N I S S A N 5 7 8 1 | I S S U E N O . 2

T H E B E T H A M R E V I E W K O L A V I V

by Rona Behar Karp

Nissan 5781 TABLE OF C O N T E N T S

A Wartime Pesach Story 02 David Chudnow

Passover Moon 02 Donald Vanderweit

Alyse and Kurt: Chapter 2 03 Deborah F. Blum

Od Lo Dayanu 05 Rebecca Axelrod Vanderweit

Pesach in a Strange Land 06 Rabbi Susan Laemmle

Esser Macot 08 Reuven and Larry Herman

The Rebbes' All-Nighter 12 Debby Berman

The Gray Market Turkey 13 Annie Spar

Have We Been Led Back Into The 15 Egypt of Ignorance and Servitude Ed Elhaderi

17 Flip the Hustle Daniella Platt

Slaves of Modern Society 19 Jay Horowitz

I Survived the Ten Plagues of Egypt 21 Ariella Benor PAGE 2 TEMPLE BETH AM Nissan 5781

A Wartime Pesach Story Passover Moon B Y D A V I D C H U D N O W B Y D O N A L D V A N D E R W E I T

My father served in the army in World War 2. He was Oppressive moon! Cruel overseer! somewhat older than most of the other GI’s; he was Every night you glare down at me already married and had a baby daughter. Also, as I haul and dump buckets although he was already a practicing attorney in “Come clean me next!” you taunt. Milwaukee, the Army decided he would be better I scrub and mop suited to load and unload cargo and placed him in the No food in the house, my head pounds Port Battalion. A year’s worth of chametz to banish Cleaning room after room until He participated in D-Day on Omaha Beach. He I fall asleep, too tired to close the blinds recalled that while waiting on his LCVP to be off- You throw pebbles at my eyes all night loaded, he witnessed the officers ordering a young, Growing fuller as our time gets closer tall GI to act as a human depth-finder. The unfortunate fellow jumped off the ramp with full Finally all is in order pack and disappeared beneath the waves, never to be I shower and dress seen again. I recite and remember And feast. Later he was in Antwerp when the Nazis attacked in Then I open the door for Elijah, and see you the Battle of the Bulge, a truly terrible fight. Full and glorious, rising over my neighbor’s house Thankfully, he was ok and stayed in Antwerp for After all that, we meet as equals some months after the Nazis were defeated there and Me in my tie and jacket, ultimately surrendered in mid-1945. You resplendent in silver

Passover occurred that year on March 28, 1945. The Soon the guests will have gone, and I will finish my Allies scheduled a seder for the Jewish military in wine, Belgium which my father attended. What was notable And I will watch myself get fatter was that the Allies had Nazi POW’s acting as waiters while you slowly fade away in the seder and serving the Jewish GI’s. My father said it was quite strange to have people who only a short time before desired your total annihilation

serving you.

To remember this forcefully underscores the portion of the Haggadah which states, in every generation people rise against us to destroy us. Now more than ever we must be vigilant to protect ourselves and our values.

by Mike Reinis

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ALYSE AND KURT: CHAPTER 2 B Y D E B O R A H F . B L U M

Chapter 1 Recap: Alyse and Kurt met, married and “Who cares?” Kurt whispered. “They can’t do a travelled to Germany on a honeymoon. A visit from thing. You’re an American citizen.” the gestapo caused Alyse to take their wedding Did she and Kurt look so obviously Jewish? Or presents to a locker in the train station and plan an were the Germans wondering if they liked early departure with Kurt for the United States. Wagner? The whole concept of racial purity seems unscientific and ridiculous. The human Alyse’s eyes open when she hears water running race is one species; that’s what she learned at inside the washroom. It’s mid-March, 1938, and Northwestern University in Chicago. she and Kurt are staying with his parents in Stuttgart, Germany. She and Kurt married in She throws her legs over the side of the bed to October in Chicago. Then, Kurt’s parents sent start her morning routine. One, two, three - she them tickets to sail on the Ille de France, a swings her arms in wide circles. When they luxurious ocean liner, and “come for a visit,” as return to the U.S. – to Los Angeles – to start their they put it in their letter. new home, the weather will be warm and the sun will shine. She’s lived in Chicago forever it The first week spent skiing in Switzerland was seems, except one year spent studying dance in lovely. She worked hard to learn to ski, but her in- Hungary. She imagines Los Angeles full of laws looked down on her for being a “performer.” glamorous movie stars. She sees herself running They spent a week in the Swiss alps with her in- on the beach and dancing in the sand, as laws, and Kurt’s brother, wife and young son warmth sinks between her toes. from Paris. It was generous of the Nazis to allow Kurt’s parents a travel allowance. Strange place Kurt runs the razor over his cheeks. If his parents this “new” Germany. It’s cold outside and the don’t leave Germany soon, he might never see trees are bare, but under the down covers, it’s them again. Last night, the Gestapo questioned a warm. Jewish banker on the street until the poor man collapsed. Across the hall, Kurt shaves, lathers his shaving brush, wipes the suds over his cheeks. Alyse His father’s voice echoes down the hall. “Kurt? recalls the concert of Edwin Fischer they Are you awake?” attended when they first arrived, then compares it to last night’s performance of Wagner’s The Ring. The music sounded excellent, but people in the audience stared at them. PAGE 4 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

Sigmund, Kurt’s father, strides over and shakes Kurt leans on the basin, catching his breath. He Kurt’s hand. “Take care, my son. You are doing thinks of Los Angeles and all the different well in America. We’re proud of you.” languages spoken: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, even Yiddish. “Come soon,” Kurt says. “Everything is ready. Just

activate the papers at the Embassy…” Looking He became familiar with the city during the into his father’s eyes, he sees a man who fought years he spent working for Universal Pictures. in “The Great War,” who owns a factory and Each year in Spring, he traveled to the employs over twenty men and women, most of distribution offices on Vermont Avenue to pick whom are not Jewish. up his sales assignments. For three years, he travelled through Canada, Colorado, and the “Enough!” Kurt’s father raises his voice. Midwest selling Universal films. He knows every Alyse grabs her bag and they rush down the small theater from LA to Chicago. stairs. Out on the street, Alyse is almost crying. Kurt consoles her with a gentle kiss. They must The land, the freedom, the wide open spaces hurry. enchant him. He loves America’s promise of freedom. Immigrants can arrive with thick In the station, there are no gestapo, so they accents and winter coats, and gradually lose the breathe easier. They collect two suitcases from accent (though it never really goes away) and the lockers after exchanging the tickets for two then move to LA and lose the coat as well. keys. The cases contain their wedding present, Cold light fills the Stuttgart dining room. Alyse, solid silver table settings, and cash they are the Hungarian-American-Jewish performer, sips smuggling out for Kurt’s parents. “I wish we could coffee. A lamp sheds yellow light on the dark travel together, but it is safer this way,” Kurt says, wooden antiques. Outside, bare trees hide hugging his dear new wife. nothing.

“If they want to search you, show them your Kurt sees a police man stride by on the street American passport.” below, and eyes Alyse’s bag by the door as he Alyse nods. “See you in Basel.” She tilts her head enters the room. He whispers, “You have the and buttons her coat. locker tickets?” Alyse nods. “We better get going “Remember the code? If I call you at the train or we’ll miss our train.” station in Switzerland…” “Gretel had a boy means everything’s okay,” Alyse Kurt’s mother, Alice, hovers. “What about coffee?” recites. “Gretel had a girl means something is she asks, looking worried. wrong, and Cousin Gretel had twins means a big “It’s alright, Mother,” Kurt says, putting a hand on problem. This has nothing to do with the family his mother’s shoulder. “Alyse’s train leaves first. I’ll we’ll have, right?” get some at the train station.” He gives her a hug and grabs his coat. PAGE 5 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

“No!” Kurt laughs. “I love girls. I hope we have a girl. In fact, I hope we have two, but maybe not Alyse has a Protestant step-father, who is a doctor; twins; that will be hard for you.” He kisses her. her mother and biological father are Jewish. Her “Now go! And remember how much I love you!” mother believes in science. Her father is an inventor. Her mother went to Law School. What matters in Once I get across the border, I’ll be fine,” Alyse America is what you make of your life. mumbles, as she picks up the suitcases. She is She is a dancer. She can’t wait to dance in the sand. catching the Orient Express and Kurt will take a different train to Basel. The station master rings the bell. She feels a tug at her heart, heavier than both suitcases combined.

“Can’t we just travel together?” she says. Od Lo Dayanu “No,” Kurt says and lowers his voice. “We can use the silver and I can’t let the Germans get these By Rebecca Axelrod Vanderweit things. The money will help my parents, if they do leave …” If we shut down a human trafficking ring But don’t give young girls the right to an education It is not yet enough She strides off. He does not go to the platform with her. What would he say, if someone asked? If we elect an African American President That his American-born wife will escape But fathers must still give their sons “the talk” It is not yet enough Germany better alone? That might not go over too well with the Gestapo. If we develop a COVID vaccine But it is not available to all people in all countries, It is not yet enough On board the famed Orient Express, Alyse muses:

When will we cross the border? If we believe in freedom and speak of equality When will we be back in America? But do not act on our beliefs It will never be enough

Crossing the border means breathing freely again. Arriving in California after a boat ride and another train ride will mean true freedom. The good thing about America is that even if people fuss over what religion you are, the laws protect you. PAGE 6 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

by Hanna Keynan

Pesach in a This would be only my second stint at the head of the table, after years of preparing the meal and ritual foods. It felt like a lot to lead and handle the Strange Land food, on top of my studies, a synagogue internship, and parental responsibilities. My lists were ready, B Y R A B B I S U S A N L A E M M L E but my spirit was downtrodden, depriving me of natural energy. New York City may not seem like a “strange land,” but back then it was that to me, a The feel of snow flurries on my cheeks as I head Los Angeles girl who’d gone straight from parental out to the Upper West Side market for Pesach to marital home in her early twenties. Being far supplies remains crystal clear in my memory. It’s from family except for my children, I experienced April 1986, and I’m in my fourth year as a later-in- Pesach as a happening that my sense of Jewish life rabbinic student and my second as the divorced obligation had set before me. And then there was mother of two young adults. A half-dozen or so the late-lingering winter weather, which added friends from our Shabbat minyan will come to our gray harshness. First Seder. PAGE 7 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

B’chol zot (nonetheless), I put my shopping lists And to this day, when times are tough, a kind of into a backpack, found my rolling cart, and na’aseh v’nishmah operation can step in to help me prepared to head out to the market several blocks along. Largely through force of will, I engage in north on Broadway. Z’man Cheiruteinu (our time of little or larger acts of preparation — unpack the liberation) — surely not. Rather, something to push Pesach dishes or clean out the silverware drawer, myself toward out of responsibility and discipline. take out the Chanukah menorah or buy candles, find my favorite Hamentaschen or Honey Cake I remember trudging through the snow, being recipe. In the process, simple acts jumpstart my careful not to slip and fall, hoping I’d manage to inner life. I remember, and am remembered by, the finish by dark. Entering the market enclosed within tradition. myself, I was surprised to run into a Jewish reality that grabbed my attention and enlarged my vista: Of all the Morning Blessings, my favorite is Ha- Prominent displays of matzah and gefilte fish, noteyn l’ya-ef koach: Thanks be to Adonai for giving grape juice and kichel; and in the aisles, other strength to the weary. Back there in New York shoppers, including several I recognized from shul, years ago, God’s world arranged itself as to give me putting Passover items into their carts. My morale strength of spirit when I was displaced and weary. lifted as I checked items off my list, buying as much The crystal prism of that memory continues to light as my backpack and cart could handle. up Pesach and my life.

