—-Introduction—- 5 What’s Your Flavour 1 1 Something For Everyone —-Introduction—- Table of Contents INTRODUCTIONS Shmuel Schwarz Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag Page 24 Eternal Freedom Overview Page 3 Mychiel Balshine Michael Williams Page 25 Jews for Dews President’s Reflections Page 5 Chaim Hibbert Page 26 The Omer Count Aaron Gillis STORIES Page 27 Song Of Songs Seder spies Page 7 Avi Moher Holy Chometz Page 8 Page 28 From Egypt To Shul Almost MH370 Page 10 Six Matzos Page 12 Ninth Day Page 13 ADVANCED Milky Seder Page 14 Yisroel Meir Adler True Words Page 14 Page 31 Sale of Chometz Matzah Care Page 15 Mychiel Balshine Pesach Jokes Page 15 Page 32 Rabbinical Insomnia Pini Harris Page 34 Matzah and Leaning YOM TOV ARTICLES Yehuda Zev Mendelsohn Dovi Colman Page 35 Obliteration of Chametz Jewish Spring Page 18 Yehuda Zev Mendelsohn The name Passover Page 19 COMMUNITY Yaacov Hibbert Rebbetzen Debbie Guttentag Question Time Page 20 Page 39 Community Update What’s Your Flavour 2 2 Something For Everyone —-Introduction—- Booklet Overview WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOUR….? …….OF HARDBOILED EGG, SALTWATER AND A NIGHT OF JEWISH CONTINUITY reminder that even though Pesach By celebrates liberation from Pharaoh’s Egypt Rabbi we are still mourners for the absence of the Jonathan Temple in Jerusalem. But there is an idea beyond the tears. The Guttentag Book of Vayikra teaches that salt is the subject of an eternal Divine covenant, Bris What’s your flavour? The French saychacun a melach olom. Salt was always to be offered on son gout; for Israelis al taam vereyach eyn the offerings on the altar, the korbanos in lehitvakeyach – over the taste and aroma one the Bes Hamikdosh. Salt thus embodies a cannot argue. For us in the UK we say there theological principle. Salt is special because is no accounting for taste. Each person has of its effect as a preservative. Salt makes the flavours and tastes that are special to things last a long time. Salt is covenantal, it them. No more so than on the Seder night – symbolises that which is eternal and an evening of taste and flavour. permanent. We dip into salt water on the Seder night because we are celebrating the The present booklet, edited with skill and Jewish people, enduring, permanent and flair by Mychiel Balshine, presents different eternal. flavours and aspects of the richness of the traditional Pesach experience. It represents The hardboiled egg, too, comes with a the multi-flavoured and diverse Jewish deeper symbolic message. In contrast to educational offering that is available other foods, which cooking and heat softens throughout the year by courtesy of the them, the egg has a unique property; the Forum and Whitefield Community Kollel, more you cook it the harder it becomes; and, here at Whitefield Shul. So in the coming so too, the Jewish people. Persecution from months please avail yourselves of what we the days of Pharaoh’s Egypt, instead of have on offer; and to our many donors and softening the Jewish people, has had the supporters, many thanks for enabling our effect of making them harder and more work to continue and grow. resilient. While ‘in each generation they rise up to destroy us’, we are the people of ~~~~~~ continuity, we are the eternal people. One of the well known customs of the Seder On Seder night we rededicate ourselves to night, at least in Ashenazic homes, is to eat being part of that story of permanence and hardboiled egg and saltwater. The eternality - one more golden link in the chain conventional explanation is that the of Jewish tradition and transmission. On saltwater represents tears of persecution Seder night we take our children and and the hardboiled egg is food given to grandchildren and we connect ourselves mourners. All designed to provide the with the traditions that we have received What’s Your Flavour 3 3 Something For Everyone —-Introduction—- from earlier generations and we pass them the news. into to the next generations. Do you remember anything else from your ~~~~~~ childhood? He thinks for a minute and he says, Lag Baymer. Well, already Lag We might never know what power our Baomer that is a more specialised term and performance has on Seder night, what occasion. We are on the right track. But still potential there lies within it, stored up for it is the sort of the word that an outsider future generations in our own family. Here is could have got hold of and learnt specially a story I heard from one of my mentors, the for the occasion, and no real proof. Do late Reb Aba Dunner z’l. His account of you have any memory of being Jewish, or sitting in on a session of the Beth Din in your Jewish life from your