1 of 15 Introduction By Annette Charak

Sharing seder with family, friends and community is a central part of Jewish life and a striking marker of the festival of Pesach. This year, we have a new kind of different for the night that is different from all other nights. And we should be inspired to explore our creativity in making it meaningful and memorable not just for this year: new ideas, new games, new ways to share what we normally do together, even as we are separated. Gatherings by Zoom for the seder or before the seder will be commonplace and may inspire a new way for families who are geographically separated to “do seder” in the future. And telling the story and remembering our redemption in our household bubbles will imbue the evening with an intimacy that is foreign to many of us but which we may seek to replicate in years to come.

We have gathered in this Companion the reflections and contributions of several generous Shiraniks for you to enjoy at your seder or in your Pesach preparations, another way to bring something new to your Pesach discussions and celebrations. As we in Australia head for winter, we are reminded that in Israel, Pesach is the festival of spring. May this uniquely Jewish festival, with its universal message of freedom, be the harbinger of redemption and renewal—in all their forms—for us all.

Chag sameach,

A gut yontev.

2 of 15 So, this night seems different By Josh Goodman

At 29 I can't claim to have much wisdom. But one lesson I feel proud to categorise as 'wisdom', perhaps my first wise morsel, is that life always finds a way to kick you in the face. And what you get out of life is determined by your ability to get up and keep going. Upon reflection, it is wholly possibly that I stole this wisdom from the history of the Jewish people. If it is in fact merely an ancient anecdote, its shadow certainly eclipses 2020.

In this time of forced isolation, we as a community need to work out a way to keep moving forward. As we find ourselves knee deep in this unforeseen impediment, divine intervention presents us with a beautiful challenge to overcome this trial, and learn through overcoming.

If we are to believe the census, Seder nights are supposedly the most significant event in the calendar for the Australian Jewish community. It might not be the holiest time of the year for every Jew, but it's the event that touches more Jews than anything else. It succeeds in delivering a sense of narrative, community and sustenance in a way that Yom Kippur... doesn't, for one reason or other.

The common story-ness of the Seder is in many ways the fire that unites everyone around the table and fuels the sense of community. This is aided by a communal longing for first course, a communal tipsy feeling after glasses 3 and 4, and the communal nostalgia about the fact that we have all done this before, every year, with the same and different people. It is that last component - that nostalgia of bygone Seders, that we need to hold onto in this weird and powerful time.

Everyone reading this has had the privilege to grow up crowded around a table, engaging in the Seder story; with family, friends, friends of friends, your other friends cousin's friend (who it turns out is actually more related to you than them), and probably a few foreigners. The story has never changed. For the first time, however, the experience of reading the story will.

This year we will be participating in Seders in our own private spaces, surrounded only by our most intimate relations. For both my wife and I, this will be for the first time. For my parents, too, it will be their first Seder of 2. For many people, this night will be different to all other nights in which we ask, 'why is this night different?'.

In this light, G-d has given us the opportunity to participate in reading this story, the story that arguably defines the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, in a new and wonderful way. The nostalgia of bygone Seders is there for all of us to tap into as we read. It is an exciting opportunity to transport ourselves to every seder table we have ever sat at. All the best meals, the best company, the best readers, the best discussions, the fastest hallels, the mildest weather, the best , the most enriching experiences.

This is a time to reflect on how grateful we are for the life we have lived to this point, and ask ourselves what we want our life to look like in the future, once we emerge from this pandexodus.

The story of G-d taking us out of Egypt and the Jewish people settling in Israel was not a short, peaceful fairytale. It took work, sacrifice and a lot of faithful leadership. And so does a good Seder.

To the entire warm and wonderful Shira community, Next year in Melbourne!

3 of 15 Fir Kashes: By Tali Shroot (age 8)

Avadim Hayinu: a Discussion Point By Susie Gartner

Themes of freedom and slavery are pivotal to Pesach. We were once slaves and now we are free. We sing, remember and recall with gratitude AS IF WE WERE THERE.

During this current crisis, where are you in this? Where do you find yourself?