Back in our apartment, components of the upcoming Seder and pesachdik meals spilled onto Six Word Passover Memoirs the kitchen counters. Each ingredient pleased me with its rightness and potential. If they would play From mourning to “Good morning, their role in making Pesach happen for my family, Bubby” surely I could play mine. Sandra Braun

Kindness received; grateful. Move And I did. In the next days, I managed to cook and blessings forward. set-up (with my daughters’ help) while fulfilling Rachel Rubin Green other responsibilities. My energy expanded to fill

the needs of the hour, and I looked forward, even if Believed then thought; and still somewhat nervously, to the First Seder. We’d be thinking. including two new customs learned from Sephardic Larry Herman Rabbi Marc Angel: whipping one another with scallions while singing Dayenu and slinging the Plunging into Pesach: Desperation, bagged afikomen over our shoulders one by one Inspiration, Perspiration while asking “where do you come from?” and then Suzanne Morgen

“where are you going?” Those two steps are still part of the Antignas-Laemmle seder nearly thirty years later.

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ESSER MACOT The following aid to recall the Ten Plagues was written by Rav Raphael Akiva ben Pinchas, better known as the Rap Rav. The manuscript was discovered in Jerusalem by Reuven and Larry Herman in 1994.

צפרדע – Refrain (2) Frogs Esser Macot, Esser Macot, Blood didn’t work, The Egyptians were smote Paro thought it was a trick, with the Esser Macot. Just a bit of magic, They could run, Ol’ Aaron with his stick. They could hide, What’s next? We had God on our side, Listen here. And he kept ‘em comin’ What He did. until they cried: To make them fear. “Go on! Now Rashi says, Get outta here, “It was just one big frog,” Leave our fold, But he musta been sittin’ Take our silver, On a mighty big log. Take our gold.” This weren’t no Kermit Dam, Tzfardeah, Kinim, Arov, All cute and Green. Dever, Shchin, Barad, No, this Tzfardeah Arbeh, Choshech, Macat b‘Chorot. Was ugly and mean. To convince them of the power of The frog spit out smaller ones, God. The kids got frog flu. But ol’ Paro just said .Let ‘em eat frog stew דם – Blood (1) “This should get ‘em ready,” God gave a fair warning, Mini Refrain But Paro laughed at Moshe, כנים – So blood struck the next morning. (3) Lice The fish were lying Para got annoyed, he said, belly up in the mud, “I’m not hard hearted,” But they weren’t sunbathing, But he wouldn’t let us go, They died in the blood. Once the frogs departed. The Egyptians couldn’t drink, What’s next? There was panic everywhere, Listen here. They bought water from the Jews, What He did. Heck, what’d they care?! To make them fear. Since Paro hadn’t quit Mini Refrain With the froggy bit, Esser Macot, Esser Macot, Moshe didn’t tell him The Egyptians were smote That lice were gonna hit. with the Esser Macot ... PAGE 9 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

Aaron took his stick So Moshe said to Paro And hit the ground, “Here’s the info’mation The dust kicked up, There’ll be hoof ’n mouth tomorrow And swirled around. If you don’t free my nation.” The dust turned to lice, But Paro’s heart was rigid, On each creature did they linger, He wouldn’t heed advice, The sorcerers exclaimed, So horses, donkeys, goats ‘n sheep “This is God’s finger!” All had to pay the price. The hand of God struck every critter Mini Refrain ‘Cept those that dwelled in barns, And all the Hebrew cattle, .Which He vaccinat’d from harm ערוב – Wild Beasts (4) Those lice got Paro to really itchin’, And his Mitzrim had started bitchin’. שחין – Went down to the water to ease his (6) Boils pain, Paro said, “I can stand the heat. And there heard Moshe and the old You thought I’d yield ‘cuz ya took my refrain: meat. [Sing] Let my people go. But I ain’t budgin’, not one foot. What’s next? Hey, whatcha doing with all that soot?” Listen here. What’s next? What He did. Listen here. To make them fear. What He did. Wild beasties from land and seas To make them fear. Ate the crops and stripped the trees. Moshe tossed four hands of dust, While Paro looked on, in disgust, Those swarming herds caused a ‘Cause when it descended they began mighty commotion, to blister, Though not a one went into Goshen. Every Egyptian brother and sister. But among Mitzrim those beasts did Those boils covered every millimeter, roam, Of every man and remaining creature. And left their mess in each Egyptian’s The necromancers all conceded home. That they’d been bested, and so So Paro said, “Go do your service. retreated. But don’t go far ‘cuz it makes me nervous.” Mini Refrain

ברד – Mini Refrain (7) Hail Now Paro said, “I’m really ticked,” .While he sat and got his boils pricked דבר – Cattle Plague (5) Moshe said, “We got a deal. For this, he thought, would ease his Hashem will make those wild beasts pain, heel.” When up came Moshe once again, But before the Jews could start to pack, [Sing] Let my people go. What’s next? Paro said, “You stay here, Jack!” Listen here. What’s next? What He did. Listen here. To make them fear. What He did. To make them fear.

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“You think you’ve seen the hand of That wasn’t enough, that wasn’t kind. God? That wasn’t what God had in mind, I let you endure, I want you awed. So Moshe stretched out his hand, Why, you’ve not seen My little finger, And locusts ate grass throughout the And still you make My people linger.” land.

“Tomorrow morning you’ll see My ire, Mini Refrain When I throw down ice with fire. חושך – When Moshe stretches out his hand, (9) Darkness Huge hail will descend upon the land.” No greenery in fields remained. “Please forgive me!” Paro exclaimed. Fiery rain and killer thunder “Look, my land is completely bare.” Tore the fields of Mitzraim asunder. So God sent a west wind to clear the Only in Goshen were there no drops air. To smash the trees and destroy the What’s next? crops. Listen here. What He did. Mini Refrain To make them fear. ,Moshe stretched forth his hand ארבה – Locusts (8) Paro said, “OK, you win. And darkness fell upon the land. The hail did make me see my sin.” Black as coal and just as real, But once the heavens ceased to groan, A darkness they could even feel. Para’s heart returned to stone. One day, two days, then to three, What’s next? They couldn’t move nor could they Listen here. see. What He did. But in the dwellings of the Israelites To make them fear. There was no darkness, they had lights. God was mocking, God was taunting, Paro said, “Go, this is too much. And Paro’s nightmares grew more But leave your flocks and herds and haunting. such.” Paro was neither humble nor smart, Moshe said, “No, it’s all or none. So God still had to harden his heart. Just know the last plague won’t be fun.” “Send them out to serve Me. Yield! Or a locust swarm will wreck your Mini Refrain field. מכת בכורות – Your house will fill with flying bugs, (10) Death of First Born They’ll drape your walls and cover Paro said, “Go! But beware! your rugs.” You’ll die if see my face you dare.” Moshe said, “You’ve spoken true. His servants pleaded, “Let them go.” But that death you speak shall be for So Paro said, “I won’t say no. you.” But evil intent is upon your faces, So keep the kids here in their places.” What’s next? Listen here. What He did. To make them fear. PAGE 11 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

“One more plague,” the Holy One said, “Go on! “A plague of anguish and of dread. Get outta here, And when it’s done, such will be his fear, Leave oufold, That Paro will drive you out of here.” Take our silver, Take our gold.” ‘Round ‘bout midnight, they’ll hear the cry, As all their firstborn children die. Dam, Tzfardeah, Kinim, Arov, But B’nei Yisrael, man and beast, Dever, Shchin, Barad, God keeps safe, in the east. Arbeh, Choshech, Macat b‘Chorot. And so it came and so it went, To convince them of the power of God. The Angel of Death that the Holy One sent, And so on every Seder night Left each Egyptian broken hearted, We recall the plagues and the Egyptians’ plight. But passed over us, then we departed. We spill some drops from our libation, And then resume our celebration, Final Refrain of – our – liberation. Esser Macot, Esser Macot, Esser Macot, Esser Macot, The Egyptians were smote The Egyptians were smote with the Esser Macot. with the Esser Macot. They could run, They could hide, We had God on our side, And he kept ‘em comin’ until they cried:

Six Word Passover Memoirs Pandemic Seder Experience: Resistance, Insistence, Persistence

Israel: One year sabbatical. Made aliyah. Diane Herman

Cleaning Cooking Praying Eating Resting Cleaning. Anne Spar

As water flows, so do we. Deborah Blum

Loss Courage Truth Wisdom Strength Freedom Susan Mishler

PAGE 12 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781 T H E R E B B E S ' A L L - N I G H T E R

By Debby Berman

One of the most memorable anecdotes in the Haggadah tells us about five rabbis in B’nai B’rak who sat up all night discussing the story of the Exodus until their students came to remind them that it was time to recite the morning Shema. Fun! Who doesn’t love a long and stimulatingly deep, meaningful discussion among friends, especially when you are sitting together, in-person, face-to-face? I’m guessing the rebbes had compote, gourmet almond meal- chocolate chip macaroons, and a bottomless pot of freshly brewed coffee to keep them nourished and appropriately jumpy.

