Messenger Adar II—Nissan 5779
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Volume 160 Number 8 The Temple of Loving - Kindness April, 2019 Messenger Adar II—Nissan 5779 Temple Hesed, 1 Knox Road, Scranton, PA 18505 This Year’s Fundraiser will be a Real Drag If you’re looking for a great Are Here Again/Get Happy” Saturday night out in night out April 27, just drag and the not-to-miss grand Scranton! yourself to Temple Hesed medley finale (you'll have for a spectacular night of to see it to believe it)! Tickets: camp and nostalgia. The Anns are funny and $20 — Advanced General Special points of interest: Carol Ann Carol Ann and talented and bring a fierce Admission Tickets Sharron Ann Husbands star $25 — At the Door • New time for chanting circle. and campy energy to the in Callaway-We-Go, a spec- room that leaves you want- $50 — VIP Tickets Gets You • Adult Education classes tacular drag concert event. ing so much more! Preferred Seating & two You won't want to miss Drinks! • Food History seeing these two queens, Drag yourself out April 27 who have roots in NEPA, for a night of fun and fabu- Call (570) 344-7201 for portray the Tony-nominated lousness! tickets and reservations. sisters, Liz & Ann Hampton Doors open at 7 p.m.. Callaway. Drag Shows are infinitely Showtime at 8 p.m. more fun than a typical This recrea- tion of The Callaways' historic 1995 Inside this issue: show “Sibling Revelry” fea- tures songs Donations 2 such as “Happy Days Rabbinical Reflections 3 Co-President’s column 4 2nd Night Community Seder – April 20th, 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to Our Seder will be $18/ Calendar 5 join us for our annual adult and $12/child. Community 2nd Night Se- Everyone is welcome to der, on Saturday, April 20th Yahrzeits 6 join us as we explore the at 5:30 p.m. deeper meaning of free- URJ/RAC News 9 We’ll have the standbys of dom through story, song, brisket and matzah ball and symbols. Congregation Information Back soup, as well as a variety Page of delicious side dishes courtesy of Wegman’s! Page 2 Messenger BUILDING FUND TORAH RESTORATION FUND Donations to Temple In Honor of the Yahrzeit of Speedy recovery wishes to Rita Pincus Lenny Feinman Hesed The Davis Family Esther Adelman Arlene and Norman Gevant- hor In Honor of the Yahrzeit of father, William Katz Sharon Katz Levy In Honor of the Yahrzeit of Jake Slawitsky Janet Slawitsky In Memory of Laurence Da- vidow Call the Temple F. Warren Breig, Jr. Make Us An Offer office at (570) 344-7201 to In Honor of the Yahrzeit of For Any Item in the Gift donate or for Abraham Cornfield more Martha and Phil Fea Shop! Information. Jason Fea and Family Jennie Tutku and Family The minimum Bill Cornfield and Family donation that Don’t Delay! can be MILTON AND MIRIAM FRIED- acknowledged MAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND Don’t Be Shy! by mail and in Name Your Price! the Messenger is In Memory of Laurence Da- vidow $10. Jim and Paula Kane Dealers Welcome! Major credit or RELIGIOUS SCHOOL debit cards In Memory of Jay Leiman, accepted. beloved father and grandfa- ther Shop Tues.—Fri. During Carol and Paul Leiman and family Office Hours Volume 160 Number 8 Page 3 Rabbinical Reflections A Field Guide to Passover According to some surveys, and also showing the links be- theme here? Passover ob- By Rabbi more Jews celebrate Passover tween Passover customs and servance has always evolved (Pesach in Hebrew, which basi- Roman customs of the same and changed, and at Temple Daniel J. cally means “skip over,” as in a time; parsley or some other Hesed, it continues to do so). Swartz, lamb jumping over something – green, a symbol of the season The number four probably was apparently “Jumpover” or of spring; and either one or two settled on in the end to harmo- Spiritual “Skipover” didn’t convey the places for different bitter herbs, nize with the four cups and the Leader, importance of the day) than any symbolizing the bitterness of four children. They are teaching Temple other Jewish holiday. At the slavery. Nowadays, other sym- devices, designed first to in- same time, over the course of bols have been added for vari- volve children in the ritual and Hesed, my rabbinate, I’ve found people ous other struggles and search- then to pique their curiosity, by have more confusion over and es for redemption, such as or- having them notice what’s dif- get attached to the Seder simp- questions about the details of anges or olives. What’s on your ferent without immediately giv- ly because they were meant to Passover than any other holi- Seder plate? ing answers. But, from the be- be entertaining, especially for day. So instead of my usual ginning, they were meant to be children. There are