Can we be, paradoxically, both enslaved and free?

Wishing you a chag sameach,

Susie Gartner

4 of 15 Leyl Shimurim By Shani Tzoref

I've been studying a piyyut called Leyl Shimurim that is dated to the classical period of piyyut in the Land of Israel (6th-8th century). I want to share the closing lines of this piyyut. (I've also included some notes about two spinoffs here in this mail, but that might be too tedious to impose on the seder group). The poem was written as a "ma'ariv"-- a piyyut. to be said during the kriat shma of ma'ariv, leading into the shmoneh esreh of the first night of Pesach. Its premise is that the main events of history happened and will happen on the first night of Pesach-- from creation, through God's revelation to Avraham in the brit ben habetarim, yetziat mitzraim, and on to the future Redemption. This night--and specifically the exact middle of this night--is the time that has been "safeguarded" in the sense that it has been designated for transformative events throughout history, especially nation-building and salvation.

There is a later poem that was written as a parody of this piyyut: leyl shikorim-- the night of the drunkards.... but that is for another time. ((though i personally do need to be careful about drinking wine on pesach.))

Rabbi Meir bar Yitzchak (Nehorai) of Orléans (11th century), the composer of Akdamut for shavuot, wrote a more complicated "leyl shimmurim", for ma'ariv of the 2nd night pf pesach in Diaspora. He ends each line with a quotation of a biblical verse, and he includes quite a few references to women, either from biblical text or midrashim: Sarai being taken to Pharoah's palace; Avimelech's dream; Rivka's arranging for Jacob to get Isaac's blessing; Pharoah's daughter taking in Moshe--and her reward, to be spared from dying in the plague of firstborns. He presents this event through the words of Eshet Chayil, following a midrash: On the night of safeguarding, she (Pharoah's daughter) who had seen that the merchandise (Moshe) was good-- he candle will not be snuffed out... on the nights of the Pesach festival. ליל שימורים: טעמה כי טוב סחרה לא יכבה בלילה נרה.... בלילי חג פסח

The last lines of leyl shimmurim (notice the shin of shimurim, and tav of teshu'a: it's an alphabetic acrostic):

The night of safeguarding (God) announced to his beloved nation, whom he saved from the hands of Lehavim (= Egypt, as per the genealogy in Gen 10:13 where Lehavim are named among the children of Mizraim; but also means “flames"). It is a salvation for Israel ("Bat-Rabbim, 7:5), who repose in comfort and peace, without fear. כן יהי רצון חג כשר ושמח

ליל שימורים:

https://bit.ly/2XaQoYp

ליל שיכורים: https://bit.ly/2wlJKDS 5 of 15 This Symbol Will Not Fit on Your Seder Plate By Andrew Wirth

A note from Andrew:

This is a Seder Idea I came up with after writing a drash some years ago. We have used it a few times. This idea utilises the largest prop ever seen at a Seder- it wont fit on the Seder table! Below is the drash (note form) to accompany the prop. At any convenient point in the seder, take everyone outside. Start reading the drash, and when it feels right, look up.

—

In each generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he himself has come out of Egypt. We use our historical imagination in order to find ways to connect to this ancient story.

Props and symbols- seder plate, Dress as slaves, pharoah,

The ultimate prop... one simple but powerful sensory experience that (if the weather is good) we can all share with the generation who left Egypt, exactly as they experienced it without needing any imagination. What might that be?

The first commandment given to the Jewish people as a whole was given just before Pesach. What was this commandment? Can the first commandment be connected to the sensory experience?