Their story gets me thinking about the last time I stayed up all night. It was not for a seder. It was for colonoscopy prep. And the time before that was after missing a connecting flight to Israel and re-booking while knowing that our much- anticipated vacation was being cut short and we’d be spending the long night in airport chairs. And the time before that was when my daughter was so sick that it only felt right to stay by her side, help her back to sleep, and listen to her breathe all night.

When was the last time you pulled an all-nighter? If you’re a teenager living through the Pandemic, it was probably very recent, maybe even last night! But is it really an all-nighter if you actually sleep all day and then stay up all night? Let’s define our terms: If you’ve shifted your body clock and become nocturnal, then you’re not pulling all-nighters. You are, instead, becoming akin to bats, raccoons, Dracula, and werewolves. Authoritatively, an all-nighter is when you’ve been active all day, and then stay up all night on top of it, say for the purpose of debating with your argumentative rabbi friends, or cramming to meet a deadline, or perhaps for a more tragic reason - like worrying about boils, blood, locusts or Covid rearranging - or even taking from you - your life.

This leads me back to the rebbes in B’nai B’rak. Was their all-nighter fun or tortured? The Exodus is a great topic to discuss all night: It contains 40+ years’ worth of material and takes up one-fifth of the best-selling book in the history of the world. (Moshe and the Israelites better hustle across that wilderness because Harry Potter is in hot pursuit.) Debates of late have caused fractures in our country, our communities, and perhaps in our homes, too. Were these rebbes inspired and still collegial by dawn? Or were they red-faced, agitated, and ready to go home and binge on matzah crack while complaining to the rebbetzin about how wrong Rabbi Tarfon was in thinking that the splitting of the Red Sea was metaphorical! “I’ll split Rabbi Tarfon’s lip! Let him see how metaphorical that is!!”

Thankfully, we are told that when morning comes, the rabbis’ students showed up and reminded them it was time for the Shema. Likely, they all davened and recited the Shema together. Whatever keeps you up at night, when morning comes, may you, like the story in the Haggadah goes, re-connect with those around you and reaffirm a faith in God. And, by all means, grab some hot coffee and matzah crack to sweeten the experience. PAGE 13 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

By Rona Behar Karp The Gray Market The Seders were on Monday and Tuesday night Turkey that year and on the Wednesday morning the week B Y A N N I E S P A R before my mobile phone rang. “Mrs. Spar?” The male British voice was very brusque. “This is

In the spring of 2007, we had been in London for Joseph from Menachem’s. I’m calling to tell you almost three years and we had a true community, a that you shouldn’t come to pick up your turkeys.” chosen family if you will. They were friends we had “Oh, will you deliver them?” I asked. made through our children, through my husband’s “No. Mrs. Spar. We don’t have a turkey for you, let office and friends of friends who we met because, alone two. We don’t have enough turkeys. I’m they, too, were making new lives in a new country. sorry.” And he hung up. Passover, always my favorite holiday, was shaping “But, but, but I have 29 people the first night and up to be a busy, crowded affair. My dad had flown 30 the second night.” I said to my silent phone. “I in from New York and our expat friends were ordered those turkeys a month ago!” What now? I coming, some with their families who were visiting had brisket in my freezer already done, but I from the States. And then we had the strays that planned on brisket and turkey for the main dishes; my husband Elon always managed to find: random there would definitely not enough brisket for close young single people living in London. to sixty people. PAGE 14 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

I called all of the other kosher butchers I knew, but Later that day I got the phone call from Michael I was way too late to get a turkey from anyone else. with instructions. I was to meet a driver in a white I called my husband, “Honey, honey, Elon.” I wasn’t Mercedes van at the Golders Green Tube Car Park yelling, exactly, but I was not speaking in a at 10:00am on Sunday morning. I told him I would telephone voice, either. be driving a blue Volvo station wagon. I was to “What is it? I’m busy, ” He barked. bring cash. Was this a Jewish John le Carré novel? “The butcher just called. They don’t have the two After that conversation I relaxed a little bit. It turkeys I ordered. We’re screwed.” I squeaked this seemed that my turkey troubles were not so bad out through held back tears. after all.

He wanted to know what, exactly, I meant by that Sunday morning my dad and I dropped the kids at statement, and by the time I finished explaining I the cheder for Hebrew School and off we went to was sobbing and shaking. I envisioned my guests find the Golders Green Tube stop. As we drove up each with one measly slice of brisket on their plate, the Finchley Road we began to wonder what we eyeing the platter with the few remaining slices to would encounter. Would the person delivering the see who might want more. Fistfight erupts over turkeys let us see his face? Would Dad need to be meager Passover dinner would be the headline in on the lookout? But on the lookout for what? Were the Jewish Journal. we doing something illegal?

Elon told me he’d call me back and hung up. I made We pulled into the lot and there, with empty spots a cup of tea and waited, sniveling, thinking about on either side, was a gleaming white Mercedes Van. alternative recipe possibilities. My Smeg oven was I pulled up on the right side and got out of the car. small; to prevent gridlock I intended to make my The driver came around meet me at to the back, turkey on the grill. “Mrs. Spar?” A few minutes later the phone rang again, “Hi “Yes, that’s me.” honey, I have Jason Mullem in the office with me.” “Two turkeys, eh?” His voice was gravelly from It was Elon calling me back. years of smoking and I could see the nicotine “Hi, Annie.” Jason’s north London accent came stains on his fingers and teeth. through even on my name. “Yes, please.” I had my wallet in my hand, ready to “Elon, I need a turkey. What’s Jason there for?” I hand over the cash. was not impressed. Elon explained, “His best friend growing up, He opened the back of his small truck and nodded Michael, is the shochet. The one who kills the to me to open the back of my Volvo. After turkey kosher. He’s going to get you two turkeys. depositing the turkeys in the boot of my car he We just spoke to him. Michael’s going to call you said, “That’ll be seventy quid.” He put out his hand, later today with instructions on how to get the and I fished in my wallet wondering if I was turkeys.” supposed to tip him. I handed him four twenty- “Really?” I was stunned. “Jason, thank you so much! pound notes. “Keep the change.” This is amazing. I really owe you.” “Oh no, Miss. I couldn’t do that, but thank you.” “Not at all, Annie, Hag Sameach.” And he handed me a ten-pound note back with a grin that was missing a couple of teeth on the left side. “Have a good holiday, Miss.” PAGE 15 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

He got back in his van. My dad, who had gotten out of the car and was standing guard next to me, shut the back of my station wagon and we went to drive home. After we had our seatbelts on but before I started the engine we cracked up. “We really needed trench coats and fedoras for that, didn’t we?” My dad sputtered. “This is what it must have felt like to get booze in Prohibition.” I turned on the engine, relieved and delighted. I imagined telling the story to our guests.

We drove home, cracking up over the adventure of the gray market turkeys. That holiday, the celebration of Passover with our London ‘family’

was particularly sweet. I had my own story, not of By Denise Berger an Exodus, but one for the books. It turns out that This work is called "The Treachery of Pesach Cleaning", one will go to great lengths to make a holiday just after Renè Magritte's "The Treachery of Images". A lot of right. Of course it doesn’t matter about the turkey, people hide not only chametz, but any images of it matters who is around the table and those chametz--for example a picture that shows people eating Seders, full of love, friendship and holiday joy, a sandwich. This adds to the already daunting task of could not have tasted better because we were all cleaning for Pesach. And just as with Margritte's painting the image of a thing is NOT the thing itself... together.

HAVE WE BEEN LED BACK INTO THE EGYPT OF IGNORANCE AND SERVITUDE?

By Ed Elhaderi

I used to celebrate and reason that our “liberation” is a permanent, non-reversible path of compassion and lovingkindness, but because my current dreams during sleep have been laced with nightmares, I have been forced to reassess my previous views on the idea of liberation being a non-reversible path. I wish it were otherwise.

I am not gifted with Joseph’s abilities to understand the hidden meanings of dreams. So, when I am awake, I go through the process of reasoning - of deciphering the good news from the bad news - of keeping in mind an optimist’s vision of the glass is always half full!

It feels to me that the events of the plague of Covid-19 is the reverse action of the Exodus, the moment when Moses parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked into freedom. Covid took away our freedom last year and we were all grasping for answers and looking for explanations.

I am going to share my thoughts using the prism of “B.C.” and “A.C.” - before and after Covid-19. B.C., I was liberated physically and mentally, due to my extreme good fortune and hard work on my own part, to be able to leave Tripoli and come to America, which was an against-all-odds accomplishment and dream! I was looking forward to being away from a closed, rigid and monolithic religious culture. So I immigrated 46 years ago to “America - The Greatest Nation on God’s Green Earth” – a “shining city upon a hill” where core American values such as individual freedom, liberty of expression, a compassionate and caring culture for all to pursue their dreams beckoned. PAGE 16 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781 I am going to share my thoughts using the prism of “B.C.” and “A.C.” - before and after Covid-19. B.C., I was liberated physically and mentally, due to my extreme good fortune and hard work on my own part, to be able to leave Tripoli and come to America, which was an against-all-odds accomplishment and dream! I was looking forward to being away from a closed, rigid and monolithic religious culture. So I immigrated 46 years ago to “America - The Greatest Nation on God’s Green Earth” – a “shining city upon a hill” where core American values such as individual freedom, liberty of expression, a compassionate and caring culture for all to pursue their dreams beckoned.

Thereafter, my good fortune continued, as I was educated at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, experiences that opened my mind. And thereafter, I met my wife, Barbara. Together, we have two beautiful children. As a family, we have been living the American dream of a healthy, comfortable, and joyful existence – a far transformation from my childhood and upbringing in my poor and isolated village in the Libyan Sahara.

My Exodus moment was my deliberate decision to convert to Judaism in 2008, after having been so deeply inspired by my son’s bar mitzvah and all that led up to it. I reached out to our neighbor, Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer, who so kindly recommended the Louis and Judith Miller Introduction to Judaism Program offered at the American Jewish University. I am so grateful for that life-altering experience! I felt I was courageous enough to pick up the key and open wide the cell of confinement and walk out. My liberation in regards to all aspects of my life moving forward since, has been very satisfying – as if I am on solid, dry land (Ba’Yabashah) and can think clearly.

