder and asks, "Who wrote

this?!!"

This is a little known tale of how G-d came to

give the Jews the Ten Commandments.

G-d first went to the Egyptians and asked them if

they would like a commandment. "What's a

commandment?" they asked. "Well, it's like,

THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,"

replied G-d. The Egyptians thought about it and

then said, "No way, that would ruin our

weekends."

So then G-d went to the Assyrians and asked

them if they would like a commandment. They

also asked, "What's a commandment?" "Well,"

said G-d, "It's like, THOU SHALT NOT STEAL."

The Assyrians immediately replied, "No way.

That would ruin our economy."

So finally G-d went to the Jews and asked them

if they wanted a commandment. They asked,

"How much?" G-d said, "They're free."

The Jews said, "Great! We'll take TEN!"

A British Jew is waiting in line to be knighted by

the Queen. He is to kneel in front of her and

recite a sentence in Latin when she taps him on

the shoulders with her sword. However, when

his turn comes, he panics in the excitement of

the moment and forgets the Latin. Then, thinking

fast, he recites the only other sentence he

knows in a foreign language, which he

remembers from the Passover seder:

"Ma nishtana ha layla ha zeh mi kol ha laylot."

Puzzled, Her Majesty turns to her advisor and

whispers, "Why is this knight different from all

other knights?"

A little boy once returned home from Hebrew

school and his father asked, "What did you learn

today?"

He answered, "The Rabbi told us how Moses led

the children of Israel out of Egypt."

"How?"

The boy said "Moses was a big strong man and

he beat Pharoah up. Then he got all the people

together and ran towards the sea. When he got

there, he had the Corps of Engineers build a

huge pontoon bridge. Once they got across,

they blew up the bridge while the Egyptians

were trying to cross."

The father was shocked. "Is that what the Rabbi

taught you?"

The boy replied, "No. But you'd never believe

the story he DID tell us!"

Passover Schedule Tuesday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 12 Services begin 9:20 am Monday, April 17 and Tuesday, April 18 Services begin 9:20 am Yizkor Tuesday, April 18 11 am