“When someone goes outside and beholds the pale moon casting its delicate strands of light into empty reaches of the world, he recites a blessing…. He contemplates this spectacle of the waxing and waning of the moon and sees in it a symbol of … renewal.” (Soloveitchik )

God made the two great lights: the great light for ruling the day and the small light for ruling the night (Genesis 1:16)

The moon said: "Ruler of the World! Is it possible for two kings to make use of the same crown?" God said to her: "Go and make yourself smaller!" The moon said: "Ruler of the World! Because I said something reasonable before You, I am to make myself smaller!?" God said to her: "Go and rule by day and by night." The moon said to him: "What importance does that have? What use is a lamp in daylight?" God said to her: "Go, and the Jewish people will reckon days and years by you." The moon said to Him: "It is impossible for them not to reckon seasons by Day also!" "Go, and holy people will be named after you (Talmud, Chullin 60b)

When the Jews were in Egypt for 210 years (400 birth Isaac, 210 from Jacob going down) Slaves for ? Nearly extinguished spiritually - 49th level of degradation No freedom no free will Seder tells story of physical liberation - avadim hayinu,, and spiritual rebirths - idol worship

6 of 15 The moon is a fertile source of symbolism in jewish thought- it symbolises humility, frailty but also potential for renewal and growth, freedom, fertility and creativity and stands in contrast to the Egyptian worship of physical power symbolised by the sun god.

The first commandment, given on 1st Nissan two weeks prior to Pesach: “The Lord said to and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.” Exodus 12:1-20

Why was setting the calendar the first commandment?

…a major difference between a slave and a free person lies in the concept of time… . in the days of enslavement, your days are not your own (The Seforno ) when every day is the same and there are no choices to make - no freedom - time

The Egyptians worshipped the Sun, representing power, nature In contrast, the Jews were instructed to base their calendar on the moon - with human engagement and discernment, and they would determine their own time as an expression of freedom

… God desired that the annual cycle of the festivals should be sanctified by human beings… the "sanctification of the month" is the mitzvah whose "object" –time- is the most basic element of the physical creation. ( Lubavitcher Rebbe Likkutei Sichot, )

…..The angels asked God when He planned to declare the festivals. God replied that He and they would have to wait to see when the Jewish People would declare the festivals and they would have to agree with their declaration… in the past, the timing of the new month was solely under Gods jurisdiction, but from now on that control would be given over to them. "If you declare it, it is declared, if you don't then it is not declared," This is the meaning of the word "lachem." It is yours! Shemot Rabah 15:3

… time is not just a mechanical physical reality defined by the movement of the heavenly bodies …time is defined by human beings, as declared by the Jewish court. Each time the moon finds the sun again and receives its light once more, something profound takes place. …the new moon is a time of spiritual rebirth. Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller

7 of 15 The Ten Plagues By Yoni Shroot (Age 13)

The ten plagues do not go from easiest to hardest, when you look at the first and last plagues easiest to hardest seems to be the order but with all the plagues in the middle it no longer seems to be the case. There are a few different points of view to which of the plagues are the hardest. There is the view of the jews, the view of the Egyptians, and the view of pharaoh. From within these views we will see practical and emotional effects as well as looking at the true pattern within the plagues and analysing them based on who brought them.

We are first going to examine the plagues based on their impact on jews. The jews even though not being targeted by the plagues were heavily affected by them. For this reason we dip our finger when we say the ten plagues at the Seder. The only states that the jews were not affected by some of the later plagues, but in the other plagues the jews not being affected is only stated by mefarshim. For example the torah states "But all the enjoyed light in their dwellings." for darkness but for blood the torah states nothing. Looking at this point alone we see that the first few plagues were harder for the jews the others plagues. This shows the order is not in anyway easiest to hardest.

The Egyptians were also effected but more heavily than the jews. The first plague of blood would have been very dramatic. The Nile was the main source for agriculture in Egypt as well as being considered a god. For seven days the Egyptians didn't have access to fresh water (A source of life). They had to dig up water and they drank from a source not large enough to sustain Egypt. The next two were no where near as harsh on the Egyptians although the suffering would have been dramatic. Wild animals was even more severe then blood making it unsafe for people to leave there homes. Again there are too plagues with not much significance before the plague of hail which didn't just make it unsafe outside the homes of the Egyptians but made it unsafe inside the homes as well. We do not see another harsh plague until the death of the first born which was not just unsafe but deadly to almost a third of the population. Other disruptions in the order include lice which were a common pest all around Egypt even before the ten plagues. This shows how the plagues are not easiest to hardest.