Now to the A.C. chapter and the specter of reversible liberation and being back again in Egypt (a state of confusion and despair). There have been plagues, diseases and catastrophes throughout history; both localized and on a worldwide scale. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the events thereafter have never been a priori experienced by humanity. Sometimes it seemed to me, reading the newspaper this past year, that the worldwide reactions to this disease are worse than the plague of Covid-19 itself. My view is that three factors have contributed to this scourge. The first two factors are: (1) social media and its frivolous sensationalism, (2) irresponsibility and lack of ethical journalism, contributing heavily to the third and destructive outcome of (3) politicizing the plague by gratuitous, unhelpful blaming and finger pointing, rather than working together constructively for productive ways out of this catastrophe.

Pharaoh was a prejudiced, dogmatic ruler but he was wise to consider Joseph’s interpretations of his dream. He took action to lessen the calamity of famine upon his people.

Unlike Pharaoh, nowadays in the Covid-19 era, our collective unwillingness to candidly examine our fears and prejudices for their destructive ramifications is our conscious self-deceptive failure; and hence, a tragically avoidable slavery of ignorance.

The following laws of the Torah are just, basic, and universal for social harmony:

Lev. 19:17-18 (… love/judge your brother as yourself … don’t take revenge…)

Lev. 19:35-36 & Deut. 25:13-15 ( ...don’t commit injustice in weights and measurements… same tools and standards of justice shall apply to all)

The perpetuation of the sin of the Golden Calf (Eggel Ha’Zahav: partisanship loyalty to idols) is when we ignore the Torah and we consciously apply its laws capriciously to either soothe our fears or to gain unbridled power.

The Covid-19 era of politicking and isolation has robbed us of our in-person, one-on-one, face-to-face life-line of communication with each other, and with the rest of humanity. I have realized that being physically at shul in the presence of my community, engaging in a continuous uplifting, candid and respectful dialogue is a way of being true to myself and a way of being on the path of liberation.

May we all be truly conscious of our moral obligation (Yetzer Ha’Tov) to guide one another through these current, unprecedented times and not fall into an abyss of ignorance (Yetzer Ha’Ra), as manifested by frivolous cancel culture, the censoring of our freedom of speech, with deliberate, harmful and vengeful global actions. May we love and judge others as we do the same towards ourselves. V’imru Amen! PAGE 17 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

F L I P T H E H U S T L E

By Daniella Platt

“Ms. Platt, please pick up your daughter. What happened next was a miracle, as We are closed until further notice.” I wonderous of Moses’s splitting of the sea! zoomed over to her preschool to find a Showing up online were heart-centered teacher wearing gloves, holding Lysol, entrepreneurs, sailing ships of gratitude, with panic in her voice. Next, a text inviting people ‘all aboard’ to collectively arrived from my husband “effective learn to thrive in this new world. immediately: NBC employees will be working remotely.” Jump aboard! It’s here were we learned to Flip the Hustle. How can you take It happened in a blink, right? On March different actions to get your results? 12, 2020, you were hustling, living your normal life. 24 hours later, it all changed? 1. Practice “Sales Yoga.” Take a deep It was very confusing. Weeks later, when breath and connect with your broken glass, graffiti, and the national community. Keep their mood of guard filled my beautiful city, I found mind. Perhaps, they’re numb? Or, myself questioning, “am I alive?” How was unsure how to plan? Keep it light. Ask this happening? sensitive or simple questions. A favorite question is “how do you make As a storyteller, an action-taker, one who a PB&J sandwich?” Seemingly silly, loves warehouses, tradeshows, the fuel of you’ll be amazed by the reaction. the fast-paced urban jungle, ‘going Your clients will relax, giggle, while home’ was not my game plan. Nor was the answers will be insightful and being with my husband and toddlers in open the door to opportunities when our office, a sanctuary lost to co-working the time is right. I share more done- and a playroom. for-you communication scripts in the book, Looking Good. I share this as each person has a story, a roadmap derailed. What would be the next journey? PAGE 18 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

2. Encourage creators to keep true to their art. When it comes to fashion and lifestyle, your raving fans hunger for your creations. The mentality is “buy now, need now,” so adjust.

3. Gratitude. Give love. And give more love. Send gift baskets. Create unboxing experiences. Send cards. Share your roadmaps to success and champion others success.

4. Discipline. It’s SO hard! When the fast-paced hustle is your fuel, how can you maintain momentum? To flip, keep to a schedule and stick to your plan tirelessly.

As you flip, take risks. Enjoy the journey. You are limitless. Anyone can create an apparel collection or bring an idea to the world. Stick to your plan. Keep shooting for the moon, and you the worst that can happen is you land on a star.

Could I finally be understanding matzah? Could the era of Covid be like the Sinai Desert, a gift of time to bake sourdough bread and watch it rise? Yet, we are so eager to get a other side, the Land of Israel, we are so impatient to get a vaccine, hug loved ones, get our hustle back - we will quickly forgot to let the by Randy Steinberg dough rise?

Remember these moments of togetherness, when life radically changed, when neighbors left bread and baked goods like nighttime ninjas on doorsteps, and voices of open hearts appeared on zoom screens. Stay connected to those around you, people who see your higher self and take you on the road to your next best. PAGE 19 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

SLAVES OF MODERN SOCIETY

By Jay Horowitz

Astoria woke up to the sound of her alarm. It was a Monday morning. She willed herself to get ready. She had to go to work.

Astra worked in an office building full of computers and desks and stuck-up CEOs. She walked through the big glass doors at the front. She passes John, from sales. Lila from PR. She waves at them, and they wave back. But they are all rushing and have no time to talk.

No time to say “Hey, do you want to do karaoke sometime?” or “Let’s go to dinner, on me” because their work is too important to stop and take a minute for themselves. To be honest, Astoria didn’t really like her job. It made her feel trapped. Sometimes, she wished that an opportunity would arise that would allow her to leave and never come back.

But no such opportunity ever came. Every day, she woke up to the same alarm, walked through the same giant glass doors, and did the same thing. she did every day.

At night, Astoria went home to her little apartment in the city. She would look out the window and see people on the street, probably slaves to their own jobs. She knew that some of them originally came to the city for the opportunities, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

One day, as Astoria walked through the giant glass doors, there was a young blonde girl in a floral dress there. She looked very out of place. “Hello. Do you work here?” she asked. “Yes, I do,” Astoria told her. “Lovely. Do you think it would be alright if I put some posters up in here? I’m trying to advertise for my new book store on 7th street.” the girl said. Astoria realized that she did not have that sort of authority, and told the girl so. But, she took one of her flyers for herself.

That night, Astoria looked at the flyer and thought about the girl in the lobby. She seemed innocent and full of life. She did not seem to be a slave to her job. Astoria decided that on Sunday she would go to the bookstore.

The bookstore was nothing like Astoria’s office. Even though both were bright and white, the bookstore felt like a place you will always feel welcome. Astoria saw the girl from the lobby at the register. PAGE 20 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

“Hello,” Astoria said. “Hi! Welcome. I hope you found everything you were looking for.” the girl responded. Astoria realized that she hadn’t picked out anything and that it might be rude if she left without buying anything. “Um, almost. I was just looking first. This place is very nice.” Astoria commented. “Thank you. I picked all of the colors!” the girl said with a smile. Astoria went to look for a book.

It was a small shop, but there were so many books. There were books about fiction, history books, picture books, self-help books, and many more. Astoria pulled a book with a light green cover off of the shelf. There was no title on the front or the side. Astoria brought it to the register and paid.

When she came home, Astoria decided to read the book, as she had nothing better to do. The title was on the first page: Slaves of Modern Society. Astoria thought it might be a book about the government, or the plight of minorities, which her grandmother reminded her about many times throughout her childhood. Instead, the book was about the generation at work; how many of them feel they are slaves to their job. The book encouraged the reader to start doing things they enjoy, no matter how small. Maybe someday they will work up the courage to change their own lives.

The next day, Monday, Astoria decided to take a different route to work. She saw a flower kiosk with red roses and pink tulips. She also passed a group of children on their way to school. When she went home that night, she went back the same way. The flower kiosk was gone, and so were the children, but there were lights she hadn’t noticed in the day that were shining across the streets.

As time passed, Astoria continued to do little things that made her life a little better. After a long time, Astoria remembered when she used to think of the imaginary opportunity that would free her from her job.

The last time she thought about that was right before she went to the bookstore. That book changed her life and eventually led Astoria to quit her job and find something she wanted to do.

Astoria decided to move out of the city, to the suburbs. She decided to start her own carpentry business. She decided to put up flyers. Her first patron was the girl from the bookstore.