lengthy mini essay, this month I want to a minimum level of questions – explanations given in some do a FAQ or “field guide” to we are always supposed to ask Why Four Cups of Wine: Haggadah about how some some Passover symbols, rituals more questions than the formu- hidden symbolism behind the and customs. Of course, I can’t In the Haggadah, the explana- laic four. song relates to the Passover cover everything here, so feel tion for the four cups is that story, but it’s all a post facto free to ask me whatever addi- each one stands for a different explanation that tries to create tional questions you have, or to redemptive promise associated What the purpose of the Afi- a connection, rather than some- come to our community Seder with the Passover story, all re- thing that explains a connection th komen: on Saturday, April 20 , and lated one right after the other in that’s really there. So you have all your questions an- Exodus 6:6-7 and all about The Afikomen (actually based should feel free to substitute swered! different aspects of the exodus. on a Greek word, though there other songs that involve every- The fifth cup, which is set aside is some debate as to which one! for Elijah instead of us drinking Greek word and whether that What’s on the Seder Plate: it, is connected with a fifth word means “dessert” [the ex- promise that appears after an planation of the Babylonian We tend to think of the symbols intervening sentence, wherein Talmud] or “entertainment” [the Was the Last Supper a Seder: on the Seder plate as always God promises to “bring you into Jerusalem Talmud’s answer]) Understandably, I get this ques- having been the same – but the land which I swore to give” has several purposes. First of tion more from non- they have evolved over time, as to our ancestors. So the rabbis all, it’s a stand-in for the Passo- congregants, but sometimes have all our Passover customs. debated, is this a connected ver sacrifice, which was offered Temple members pass on this For example, horseradish didn’t promise deserving of a fifth cup, in the Temple in Jerusalem question from their friends. The start appearing on there until or unrelated? And has this when it stood. Second, the short answer is no. The Seder th the 14 century – and then, it promise really been fulfilled? search for the Afikomen is a began to be developed after the was only supposed to be an They also debate if four cups or way to keep children involved destruction of the Second Tem- inferior substitute for bitter five cups are more likely to and entertained. But it also has ple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E., lettuce, which was often una- bring good or bad luck. In the more mystical connotations, when the Passover sacrifice vailable in early spring to our end, they can’t resolve the symbolized the broken nature could no longer be offered. It ancestors who kept moving question – and one of Elijah’s of the world and how we are probably drew off of pre-existing eastward and northward, into roles is resolve all unanswered called to heal it, and how each family customs, some of which the colder climes of Poland, questions. Thus, it becomes of us has a share in both the might have already been Ukraine, and Russia. Today, Elijah’s cup. work of healing and the re- around when Jesus was alive most Seder plates have either demption that can come At Temple Hesed, we have also generations earlier, but the vast five or six (an arrangement that through it. bulk of what we do during the appealed to the mystics, be- adopted the custom of Miriam’s Cup, reminding us of Moses’ Seder – including the Seder cause, with the plate itself, it plate, the four questions, and made for 7 ritual items) ritual prophetic sister, her role in our redemption, and her connection What’s the Connection between the four cups of wine – comes foods: charoset, a sweet mix- Who Knows One or Had Gadya ture symbolizing how the Israel- to water, with which her cup is and Passover? ite slaves were supposed to filled . make bricks from mud; a lamb In short, there really isn’t any. shank, reminding us of the While some Passover songs, lamb’s blood painted onto the What’s with the Four Questions: such as Dayenu, were clearly Rabbi Daniel J. Swartz doorpost so the Destroyer developed for the Seder, most would “pass over” our houses; There weren’t four questions of the songs we sing at the end an egg symbolizing new birth originally (do you detect a have non-Passover origins and Page 4 Messenger BETTER TO HAVE IT AND NOT NEED IT THAN TO NEED IT AND NOT HAVE IT Co-President’s Page ecumenical prayer vigils Since I am always cold, By Esther to show support for the These measures are on- this has been my mantra Jewish community.