The last point of view we are covering belongs to the target of the plagues, pharaoh. One test to find which plagues pharaoh said let them go after. This did not show a pattern from easiest to hardest or hardest to easiest. The occasions he agrees to let the jews go are frogs, wild animals, hail and death of the firstborn, this is similar to the view we had from the Egyptians. Another challenge is how the plagues denied his status as a god. The was not in a pattern at all. Amongst the plagues the references included darkness, mocking the sun god, blood, mocking the god of the Nile and frogs mocking the god of fertility. This shows some pattern but not a straight forward easiest to hardest idea.

The final way of looking at the plagues is about who brought them. The first three plagues were brought by Aron, the next three were brought by Hashem, the third set was brought by Moshe and the last plague was brought by the angel of death. This is the only argument that shows that the plagues go from, easiest to hardest. Even though the order has Hashem before Moshe and the angel of death there is a reason. The reason for the 2nd set of plagues was to show that Hashem was in the land, therefore Hashem has to take his turn before Moshe and the angel of death. This shows that they go from easiest to hardest unless if you look more closely. All the plagues came from Hashem. Moshe, Aron and the angel of death were only messengers delivering the plagues from Hashem. This again shows no significant order of the plagues

We can conclude that the ten plagues are not from easiest to hardest. If we look closely each group of three goes from hardest to easiest. From this knowledge we learn that if there were more plagues, plague eleven and twelve would not be as hard as the death of the firstborn. We have finally found a pattern in the plagues of Egypt.

8 of 15 What does Pesach mean, how does it work? By Alex Kats

The story of in marked a turning point for the Jews of the time. Until that point, they were just people not very united by slavery, hardship, family or famine. When they emerged from Egypt as a nation, they laid the groundwork for the Jews of today, and for that, Jewish people everywhere still celebrate and commemorate.

Pesach is the most technical festival on the calendar, but also one of the most unifying. Essentially it can be summarised as simply a festival that commemorates the biblical Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt, yet in so many ways, it is so much more. The story begins with the Jewish people entering Egypt because there was a famine in the Holy Land and they could not sustain themselves any longer without assistance. For a time, they were very welcome in their new land, but after a while the new Pharaoh ordered them to work for their supper as the ubiquitous slaves of Egypt. After many years, Moses arose as the leader of the Jewish people. When the time was right, he unleashed God’s wrath on Pharaoh with ten plagues and much anguish. Eventually and reluctantly, Pharaoh relented and the ‘children of Israel’ were free at last. More than six hundred thousand of them left Egypt, but before doing so, Moses ordered them all to smear some lamb’s blood on their outer doorposts on their final night. This act was designed to identify their homes so that the angel of death, as part of the final plague, would pass over their homes and spare them. Once this happened, they had very little time to pack their belongings and in the rush of departure, made bread that was unleavened, for it didn’t have enough time to rise. Nearly a week after leaving, they ended up at the Red Sea. By this point, Pharaoh had realised the extent of his mistake, so he sent out the remainder of his army to catch them and bring them back. Here God performed another miracle, parting the sea allowing the Jews to walk through whilst drowning their oppressors.

The modern day festival of Pesach is very procedural, gastronomically challenging and laborious, but it is one of very few festivals in the Jewish calendar that Jews all over the world, religious or secular, mark in some kind of way. Pesach is an eight-day festival. The first two days recall the actual time when the Jewish people were allowed to leave Egypt, whilst the last two days recall the time when they crossed the Red Sea, with the four days in between considered interim days. The festival is distinguished in large part by its peculiar food. During the entire eight days of the festival, no bread product is allowed to be consumed in commemoration of the unleavened bread that was made during the rush to leave Egypt. This element of the story has become one of the centrepieces of the festival, and in fact, nothing that rises can be eaten, and no food or product that uses yeast, self-rising flour, or anything of that sort can be used. Instead, a specially produced unleavened bread called Matzah is substituted. It is flat, hard, a little tasteless and somewhat reminiscent of cardboard. Many people take this law about unleavened bread further, and not only substitute their food intake for eight days, but replace all their dishes, crockery, cutlery and utensils. One of the reasons why such a fuss is made about eating only Matzah products and not bread is because the only real difference between bread and Matzah is time. The ingredients are basically the same – flour and water – except that bread has time to rise whilst Matzah does not. The metaphor is that everyone can have Matzah, even if they suffer a little for a few days, whilst only these with more time can afford themselves the luxury of bread. This may not seem like it is so relevant today, but in its essence, it is a unifying factor that everyone can relate to.