Many, many years later, Astoria decided to have a family. And she told her children about how she used to be a slave to her job. And when she had grandkids, she told them, too. Most importantly, she told them all that they never had to be slaves, like she was, to their jobs. NISSAN 5781 PAGE 21 TEMPLE BETH AM

I SURVIVED THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT B Y A R I E L A B E N O R A G E 1 3

I’m one of the lucky ones. My job has shade. I grow “Eggs, please! My trees need some extra strength. and harvest fruit trees, delivering most of the fruits My best friend Kana says that I should prepare for to Pharaoh. Climbing to the top of a mango tree, I not having any water.” look into the distance at the pyramids, where the “Egyptian kids these days. Always making Israelites are working tirelessly building them. I something up to distress other people. Don’t listen glance to the right at the brick-making area where to her, aesel.” Aesel means honey in Coptic. they’re completing the first step - mixing sand and “Oh, she’s not Egyptian.” water. At least I’m paid in two fruits per tree every “Oh! Did she emigrate from beyond the Nile then?” day - they get nothing. Looking back at my trees, I “Close enough. Anyways, should I pay in money or pick a ripe mango and throw it into the basket on fruit?” the ground. I climb down, hang from a lower “I’ll give you five eggs for one papaya and four branch, and let go. Dropping on the ground, I stand dates.” up and head over to the plantain trees, where I take “Eight eggs.” a knife out of my pocket and hack at the stem that “Six eggs.” attaches a ripe bunch to the tree. It falls, and I “Seven eggs.” heave it from the ground and choose two from the “Fine. Seven.” bunch to take home. Putting the rest in my basket, I sit on the grass and scratch a mosquito bite. I take the eggs and place them in my fabric pouch that I had sewn onto my shirt, which I call a Picking up my water jug and shovel, I get to work “pocket.” I put down my jugs, run to grab my “I get on expanding the orchard, this time with to take this home” basket, and run back to pay for pomegranate seeds. Turning the dry dirt over, I pour the eggs. I hand over the papaya and dates and some water over it. I turn the dirt over again and pick up my mud and dirt jugs again, going back to put more water on it. I repeat this until the dirt my little orchard. I pour the thick mud over the soil looks healthier. Picking another two jugs from my that I'll plant pomegranate seeds in and crack the stash in a pile on the grass, I jog over across the eggs into an empty jug. Crushing the shells into my sandstone path to the edge of the Nile. My feet Nile soil, I mix it up and pour that over the mud. burn. I don’t have shoes. There, I fill one jug with Now, I plant the pomegranate seeds. Eight holes. rich, healthy soil and the other with mud. On the Pomegranate seeds in the holes. More Nile eggshell way back, I stop at the Chicken Shack to purchase dirt on top. Some plain eggshells on the top. Done! I eggs. The shells are good for plants. make my rounds and collect two fruits from every tree that I haven’t already. Putting those in my “Good afternoon, Zahra. Did you come for eggs or pocket, I pick up my water jug and my egg liquid chicks?” The chicken lady has always been nice to jug, leaving the dirt and mud, and head home. me. PAGE 22 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

Passing a square of Israelite homes, I turn and find "You’re missing the point, Kana. You basically gave the one with the reed roof. I knock on the me 30 grams of gold for seven pieces of fruit. That’s sandstone wall. Kana lifts the animal skin that she not a fair trade at all. Do you remember my uses as a door. brownish orange and white goat? I’ll give you the fruit I already gave you and a baby goat. That’s a fair “Did you follow my advice about the trees?” trade.” “Yeah, I took extra care of them, but a tarp over the “No, a baby goat is too much, you need those goats. whole thing wouldn’t work because they need That milk for trading is basically half of your job.” sunlight.” “Hmm. Then what do you want?” “Oh… well, I’m not entirely sure how the blood water “Um. Do you still carve beads?” thing will work yet. It might not rain blood. But I I nod. have no idea. All I know is it has something to do I used to be really into carving beads out of with water and blood.” everything I could find: wood, glass, stone and clay, “Well, thanks for warning me. And, for our deal, half even some gold and silver. I even have some shell of my fruit.” I pick out one of each and hand it to ones. “Let me run and get my beads. I’ll be right her. She nods. back”. I run home as quickly as I can, put my egg “As promised, your reed sandals.” She hands me a liquid on the table, and find that basket with the pair of yellowy green sandals. They have thick soles beads. I cover it with cloth so they don’t fall out, and made out of many layers of reeds bound together run back. with dried mud and twine, a softer layer of fig “Here are the beads. Be careful, most of them are leaves on top where the foot goes, and two over- breakable.” Kana’s eyes light up as she takes the the-foot straps, one on the front and one on the basket and listens to the beads roll and clink over heel made out of bendy reeds wrapped in a each other. plantain leaf. The heel one has dried jasmine and “They sound so cool!” She lifts the fabric and sees all poppy flowers attached with more twine. They’re the beads lying there. “Wow! Is that crystal?” She beautiful. I haven’t had shoes in four years - since I holds a particularly shiny clear one up to the sun. was 10. “No, it’s glass with silver designs.” “Wow. They’re beautiful! Thank you so much! These “All of these are so pretty! Thank you so much!” are worth much more than 7 pieces of fruit. Way “Thank you for making such pretty shoes!” I hold the more. Shoes are expensive, and these are so reed footwear carefully. Putting them on the beautiful!” ground, I carefully step into them. They’re soft on “They’re for you!” my calloused feet, and the sand isn’t burning my “No way. I’m giving you more.” toes anymore. “No, you don’t have to.” “Well, I have to go, but remember, the plague starts “Yes I do. Do you know how much this would be tomorrow morning.” Kana says. We wave goodbye worth in the market? A third of a deben!” and I walk home. “Wow. Maybe I should start selling these.”

PAGE 23 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

The house that every Egyptian gets for free starts “That’s not going to actually happen. I know it’s sad, out all sandstone brick, with a wooden door and a but I don’t think the Israelites will be free. If they wooden door frame. But over time they erode. By had a god, their god would have freed them now, the outside of mine looks like a combination already.” of seven different houses, with different kinds of “No. It did actually happen. All the water turned into wood, different kinds of sandstone brick, and in blood. I saw the Nile. It was all red.” Someone some places, the holes are filled with just bare knocks on the outside wall. I look outside, and Kana rocks. It’s broken, patched up, and patched up is standing there. again. There’s no door, only a bunch of beaded “Pharaoh said we can leave!” strings. The whole thing is a constant reminder of “Congratulations! When? How do you know?” how poor I am, but I know I’m lucky compared to “Today. I know because I was standing outside the the Israelites. I place a pot of water over the firepit throne room window since the sun started coming and pour the egg liquid into that. It’ll poach slowly out. Pharaoh said to Moses that we could leave if during the night in the embers. I take off my new the plague stopped. God is going to stop the sandals and place them next to the doorway. Mom plague.” I hug her. Suddenly, the ground rumbles and Dad will get home late from helping the slaves, and shakes. I fall onto my knees. It gets stronger. which they do after they finish their work for the Kana also drops, and Dad clings to the table. It feels day, so I just go to bed. like the ground is jumping. Sand bounces into the house. A branch from a nearby tree falls. Kana looks Blood. I smell blood. Opening my eyes one at a up and nudges me. I look to where she’s looking. time, I sniff again. Why would I smell blood? Then I The pyramids with the newly orange bricks. The remember the plague. Something with water and orange is draining from the tops! Gaining speed, the blood. A surge of energy hits me and I hop out of orange is condensing into red and sliding off the bed. Remembering how I poached some eggs last pyramids, and the pyramids crumble to sand. The night, I go and check on it. But the water isn't water blood is racing toward the Nile. I turn towards the anymore! It’s… blood! Where’s a place with a lot of Nile, where the river is blocked from sight by palm water? I sprint to the Nile. The whole thing is made trees and houses. The same phenomenon is coming out of blood! I step back in shock. What about the from there, also! The red starts rising from the sand, bricks in the pyramids? They have water in them. a hovering ring of pure blood coming toward us Racing to one, I see that every brick is orange-ish. and getting smaller as it does. It’s right in front of us They’re usually yellowish cream colored. I run back now. The liquid goes through the walls of the house home. Mom is just stirring, and Dad is already up. as if they weren’t even there. I flatten myself to the ground. Kana stands, though, and the blood turns “Oh, hey Zahra, I was just looking for you. Would you to water as it touches her. We watch the ring of please go to the town well and get some water?” blood enclose into a sphere in the middle of the “Actually, remember when I told you there was town. Then it turns into water and shoots back to going to be a plague?” where it came from. The sand mountains that were the pyramids turn back into bricks that turn back into pyramids.

PAGE 24 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

The Nile water goes back behind the trees. The air I step off the sandstone path and the noise starts doesn’t smell like blood anymore. The sky is clear again. I quickly step on it again. So as long as I’m in and blue. I blink, trying to comprehend what just the Israelite neighborhood, I guess the plagues happened. I turn to Kana. don’t affect me. Two days pass. My parents and I “I’m so happy you’re going to be free now! Will you have temporarily moved into an alleyway next to tell me when you leave?” She nods, happy. Kana’s house. “I have to pack now, I’ll make sure to stop by your house before I leave.” We hug, and she goes off to I go to work, but I have to hold a little bit of stone the Israelite square of houses. I turn to Dad. that comes off of a brick from an Israelite house. “Believe me now?” He nods, still kind of in shock. And it only works for about twenty minutes. After “Well, I should go to my orchard. I’ll see you later!” I twenty minutes, the noise comes back and the slip on my sandals, take a pitcher out of the cabinet, frogs swarm me again. Once two more days pass, and run off, skidding on the sand, toward the center Pharaoh says the Israelites can go. The frogs leave. of town, where my little grove stands. It’s already But he changes his mind once the frogs have gone. getting pretty hot, so I make sure to stop on the Kana thinks the next plague will be related to bugs way to draw some water from the well. of some sort.

I feel something slimy and cold on my face. I twitch. I don’t take itchiness very well. A lot of the time, I I’m so tired, and it’s really early. What is a slimy and just scratch until it bleeds. So when I wake up with cold thing doing on my face? It ribbits. I bolt a bad case of head lice, I have to rub honey into my upright, and it falls onto the ground. Wiping slime hair so that I don’t scratch all my hair out. I spend from my eyelid, I hear a croak. And then another. three days with honey-coated hair. Pharaoh says Opening my eyes, I see what seems like hundreds of the Israelites can go, and the lice leave. But he frogs in my room, their features murky in the pre- changes his mind again, and Kana couldn’t get into dawn glow. Why are there frogs in my room? It’s not the meeting, so we have no idea what’s coming even light out yet. I get out of bed and go outside. next. But she suspects that the plagues will only get There are frogs everywhere. I just stand and stare at worse. I make sure the bead strings that block the all these frogs. And as soon as the sky turns from entrance to the house are as closed as they can be blackish purple to lighter bluish purple, the frogs all before I go to bed. start croaking. It’s so loud that I have to crouch down with my head in between my knees. My I wake up and immediately hop out of bed, neighbors start coming outside. Is this a plague? expecting the worst. But… nothing’s out of the Did Pharaoh change his mind? I run to Kana’s ordinary. Maybe this is a dream? But if it’s a dream, I house, trying not to step on frogs. When I get to the wouldn’t know it’s a dream while I’m in it. Right? I Israelite square that she lives in, the noise stops. I cautiously step outside, feeling the cool sand have to flick my ears to make sure they still work. against my feet. Nothing is happening. I find the The frogs aren’t coming over here, either. That’s so sandstone path and follow it to the Nile. Shielded weird! by reeds, palm trees, and other plants, PAGE 25 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