childhood? So Moscow which was set up in the early 1990’s the old man is sitting, pulling with his hand to help Russian Jews establish their Jewish at his brow, his forehead; he is going red identity with the exertion, he is tugging at his hair; People who wished to go to Israel had to the sweat is pouring down off him; It is as if first prove that they were Jewish. But there he is reaching back into his past trying to had been no organised Jewish life in Russia pull something out from his childhood for the decades of the communist regime. memory, trying to reconnect with a long lost Nobody had Ketubahs from their parents’ or past. grandparents’ marriage. And so instead And he is saying: Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma… So candidates attended the Beth Din to be they ask him - Yes what is it what can you questioned about their memory of Jewish see, what are you saying? Ma … Ma… practices and rituals from their home and Ma…. - I am a young child, four or five years their childhood. old, I can see that I am sitting at on my An elderly couple had travelled to appear grandfather’s knee; and he is listening and before the Beth Din, The wife - she looked everyone is listening while I say something Jewish; but the husband - it looked a bit out loud… And can you remember what remote, he just didn’t look Jewish. Each you are saying? Ma Ma Ma MaNishtana spouse was interviewed separately in a HaLayla Hazeh And he collapses into a heap formal and official manner. They asked the and there is silence. For eighty years, says husband if he would like to step outside to the old man, I lived not as a Jew, and now at the waiting room. They interviewed the wife the end of my life, I want to go to my and indeed they were able to confirm that homeland to live my last years, so that I can she was Jewish. And so the dayanim said: die as a Jew and so that I can be buried in please call your husband in, and if you Eretz Yisrael. wouldn’t mind to wait outside. As we prepare to link in to Pesach Sedarim The husband comes in. They ask him his of the past and to build from them the name. He doesn’t have a Jewish name. So tastes, the flavours, the sights, the sounds they say to him, do you remember anything from which the memories of Pesach Sedarim about Jewish life? Any word, any term, any of the future will be nourished, let us do so day, any holiday? So he says: Yom with knowledge, with enthusiasm, with love, Kippur. Yom Kippur, the Rabbis ponder; with dedication and commitment, and may that is not a proof that a person is Jewish, the work of our hands be blessed by the everyone knows Yom Kippur. In recent years Almighty. there was the Yom Kippur war that was in Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag What’s Your Flavour 4 4 Something For Everyone —-Introduction—- and Tubishvart Attack have become ever popular annual events enjoyed by large President’s numbers of people. Many young boys continue to benefit from the Anim Zmirot programme which Reflections culminates in them performing in Shul on Shabbat morning and being presented with a certificate by the Rabbi. By Once again, and for my The summer season of Shabbat Proms, Michael final time as morning and afternoon Kollels together President of Williams with one to one learning with members of WHC, it is my the community between 6-45pm and 7- honour and 45pm Sunday to Thursday, Club 13, Club privilege to write an introduction for the Supreme, Shavuot late night learning WCK/Forum booklet. sessions, Tisha B’Av seminars, Ladies The Forum/WCK and our Shul have Tehillim Group, Children’s Services and enjoyed a successful relationship over the Jewish Philosophy course with Rabbi many years, working in partnership to Mitch Goodman are just some of the long provide members of WHC with events list of offerings from which members which are both stimulating and enjoyable. benefit and for which we must thank the These events, always very well supported Forum. have nevertheless this year surprised all Rabbi Guttentag continues to work those who have been involved in tirelessly to provide guidance and organising them, by attracting even larger inspiration and together with the Forum numbers of people. Trustees, leads the fundraising efforts The prime example was Shabbat UK, which ensure that our community will which from Friday night until after benefit from the efforts of the Forum/ Shabbos, found our Shul and the Evelyn WCK for the future. Lubin Hall, full to bursting throughout and To all those who work tirelessly to I am happy to report that this wonderful provide us with such a wide range of experience is to be repeated later this programmes, I thank you on behalf of the year, on Shabbat Lech Lecha.