9 of 15 If Matzah and Matzah products were the only issue to worry about on Pesach then it would not be so complex. The main difficulty of Pesach is an element known as Seder, which literally means ‘order’ and is a ceremony with fifteen very symbolic, ordered steps that basically narrate the story of the Exodus using most of the fives senses. The ceremony comprises of specific foods, including lamb as well as wine, songs and the retelling of the story. These are the basic tenets, but a Seder can also include dance, theatrical representations, visual aids and games specifically designed to entice children. During the harsh years in Egypt, the children were persecuted as much as the adults, but without them, the next generation won’t know what happened. This is a festival that shows us that although we are now free, true freedom means abiding by an ordered ceremony with odd foods, appreciating that there are choices in the world and people who are much less fortunate.

Reflections of Pesach: A personal journey of the Festival of Freedom By Alex Kats

Pesach for me has always been the most unifying of holidays. Even in my family, where Jewish practice was often rare, I can always remember Matzah on the table, kneidlach in the chicken soup and a Seder of sorts led by my grandmother, and later by me as I got older. In recent years, I have experienced Pesach and many other Jewish festivals, but my love for Pesach in particular has never been extinguished. I remember my grandmother telling us one time that as a child in Poland and later in Russia, she and her family had to struggle to access even a single piece of Matzah, though most of the people in her community barely even remembered what the Matzah was supposed to represent. Despite that, having it on Pesach was always important to them.

Passion and dedication like that inspired me to learn more about the significance of Pesach in particular, and the Jewish story in general. I came to realise that most of us don’t really appreciate the freedoms that we have, especially during the Festival of Freedom. I realised this in the most dramatic of ways when I had the privilege and honour of leading Seder and spending Pesach with very special communities in Belarus and a few years later in Germany, under the auspices of the New York based Lauder Foundation.

I ended up in Belarus about a decade ago after a chance conversation in Israel with someone from the Lauder Foundation. We landed in Minsk, the capital of a country that is often referred to as the last remnant of Communism. It is poor, inward looking, remote, cold and run very much like a dictatorship despite a façade of democracy. Upon arrival, I was paired with three Americans and a translator, and then we were sent off to Mogilev, a town of about 300,000 people, 200km east of Minsk, which outside of the capital, is one of the largest provincial towns in the country.

Mogilev for me was a fascinating experience. To start with, it was very difficult to make an international call from there. Eventually I spoke to my dad very briefly, telling him where I was. When I next spoke to him from Moscow, he had found out from my grandparents that one of my great grandfathers was actually born in Mogilev. I didn’t know that when I was there, but that knowledge even now gives me a greater connection to the town. Apart from that, I am a Kohen and though there is not always a minyan every week in Mogilev, there certainly was 10 of 15 one on Pesach. During the service I did Birkat Kohanim (the priestly blessing) which for me was not big deal, but before I even began, I could see some of the older men smiling and looking excited. After I finished, I discovered that as far as anyone knows, that was the first time that Birkat Kohanim had been performed in Mogilev since before the War. No wonder the older men were excited.

Before the War, the town had a thriving Jewish community, with more than half the population Jewish. The current Jewish community numbers around 2,000, but no-one is quite sure of the figure, particularly since a number of people identify as Jews but are not technically Jewish, whilst others who are Jewish, don’t admit it. In any case, the first Pesach Seder attracted 120 people, whilst the second had over 90. The Seders themselves were interesting but not extraordinary. The people and the conditions however, were fascinating.