I find an area that I haven’t explored yet and sit on a I find her trying to bend a stiff stem, her knees rock, staring at the rushing water. Why is nothing coated in mud. She looks up at me. happening? A few minutes pass and there’s a noise “A crocodile is in the palace!” I say. At the same time, behind me. The reeds part and Kana steps forward. Kana says, “A crocodile is in Pharaoh's palace!” She chuckles. “If “I found you! I’ve been looking everywhere.” in 7,000 years someone writes about us, they’ll “Hey Kana? Do you know why nothing’s probably say the whole country was overrun with happening?” crocodiles.” I laugh. “What do you mean?” “And lions, too, probably,” I add. “I mean, I see no plague. No noise, no blood, no “Lions and snakes and every wild animal.” itchiness, no screaming.” “Well, I’m glad we aren’t overrun with lions and “Another slave who got into the meeting told me snakes,” I remark. I’m scared of snakes. “I just that this plague is just for Pharaoh. So you don’t realized I’ve never helped you make a canoe before. have to worry!” I breathe a sigh of relief. How does it work?” “Then, in that case, tag, you’re it!” “You want to help?” Kana hands me a curved knife. “Pick some reeds that are green. Not yellow or I run into the reeds. This is a game my cousin made brown. Put them in a pile.” I nod and start slicing a up, where if you’re it, you try to tag someone else bright green stem. It’s harder than it looks. I and if you’re not it, you try not to get tagged. If you thought it would cut in one clean slice, but instead, get tagged, you’re the new it. We call it “tag.” Kana I have to hack at it a lot. With every hack, I have to chases after me but quickly loses me in the reeds. yank the curved dagger out with all my might. It She looks right at me and I duck. Too late, though. takes at least twenty hacks to cut one reed. I put it She runs toward me. I try to get up and run away on the ground by Kana’s feet. Sitting on my knees, I but she tags me. start on another one. As I’m in the middle of the “You’re it!” We play for a while and then go back fourth one, I remember I’m cooking pitas. I jump up home. and run back home. They’re completely burnt. I quickly take them off of the coals. Baking bread is One side of the pita is cooked, so I turn it over. not my strong suit. Usually they turn out doughy or Whoops, it’s a little bit burned. I flip over another burnt. One time, I forgot to light the fire and didn’t one. Someone shouts from outside. I look up from notice for some reason. The dough was just sitting the half-baked pita. The person shouting outside is on rocks on a pile of wood for 20 minutes until I saying something. realized that it wasn’t cooking. “Crocodiles in the palace! Crocodiles in the palace!” The eggs have run out, so in the morning I have to I perk up. A plague only for Pharaoh. This could get go to the chicken lady. I make a stop at my trees to interesting. I look back at my pita, look at the door, collect a few bananas for trade. When I get to the and look at the pita. I flip one more and run out and Chicken Shack, I see a papyrus note on the wooden down the path to the part of the Nile shore where counter. It reads: Kana does her slave-work, making reed canoes. Cow is sick. If you need eggs, come back tomorrow. PAGE 26 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

That’s sad. The chicken lady doubles as the milk Something lands on the roof. I shiver and pull the lady, so if her cow dies, she’ll lose half of her profit. blanket up to my chin. Another one lands. And I’ll have to get eggs tomorrow. But I’m all the way another. Another one lands, and I hear the roof over here, so I should get something. I’ve been splintering. Bolting upright, I jump out of bed and thinking of taking up my bead-making hobby run outside. Ice is falling from the still-dark sky. It’s again, and there’s a shop that sells everything I freezing cold, and ice keeps falling. Suddenly, a hot need. Glass, shells, wood, even a little bit of silver, wind blasts downward, and the falling ice catches crystal, and gold. And special knives for carving. I on fire! Adrenaline shoots through me. Fire really think the shopkeeper got the materials left over scares me. One time, my neighbor’s house caught from building the palace. I step out of the Chicken on fire. She had to rebuild the entire thing. One Shack and go toward the richer stores, the ones lands right next to me, and I jump back and stare at closer to the palace. I see which one it is right away it for a second. The fire isn’t going out. The ice isn’t because it has the palace insignia on it, and a real melting. What’s happening? One lands on the roof wooden door. But when I go inside, a similar card is of my house, the wood cracks a bit, and the fire on the counter starts to spread. The roof is the only completely My cow is sick. I’ll come back in two days. wooden part of the house. I start to panic. Another sick cow? Is there another cow sickness “Mom!” I call out. “Dad!” How are they still asleep? epidemic? There was one a few years ago. Or maybe this is the next plague. If it is, I’m glad I don’t have There’s a pomegranate tree right next to the wall, any cows. But then I remember something. The and I climb it, dropping onto the roof. I stomp on goats! I run out and back home, around the exterior, the spreading flames and they go out, but when I made of sandstone, wood, and brick, to the wooden get to the flaming piece of ice, it won’t go out. It pen. They’re all there, looking healthy. I breathe a keeps trying to spread. I kick the hailstone into the sigh of relief. I’m glad that they’re okay. Maybe it’s sand, climb off of the roof, and throw handfuls of only for cows. My family is too poor for cows. Only sand on top of it. Why isn’t it going out? At least it’s the rich have cows - they’re sacred, so that means under the sand. More are landing on the roof, they’re expensive. This time, the plague lasts a though. I climb up and keep kicking them off, and week. Pharaoh says that the Israelites can go. But smothering the flames that have spread already. it’s a surprise to no one when he changes his mind. One hits me. Ouch! I jump away from it. Climbing down from the roof again, I take a big bowl from Everyone has the boils, even the Israelites, although inside and fill it with sand, which I dump onto the theirs aren’t so bad. Earlier, when lice was a plague, roof. I do this until fire can’t spread on it anymore. I had to coat my hair with honey so I wouldn’t have scars on my scalp. This time, I don’t need any help I look over at the Israelite houses and see that there with not itching. The boils hurt too much. My entire are no flaming hailstones over there. But they are body is covered with them. But the few that only landing on my neighbors’ homes, so I take my bowl itch and don’t hurt are bleeding by the end of the and cover the roofs of my closest neighbors’ houses day. It’s over in four days. These plagues are starting with sand too. to get really unbearable.

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I can do nothing about the walls, though. One of my She bends down and starts to help me, using her neighbors steps outside his house and screams, hands. Together, we make it to the Nile pretty jumping back in. Suddenly, a freezing cold wind quickly. The water flows into it! I run with it as it blows from the north. A hailstone lands next to me flows. A hailstone splashes in it and ice doesn’t on the sandy ground, and under it a sheet of ice spread, and neither does fire! Yes! I dig a little appears. Every time a hailstone lands on the branch coming off of the main trench, and the ground, a sheet of ice appears under it. One lands water flows into it also. Kana makes another one. on my shoulder, and I hear more than feel the ice, This is going to get easier. I connect my branch to crackling as it spreads a bit. I break the ice off. Why the main trench. I stop to rest, then dig another, am I standing outside? I run inside and pull my longer one. This doesn’t seem so bad now. Some of blanket up. I doze off, waking up every few minutes my neighbors are helping on the trench, and even to a scream or a thunk on the roof. though the hail is still falling, at least a lot of it is landing in the water. I walk around the When I wake up again, it’s light out. It’s too hot to neighborhood. The other house squares are doing have a blanket, so I get up. There’s a ceramic cup on similar things, although none of them have made a the table with well water in it, so I drink that. Then I trench to the Nile. They’re mostly digging holes. think of the hail. I push back the beaded strings Suddenly, the hailstones around me melt. The fire that hang in the doorway. The flaming hail pieces on them goes out. Yes! It’s over! I’m so glad that are piling on top of each other, and more are falling. didn’t last long. Mom is running around and screaming, and Dad is running toward a neighbor whose wood pile has I hear a buzzing sound. Looking up from milking a caught on fire. I don’t know how much more I can goat, I see a yellowish brownish cloud coming over take of these plagues. Two of my neighbors are the horizon. What is that? The buzzing sounds get running around with shovels and shoveling around louder as the cloud gets closer. A buzzing, brownish the hail pieces. Good idea. I find a shovel leaning yellow cloud. Never heard of it before. I stand up against the wall and run outside, clearing a space of and shade my eyes from the sun, trying to get a hailstones. I start digging in the sand, and pretty better look at it. It looks like a swarm of some sort. soon I have a big pit. I then shovel a bunch of Bugs? I step out of the pen and climb the hailstones into it, topping it with more sand. Wiping pomegranate tree, stepping onto the roof. I’m the sweat from my face, I survey my work. I dig careful to avoid the part that was damaged from another one. After I’m finished, I start digging a long the hail. Yup, that’s definitely bugs. It’s coming trench, pushing hailstones into it as I go. Kana closer. Should I stay or run? I decide to run. But walks up to me. The hailstones move out of her once I reach the mountains, wind pushes me back. I way. lean into the wind, but it still pushes me back. It “What are you doing?” gains strength and hurls me backward. The cloud of “Digging a trench to the Nile. If I get water to flow bugs - I can see now that they’re locusts - are into it, like they do in the farms, then the fire can’t swarming over Egypt, so thick that I can’t see spread in it, and hail will land in it instead of all over through it. the place.” I dodge a hailstone.

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I run back and try to find Kana, but I’m only Suddenly, all the locusts lift off of the ground at halfway to her house when the locusts engulf me. I once. They start moving in sync, toward the East. close my eyes and clamp my hands over my ears. They form a V-formation like the birds that come They’re so loud! I curl up into a ball on the ground to here once a year, and they fly off over the horizon. In protect my nose. I’ve never seen so many locusts at front of us there’s a desolate landscape filled with once. They crawl all over me. All I hear is locusts. sand and dead locusts. The bare, bark-stripped Then, I hear something else. Kana. trees look like spines. I pick up a dead locust. “Zahra! ZAHRA!” She keeps calling my name. I “That’s a lot of dead locusts. Do you think we could almost open my mouth to answer her, but then eat them?” think better of it. Locusts in my mouth does not “Yeah, probably. One of my cousins really likes sound like a good idea. I manage a squeak. eating crickets, and they’re pretty much the same “Zahra! Where are you?” She’s closer now. The thing.” locusts swarm all over me, clicking, buzzing, and We eat well tonight. screeching. “Zahra! ZAHRA!” The voice is right above me now. A A week later and the land is recovering. Everyday, foot bumps my back. “Zahra?” A hand touches my some plant appears again. It’s like magic. Kana is back, and all the locusts on me fly away. The sound quick to point out that it’s not magic, it’s her God. is muted. I uncurl myself and open my eyes, taking Soon, the trees have bark and leaves again. The my hands off of my ears. grass and plants are back. The Nile is no longer only “Thanks.” mud and water. It feels so good to have vegetation again. Kana stays with me for the rest of the day. We walk to the Nile, watching the locusts devour all things Something blows into my open mouth. Sand. Gross. green. They really are fast eaters. The trees are I spit it out, but more sand blows. I open my eyes, stripped to bare wood, the reeds gone. It’s a sad still half asleep. There’s a thin layer of sand on the sight to see. floor. I guess today is going to be windy. I’m glad. “Zahra?” These past few days have been so hot, and it’s nice “Hmm?” to have some cooler weather for a change. Even the “Do you think this is fair? All these plagues that you hail day five days ago was hot. Light streams have to go through?” through a small hole in the wall. Sand blows “Yeah. You’re a slave. No one should be owned by through it also. Suddenly, I feel a change in the air someone else.” pressure. Wind starts going much faster, and the “But… What about Egyptians like you? Who don’t sand streams through the hole at an angle, pelting own any slaves? Who don’t benefit from slavery and me. Sandstorm. The word comes to my brain are nice to the Israelites?” automatically. There hasn’t been one in my lifetime, “Where are you going with this?” but Mom told me about them. Sandstorms mean “I’m saying, you don’t deserve it. Other Egyptians leave as fast as you can. Find higher ground. Cover might, but people like you don’t.” the well to protect it. Take all livestock with you. Take as much food and water as you can. PAGE 29 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

I spring into action, waking up Mom and Dad, and Suddenly, the sand seems frozen in midair. Then getting outside as quickly as I can. There’s already the wind shoots back the opposite way. All the sand inside the well, but I slide the stone top onto it sand lifts and goes back where it came from. I’m anyways. The sand is already blowing pretty fast, hurtled through the air again. I find myself sitting in but I can see an even bigger cloud coming. I could a tree. A baby goat flies by, and I catch it. It was the wake up all my neighbors individually, but there’s same one I was holding before. I slowly climb down no time for that. I take a deep breath and scream as from the tree, my knees shaking. I lean over onto loudly as I can. I hope people wake up. Because if one side and a bunch of sand falls out of my ear. I they don’t, they could be buried alive. I run around do the same on the other side. Brushing all the sand the house to the goat pen and pick a little one up. I off of my clothes, I take a deep breath. I’m so glad can’t fit anything else in my arms. Mom comes with it’s all over and everyone’s ok. a rope and ties it around the necks of two older ones. Dad takes another little goat. I open the gate I’m just finishing sweeping sand out of the house to set the others free. It’s their only chance of when Kana appears at the doorway. I stand up. survival. She’s holding a plate of the special braided bread she makes. The bigger cloud engulfs us. The sun is blocked. The “Why is there so much sand in your house?” sand pelts my face, even though for some reason “That giant sandstorm.” it’s not in my mouth, and I can breathe just fine. “What sandstorm?” Already the house and pen have a few inches of “What do you mean?” Huh? “You didn’t see that sand on the bottom. I trip on a rock. In a few sandstorm at all?” seconds, I have sand up to my waist. The goat in my “No…?” She pulls off a chunk of her braided bread arms is struggling to wiggle free and succeeds, the and hands it to me. I take a bite. wind hurtling its small body through the air. I lose “Maybe that was a plague?” sight of it in the dusty darkness. The sand gets “I guess that’s the only explanation.” Kana fiddles thicker. Now I can’t even see my parents. Stumbling with her hair. around, I find myself clinging to a tree. I feel around “I guess.” Mom walks up to the doorway, and Kana for a branch. Finding one, I pull myself up and set hands her a chunk of the bread. “I’m assuming my feet on it, finding a higher branch. I keep Pharaoh said you guys could leave, considering the climbing this way. Soon, I feel the branches getting sandstorm stopped like that. Hope he doesn’t thinner, so I stop climbing. I cling tighter. The wind change his mind.” gets faster, flinging me off the tree. I land on my “Yeah,” Kana sighs. side. If the sand weren’t so soft, I would be badly hurt. Standing, I feel around. Stumbling against the Three days pass. No news about Pharaoh changing wind, I find myself in a clump of reeds. Grabbing a his mind. But he’s the kind of person who gives bunch, I tie my feet to a few and tie my legs down, criminals false hope about not being decapitated, too. I use some others to just cling. I try to hang on. and the bad news hits twice as hard. PAGE 30 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

“Zahra!” Someone is banging on the wall and yelling What else? Um… oh yeah. Paint the blood on your my name. “Zahra! Come quickly!” I run from my bed doorpost and lintel with hyssop. And don’t go and look out the doorway. Kana is standing there, outside.” I bite my thumbnail and then immediately sweating and panting. regret it because I had a boil right under it and “What is it?” touching the scar hurts. “Moses just… he… he made the announcement for “Kana? How do you know this will work?” the last plague.” My eyes widen. “I don’t. I just have to blindly trust in it.” “Oh no. Is it bad?” “Will you help me?” I ask nervously. I don’t think I “It’s the worst one yet.” can remember all that on my own. “You say that every time!” “Yeah, we’ll help each other. But first, the goat or “He says it’ll be the last plague.” sheep.” I nod and lead her outside and to the back “And how does he know that?” where the wooden pen is. Opening the gate, I bend “He just does.” down to pick up a baby goat, carob brown and “Well, what is it?” sandy brown, little horns that are just starting to “Death…” grow. He licks my face. I hand him to Kana. “Everyone is gonna die?!” “Now you pick one for me.” She sits on her “Death of the firstborn.” I freeze. I’m an only child. haunches, and a baby goat saunters over to her. He “You need to prepare.” I nod numbly. “Kill a baby has caramel brown and carob brown spots and lamb. I need to also. Um… I don’t have a baby lamb. little white speckles. He has the same just-growing Could I take one of yours?” I nod. “It’s supposed to horns. She picks him up and holds him out to me. I be perfect or something. And a boy. Oh, it could take him and put him in the cat’s pen, taking the also be a baby goat. Um… watch it until the cat out so she doesn’t do the slaughtering for me. fourteenth day of this month. Maybe thirteenth? No, The cat looks up briefly and then goes back to her it was fourteenth. Kill it at twilight. Take some nap, this time on the sandy ground. Kana brings her blood and put it on the doorposts and lintel of your goat home. house. Then eat it roasted. Apparently, that part’s important. Eat all of it, and burn the leftovers. Flour and water. Salt. Oil. I mix it all up and start You're supposed to eat it super quickly with shoes kneading it. I take a flat rock that’s been cleaned on and a stick in your hand. Also, you’re supposed and put it in the fire to heat up. Taking the to borrow gold and silver from your neighbor. You unleavened dough, I split it into pieces and flatten already gave me those beads, I’ll give you a few them into pita shape, spreading them out on the silver and gold ones back. Later that night, God will now heated stone, and let them cook. Meanwhile, I kill every firstborn, human and animal. But the run over to Kana’s house to get a silver bead and a people who have the blood on their doorposts and gold bead. But she’s not home. I check the place lintel will be fine. Oh, right. Eat the lamb with bitter where she makes reed canoes. Not there either. herbs and unleavened bread. Eat that unleavened Where is she? I run from her house to her work area. bread for seven more days - that part’s important. When I get back to her house, I see her walking home. PAGE 31 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

I run home, clutching the beads in my hands. I’m so "Um sir? I’m Egyptian, not a slave.” glad I found Kana. Kana said that if I don’t follow “Oh, sorry. I thought you were a slave. If you’re not a the instructions exactly, I might end up dead. And I slave, why do you dress like one? I mean… sorry don’t like the idea of that, so I’m happy I have the about that. Uh… what can I do to make it up to you?” beads. When I get inside, I smell something I wasn’t offended. He probably thought I was a slave burning. What is it? I go to the fireplace. The because of the patches in my clothes and how I unleavened pita! It’s just black ashes! I frantically try look poor. But I might as well take advantage of to salvage some of the dust with a stick, but it’s this. useless. And I had used the last of the flour for this. “Well, I came for some wood, stone, shells, gold, Will it still work without the unleavened pita? I silver, other metals, and crystal. But if you think I’m guess I just have to try. a slave, I could just walk out…” “No, no, no, no, don’t leave. Look. I don’t usually do I know that a type of bitter herb grows up in the this, but just for you, I’ll give you everything for two mountains, so I’m hiking from the valley. Now what thirds of a deben. It usually costs a whole deben. did it look like? Light green, kind of fuzzy. Close to Just for you, two thirds of a deben. Plus a curved the ground. Singular leaves, not a bush or tree. I find carving knife.” He quickly grabs everything and puts some growing out of a crack in a rock. Picking it, I it into a large basket. I give him two thirds of a put it in my pocket. It’s not a lot, but it’ll have to do. deben and pick up the basket. The richer stores are My foot slips on the shifty sand and I fall, but I so weird. regain my balance and lean against the rock, looking back at the valley that is my city. I wish “Twenty eight beads carved!” I say out loud, putting people didn’t have to die. If Pharaoh wasn’t so the one I just finished into the basket. It took so stubborn, maybe they wouldn’t. Standing, I start long to make. It’s wooden, but I put gold flakes on the hike back down. it, and it was really hard to even get a tiny chip of gold to come off the small square. I had to put it in The next day, I gather some money and trading the fireplace for so long before it softened the items and head to the marketplace. I have thirteen tiniest bit. And the only bits that I could get off of days to wait. I haven’t done something nice for the block were from the corners. It might take a Kana in a while, and she’s been so nice lately while to get the hang of this again. Good thing I getting me out of these plagues. So I think I’m have five days left before the plague hits. The other going to revisit that store that sells extra materials beads I carved were just plain wood, although one that weren’t used for the construction of the palace of them looks like a butterfly. My fingers are hurting, and get some materials. I never knew Kana loved so I should probably do something else. beads so much. The person at the counter looks at me. I burned the Sacrifice. Why do I burn everything I try “Ah, an Israelite slave has something to beg for?” I to cook? It’s all black and crispy. When I touch it, it blink. Did he just call me a slave? erodes under my fingertip. Gross. I don’t think I should eat that. I put it outside for the vultures. PAGE 32 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