The Jewish community of Mogilev is housed in a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a Soviet era block of flats. The apartment is the synagogue (where we had services), the community centre, the office of all the Jewish organisations, the bookshop, the kosher shop and the youth centre. It is not however large enough for a gathering the size of a Seder, so whilst others stayed in the apartment to peel potatoes in the bath or distribute American- sponsored free boxes of Matzah to the locals, on my first day, I went with one of the elders to secure a venue for the Seder. We ended up hiring the central theatre in the middle of town, but we were only allowed to use the space between the stage and the first row of seats, and only after the last showing of the evening. We also had access to a kitchen on the first floor, but it had no stove or oven, nor any hotplates, so for the first time that I recall, my Pesach meal consisted of no hot food, and in fact, very little food at all – probably very similar to how it will be this year! The locals however were pleased, as they were delighted that a free Jewish meal had three (small) courses, including a piece of (cold) meat.

Our guide for much of our stay was Sasha, a 19-year-old first year university student studying archaeology. He recounted to us that although neither of his parents are technically Jewish, one of his paternal grandparents was, and that he has long had an affinity with the Jewish people and only had Jewish friends at school. He soon learned about the sacred Jewish artefacts of old and started participating in archaeological digs, for in Belarus, before a new building is built, because of the history of the country, archaeologists are first sent in to scour the site. He joined these digs and has unearthed numerous pieces of Jewish interest. The city archaeologists aren’t usually concerned with the Jewish relics, but because of his studies, he has learned to identify Jewish markings and showed us his collection of broken items from the many Jewish buildings that used to stand all over town. He hopes to go to Israel one day so that he can see some of the sites in the Holy Land. In the meantime, he joined us for Seder.

Lena was someone else we met at the Seder, and probably one of the most inspiring people any of us had ever met. She was 17 years old when we met her, and the previous year, she represented Belarus at the International Bible Quiz in Israel. That does not necessarily sound so impressive until you take into account the fact that apart from possibly some people in Minsk, Belarus has no one qualified or capable of teaching the Bible to the level that is required for what is considered to be the most challenging quiz of its type. Mogilev certainly does not have such teachers, which meant that Lena not only taught herself Hebrew, and biblical Hebrew at that, but also taught herself the Bible! She and her friends at the Jewish youth movement get together each week to teach themselves about Judaism and what it means to be Jewish, and then teach whatever it is that they know to the younger generations. The dedication and enthusiasm with which she spoke in English and Hebrew, was truly intoxicating.

These are just some of the people that we met. The town itself felt like we had stepped back in time, with Coca Cola the sole recognisable item for those of us with Western eyes. Communism may be dead, but obviously no one told the residents of Mogilev. It was rebuilt 11 of 15 after the War and although the lifestyle is different now, from our point of view, the town still had a very Communist feel to it. Despite that, the Jews of the town inspired us. If they can teach themselves the Bible, then we, with our comforts and opportunities should surely not take Judaism for granted.

Like it often is, though maybe not quite this year, Pesach in Mogilev was also a very unifying festival. I discovered that like my family, all the Americans were products of families who had also emigrated from Eastern Europe. As the four of us joined the locals and sat in a makeshift hall in an otherwise empty theatre in freezing temperatures with no heating eating cold schnitzel and salad on plastic plates, we appreciated the Festival of Freedom, possibly for the first time.

A few years later I had the opportunity to experience that sense of freedom again. I spent Pesach in Germany, though not in any of the major cities. Again, with another group of Americans, I was sent to the town of Flensburg, on the northern tip of Germany on the Danish border. The town itself of about 85,000 residents is an incredibly picturesque port and former Danish fishing village with multi-coloured façades on all the buildings, cobble-stoned streets, many large converted mansions and awe-inspiring harbour views. Peppered in amongst the beauty of the town are 70-85 Jewish members. The discrepancy in the numbers lies in the fact that some would not be considered Jewish by Halachic standards, but in a town of this size, every active member is a valuable, accepted and cherished contributor.

The Jewish community, though extremely small, is rather active. With funding from the Lauder Foundation, the government and other benefactors, unlike in Mogilev, they have a well- resourced, and considering the size of the community, a rather sizable Jewish centre. Amongst the resources are a great many books on all manner of Jewish topics in German and Russian, as well as some in English and Hebrew. They have a donated Torah scroll along with translated and transliterated prayers books. They also have numerous artefacts and many other tangible manifestations of Jewish practices and customs.

Despite all that though, the one thing they constantly lack is the knowhow of how to use the resources and engage in an active Jewish lifestyle. That is why they needed people like us to conduct the Seders for them. Over the course of two evenings, we had met every member of the community, including some active non-Jewish partners. For the first Seder alone, more than 60 people turned up – probably a per capita record – including the local Parish priest, who is always an honoured guest at any Jewish activity in Flensburg. For that reason and others, parts of the Seder were unconventional maybe by Western standards, but we learned later that at least a few of the Jewish people had never been to a Seder previously, whilst some had not been to one for many years. It was Pesach that brought out its unifying power yet again of bringing everyone together to relive our freedom, and if not for us, then maybe they wouldn’t have even had a Seder at all.

As we left Flensburg we remembered that Germany still has one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the world, and many of the Jews who migrate live in some of the smallest cities in the country. Despite that and despite their limited or completely non-existent Jewish knowledge, their thirst for Judaism is often much stronger than that of many of us who have grown up in the Western world. We even met some German people who converted to Judaism after being inspired by the new migrants in their towns. After meeting some of the locals, we also realised that both the youth and their parents know that in a generation or two, Germany, in many ways like Belarus, will either be a renaissance Jewish community, maybe like it once was, or a place where immigrants came and lost all semblance of their sometimes tenuous Jewish roots.

We came to their communities because they invited us. They wanted to experience what they called an authentic Seder, and in both communities, we were told that only people who live in the West and have had a proper Jewish education can host an authentic Seder for them. This, 12 of 15 despite the fact that each of our families had come to the West from their part of the world. They appreciated our Jewish education and opportunities, even if sometimes we take those opportunities for granted. If they still feel this year, I feel sorry for them this year, because no one from abroad will be visiting. Hopefully they have had enough experience to conduct their own Seders.

And even this year, as I sit alone or in a small gathering at my Seder table in Melbourne, I will really appreciate the freedom that I have, and I hope we all have a heightened sense of appreciation, knowing that our brothers and sisters in remote parts of the world do not have the same luxuries that we do, but nonetheless have a special understanding of what it truly and in a unifying way means to be free.

Bob the Frog By Kovi Shroot (age 11)

Instructions for easy jumping frog origami

13 of 15 Dayeinu in the time of Corona By Esther (Chooch) Takac

In these troubled times, with how many layers of good fortune are we blessed in our lives here?

We live in an island continent, far from borders where infection can cross - Dayeinu

Ours is a wealthy country with a democratic and functional government that can deal with crisis - Dayeinu

Our suburbs are well-planned with leafy parks where we can easily practice social distancing - Dayeinu

We have roads and electricity, and Internet that connects us to the world, the latest news updates and each other – Dayeinu

Many of us live in comfortable homes with green gardens and big TVs and Netflix streaming so staying home can be a pleasure – Dayeinu

We’ve got access to abundant clean running water so we’re able to wash our hands twenty seven times a day if we desire - Dayeinu

Our health system is one of the best in the world, prepared for a possible influx of infected people, but in the meantime not overloaded - Dayeinu

We have one of the highest rates of Covid testing and we’re not running out of tests any time soon- Dayeinu

We’re part of a Jewish community that’s well resourced and organised to look after those who are vulnerable and struggling - Dayeinu

We belong to the Shira Kehila that connects us to prayer and song and deep thinking and acts of kindness and community – Dayeinu!

If all people everywhere in the world could enjoy our blessings, then we could really shout out Dayeinu!!!

P.S. As I watch the news from across the globe with growing fear and sadness swelling through my body, I can’t help but feel how lucky we are.

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Chad Gadya By Nomi Shroot (Age 10)

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