At least I have the goat’s blood. Stepping into the I hear someone crying out, and then the cry stops darkening outside, I find a patch of hyssop and pick abruptly. The blood comes out a little bigger. one. I dip it in the blood and paint the doorposts. Someone runs down the sandstone path. A little Mom walks out and gives me a weird look but girl. Why can’t she see the blood? The blood doesn’t ask any questions. Jumping up, I try to surrounds the kid, moving with her. It pushes her to reach the lintel, but I only manage to splatter a few a standstill, and I see terror on her face. beads. I grab a nearby rock and stand on it. I still The blood goes into her mouth, into her ears, into can’t reach. I climb the pomegranate tree and go her nose, into her eyes. The kid cries out and the onto the roof, leaning over. I can reach it now. Just blood extracts itself. The girl’s eyes get black all in case, I cover all of it in blood, even the part that’s over, and she drops down. Not moving, not inside. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I’m breathing. The blood is bigger. I sit there in shock, worried that it’s not going to work because of how I clutching my blanket. The blood comes up to me. burnt the Sacrifice and the pita. I go inside, careful The strings of beads clink against each other. It to make sure the beaded strings are as close hesitates, and then goes away. It goes into another together as possible. The sky is dark. It’s night. I eat house. I don’t see anything. I hear a cry, and then a banana for dinner and roast the bitter herbs, another. A crash. The blood comes out much taking a few bites of that too. Mom and Dad are bigger. It comes toward me again, but this time it home. Neither of them are firstborns, though. I grab goes around the house. I hear a goat bleating, and my blanket and wrap myself in it, sitting behind the then stopping. The blood comes back darker and a beads in the doorway. I’m terrified, but some bit bigger. Suddenly, it goes higher into the sky, messed-up, twisted part of me wants to see. And toward the moon. The blood splits into thousands curiosity usually wins. Anyways, it’s probably better of droplets, and each of them goes to a different to be as close to the blood on the doorway as house. I see some go into the Israelite possible while still being inside. There’s a few holes neighborhood and then immediately fly out, in the wall in my room, and whoever will kill the toward Egyptian houses. Walking outside, I climb firstborns might think it’s a doorway without blood. onto the pomegranate tree and then up to the roof. I wait. I see the droplets all go into different houses. A cry And wait. comes from one house, another, another. The cries And wait. are so loud I have to cover my ears. Each cry is a life After about an hour, I’ve eaten two more bananas, lost. Tears are streaming down my face. The blood and it’s pitch black outside. It also dropped about whooshes out and all the droplets reconfigure into ten degrees. Nothing’s happening. Suddenly, I hear a sphere again. A giant sphere of blood that something. A whooshing sound, like wind. That contains all the blood of the Egyptian firstborns. It doesn’t usually happen unless it’s already windy. I disappears. The icy silence sinks in. I slowly, quietly sit up. The night sky gets a reddish tint. The climb down the tree and go inside. Every time I whooshing sound gets closer. I feel my heartbeat close my eyes, I see that kid’s face in terror and their picking up. Suddenly, I see something flying in the eyes turning black. So I lie in bed, not closing my corner of my eye. I turn and see a sphere of blood eyes. The red slowly drains from the sky, which hovering in the air. It flies down the street, going returns to indigo. into a house. PAGE 33 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

After a few hours, the sun starts to rise. I get up and Somehow, I end up at Pharaoh’s palace. I hear go to the well. Hauling the bucket up, I wash my screams, shrieks, sobs. I walk up to the wall and put face and then sit on the stone, watching the sun my hand on a stone. My muscles itch, begging me slowly come up over the Nile. The sky turns from to run away. I follow the itch and run. I run where indigo to orange and yellow to blue, as the rising my feet carry me, and I find myself at the Nile. I sun melts from orange to yellow to white. I go brush past the reeds, in a daze. The mud on my feet inside before people start waking up. The screams is soft and cool. I find a rock that looks familiar and start. Big, sobbing screams, starting from one house sit on it. I put my hand in the water. It’s a calmer, and then spreading like a wildfire. I cover my head more shallow part of the giant river. I hear rustling with my blanket. If I wasn’t friends with Kana, I behind me. The reeds part. I don’t bother turning. I would be dead now. I wrap the blanket tighter know it’s Kana. around me. The screaming continues and then “Hey,” she says. sputters out. I hear my parents run outside. They “Hey,” I reply. talk to a neighbor. I catch snippets of conversation. “It’s really sad about all those people.” Kana says “My firstborn son…” heavily. I nod. “This place is where we played that “Why is…” ‘tag’ game that your cousin made up, right?” “Don’t know…” “Yeah, that was fun,” I say, smiling a bit for the first Another person’s voice comes in now. time all day. “I like hiding in the reeds.” “My child…” “I never find you when you do that! Except for that “Also a firstborn…” one time.” I smile a little more. Then I think about “So sorry…” I stand up and walk to the beads, how I burnt the Sacrifice and pita, and I shift on my holding them part-way open, like a curtain. Mom is rock, thinking. I probably should have died, talking to someone, Dad is talking to someone else. considering I burnt the Sacrifice and the pita. Why Other neighbors wander, looking numb. One is didn’t I die? Turning to Kana, I start to say kneeling over a body in the middle of the path. The something and then hesitate, turning back to the kid I saw earlier. river. “You too…” “Kana?” “She wasn’t even sick…” “Yeah?” She answers, still chuckling a bit. “What happened…” “I think God made a mistake. I think I should have “My eldest…” died.” I hug myself. Coming outside, I wander among the “What?! Why?” She turns to face me. mourning. Mom turns around and sees me. She “I burnt the pita. And the Sacrifice.” taps Dad’s shoulder. They both run up to me and “What?! Wait, what?! You burned the Sacrifice AND hug me. the pita?” I nod. “Come on. We need to talk to Moses “I’m so glad you’re ok!” Dad mumbles through tears. about this.” Kana grabs me by the hand and pulls Mom still hasn’t let go of me. me up. We make our way through the reeds, and “I love you guys so much.” I sob. when we emerge from the vegetation, Kana pulls I let my feet carry me throughout the city. me left when I would normally go forward. PAGE 34 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

We go past her working area where there’s a half- “We’re in the same boat. I did everything right, I finished canoe on the ground. A few minutes later, even got Moses to check it. But I was still worried we arrive at a palm tree grove. Kana leads me inside about dying in this plague because I’m also not the grove, and we come across a circle of tents. Israelite and I’m a firstborn. But your experience They’re made out of hole-y fabric and sticks. They made me realize that it’s not about following the all have patches. A few have patches made out of instructions or being an Israelite, it’s about being a leaves. I guess they ran out of fabric. In the middle good person.” of the circle, a firepit still has last night’s embers in “So you’re saying that the matzah and the sacrifice it. I wonder why they even lit a fire last night. and stuff don’t matter at all?” Kana asks. Wouldn’t they be inside during the Death of the “I’m saying that God already knows who’s Israelite Firstborn plague? A camel tied to a palm tree and who’s Egyptian without seeing the blood. He grunts at us. All of the tents have blood on the also knows who’s kind to Israelites and who’s not.” opening. A boy runs by, and another, younger boy Am I friendly to Israelites? Am I? I think about how holding a dried reed chases him. They look like close I am to Kana. I think about how I’m they’re Midianite. The younger boy trips over a root sometimes mistaken for a slave. I think about how I and drops his stick. Kana bends to pick it up. tried to help Kana cut reeds. I think about how I “Thanks,” he says. make beads for Kana. I think about that time when “Where’s Moses’s tent? Do you know?” Kana asks Kana and I gave twenty Israelite strangers dinner. him. He points to one, takes the stick, and runs after “Well, that sums up Zahra pretty well.” Kana stands the older boy. Calling over his shoulder, he says, and holds out a hand to help me up. “I think “He’s not here right now though! Come back later!” Pharaoh will actually let us go this time. You Kana walks to the tent and I follow. She sits on a coming?” I nod and take her hand. rock. I sit on a root. We wait. Someone walks out of the tent. A woman with skin a bit lighter than my Mom and Dad walk together on the sand dunes. coppery brown, and long hair. She has golden Kana and I run ahead, near the front of the earrings, indigo clothing, and green eyes. Israelites, jumping down sand dunes and running “Hello. Are you guys Egyptian or Israelite?” over them, too. Egypt is gradually disappearing in “I’m Israelite. She’s Egyptian. Don’t worry, we’re the distance, but that’s ok. It was a broken place. friends. She’s nice.” Kana answers. The sea is ahead. Kana and I run down the sand “Oh, ok then. Why are you here? My name’s dune, sliding a bit. Zipporah, by the way. Moses’s wife.” “Well, we were going to ask Moses, but I guess we I step over a coral plant. It’s nighttime. The stars are could ask you. This here’s Zahra.” Kana points to me. bright. The people of Israel are walking through the “I’m Kana. Zahra’s firstborn, and she tried to follow split sea, speedily and quietly. Kana looks up at the my instructions, which were Moses’s instructions, sky beside me. I trip over a rock and stand up again. but she burnt both the matzah and the Sacrifice. It The waves that tower over us are filled with doesn’t make sense why she isn’t dead right now. bioluminescence, little glowing blue specks. It’s And we don’t know why she isn’t.” Zipporah nods beautiful. A dying fish flops around on the sand. I thoughtfully. I dig my toes into the sand to avoid kick it back into the water. In the near distance, I the hot top layer. see the end of the water. PAGE 35 TEMPLE BETH AM NISSAN 5781

A little boy in front of me stops and puts his hand in the water. Someone ushers him forward. The ground is slowly rising - we’re reaching the end of the sea. I don’t know where we’re going, but I know we’ll be free.

Sources: Exodus (of course), Talmud Megillah, Midrash Rabbah: Exodus, Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Sefer Ha-Aggadah, The Jewish Study Bible, by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, The New Cambridge Bible Commentary: Exodus, by Carol Meyers, The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus, by Nahum Sarna, The Anchor Bible: Commentary by William H.C. Propp, Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt.