B’nai Shalom of Olney Guide 2020 / 5780

Rabbi Scott Hoffman Hazzan Sara Geller

“A voice rings out, ‘Proclaim!’ Another asks, ‘What shall I proclaim?’ All flesh is grass, all its goodness like flowers of the field…Man is like grass, which withers and fades. But the word of G-d endures eternally.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

B’nai Shalom of Olney 18401 Burtfield Drive Olney, MD 20832

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B’NAI SHALOM OF OLNEY PASSOVER GUIDE 2020/5780

Friends,

As I prepare this guide, my heart is broken. I am conflicted with emotions which I cannot reconcile and in spirit am struggling to prepare for what should be a joyous celebration.

But, as , we know the necessity to move forward in the face of adversity. We face tragedy with strength and dignity, hardship with courage and resolve.

Preparing this guide presented me with a challenge. On the one hand, it required covering technical issues and, on the other, emotional issues related to the COVID19 crisis. What follows is my attempt to address both of those needs. I hope this guide will be of value to you, but please use it any way that meets your needs. I would be honored if your holiday was improved even modestly as a result of my efforts.

I start with a few technical issues because it’s important that we make necessary adjustments on one hand, but also strive for a sense of normalcy and continuity on the other. And, yes, this includes the parts we like as well as a few which – well, we have mixed feelings about. And, please forgive me for sprinkling in a bit of levity. It’s a part of me that simply doesn’t go away, even in a crisis, and I think we all need to smile every now and then to remind ourselves what joy feels like.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Scott Hoffman

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Kashering/Cleaning

Nothing creates a greater sense of dread in a Jewish home than the words, “Passover’s coming.” The preparation is difficult and time-consuming. I can’t totally alleviate this problem, but I offer a few suggestions which might help a bit.

The general rule is, places must be well-searched and specifically cleaned for only if it’s a place for which and in which chametz is normally consumed. This is your yearly reminder that dirt is not chametz. Clean your home, but don’t worry about washing down the walls or checking your books for crumbs.

So first, remove any chametz which you can. Foods which you will use after the festival can be sold through the “sale of chametz” link on the synagogue’s website sent via email yesterday. They are then stored in a sealed box and placed in the garage or basement until after the holiday.

Second, store away any pots and pans which will not be used for Passover. They don’t have to be sold, by the way – the requirement is that they be placed in a secure location away from your Passover items. Just put the everyday pots and pans in a plastic storage bin, wipe down your cabinets, and pop in the Passover pots and pans.

Finally, there’s the question of koshering. My rule of thumb is that you should do as little koshering as possible, if for no other reason than personal safety. (Want to overflow a pot of boiling water to kosher it? Uh, no).

Knives/forks/spoons are koshered by placing them in boiling water. (No, the pot doesn’t need to overflow, but please be careful when removing the utensils.) Then, set them aside for the holiday. If you’re not comfortable doing this, either get yourself some inexpensive Passover utensils or use plastic. In fact, I will definitely be doing this myself.

If you have a self-cleaning oven, run it through a self-cleaning cycle. If not, clean the oven with a cleaner like Easy Off, set on high for an hour and that’s fine.

If you have a microwave, place a cup of water in it, turn it on, and once the water has evaporated you’re good to go.

Burners are koshered by turning them on for a few minutes at maximum heat. Wipe down the shelves of your refrigerator and freezer.

A tablecloth need only be run through the washer/dryer.

Cold drinking glasses need only be cleaned. (Yes, I know your bubby would soak them in water for three days, changing the water each day, but I would go with the Sephardic leniency here.)

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If you want a Passover coffee mug, that’s a great idea, and if you want to use disposable that’s also fine. But, as an environmentalist, promise you won’t continue after Passover.

Finally, your home will become “kosher for Passover” on the eve of the festival and the following morning. On the night before Passover, you will need to place ten pieces of chametz around your home and, using a feather, a wooden spoon and a candle (or flashlight) place them in a bag set aside for the following morning. As you begin your “search” for chametz, you need to recite the following blessing:

Baruch Atah Ad-nai El-hainu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzvivanu al biur chametz.

Blessed are you, O L-rd our G-d, who has sanctified us with his commandments and ordained that we remove chametz.

The following morning, at 9:30 am, the chametz is burned (if possible) or minimally discarded in the trash outside. We read the blessing above and add the following declaration (bittul chametz):

Any leaven which I have that is in my possession, which I have not seen, not removed or am unaware of, and which as a result I have not removed, shall be considered ownerless as the dust of the earth.

If you would like to participate virtually, Cantor Sara Geller will be performing both rituals for the congregation; check the BSO website for details.

Kosher for Passover Food

The biggest hardship for many people this Passover, other than being alone, is missing the food we all look forward to. But, let’s remember that the mitzvah lies in the performance of the rituals themselves, not in the variety of foods to which we have become accustomed.

Matzah is still available; shmurah matzah is preferable, but only for the seders. Why? Because it is a mitzvah to eat matzah only on the first two nights. At the remaining times, the mitzvah is negative – to avoid eating chametz. So splurge on one box of shmura, but stick with the less expensive variety the rest of the time.

I have no idea if jarred horseradish will be difficult to acquire, but, if it is, I would suggest using romaine lettuce (not iceberg) and perhaps buying a fresh horseradish root. You place a few shavings of the latter on your lettuce and, believe me, you’ll experience the bitterness of slavery. You can also use chicory, by the way.

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Charoset requires apples, nut and wine, with a dash of cinnamon, and, as I write these words, these are still available.

Any green vegetable will do for , but did you know that in Israel many people use a boiled potato?

If you can’t get to the butcher for a shankbone, use a roasted beet.

Assuming you can prepare a roasted egg and get your hands on some wine or grape juice, you can have your seder. Yes, that’s really all you need food-wise. Of course, you can, and should, prepare the best meal you can. But, don’t worry if you don’t outdo yourself this year. Next year we’ll have, G-d willing, the opportunity to return to normal.

Now, what foods are kosher for Passover? The Rabbinical Assembly has posted a list on its website; the link is http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/2020- 02/Pesah%20Guide%205780.pdf . But here’s a general rule: foods which are acquired before Passover are treated more leniently than those acquired during the festival, and unprocessed foods are treated more leniently than processed ones. So before Passover, go ahead and buy milk without Passover certification, or honey, dried fruit, frozen vegetables (but check the ingredients to be sure it’s only the vegetable) and coffee or tea. If supply chains are broken it should be permissible to do this even in the middle of Passover, but make a good faith attempt to do so before the holiday.

Candle Lighting

In English, the candle lighting prayer is :

Blessed are You, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us through the commandments and ordained that we kindle the lights of the Festival.

This is followed by :

Blessed are You, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

In transliteration :

Baruch atah Ad-nai, El-hainu Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadleek ner shel Yom Tov.

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And :

Baruch atah Ad-nai El-hani Melech ha-olam, she-he-chayanu v’kiy-manu v’hgi-anu la-zman ha-zeh.

The Seder Nights

Okay, so you’ve koshered your house, done your Passover shopping and are now ready for the seder nights. First logistical question – does everyone have the same ? There are downloadable haggadot if you want to go that way, or you could use Maxwell House or the red and yellow haggadah we used in Hebrew school. The Hebrew text of the haggadah is standard, more or less; anyone who can follow the Hebrew can probably also find his/her place even if using a different haggadah.

Depending upon your own family’s customs and traditions, let’s say you wanted to “keep it simple.” The Hebrew would consist of the following: the at the beginning of the seder, the four questions, the blessing for the karpas and the blessings for the matzah and . You might also read the plagues in Hebrew as that’s not difficult, but, even if you do, I would repeat them in English.

What about the rest? Truth be told, it’s perfectly fine to read it in English. If you are interested in a haggadah along those lines, there is a 60 minute Seder available here: https://store.30minuteseder.com/60minute-Seder-DOWNLOAD_p_18.html The Hallel and Grace After Meals are abbreviated to save time, but a free download of the full version is offered for those who want it. (Or you could grab a few wedding or bar/bat mitzvah benchers and a siddur.) The cost is twenty dollars but you print it out at home, with as many copies as you wish, for that price.

When reading English passages, you can go from person to person with the readings if you all have the same haggadah, or you could email passages to the participants in advance. More active participants are more engaged participants, and that’s doubly important in a situation when we’re all sitting apart.

The core of the story (maggid) could be assigned to someone to retell in his/her own words. You don’t have to read every paragraph, but when relating the story it should cover the arc of Jewish history “from slavery to freedom.”

One section I would not omit concerns Rabban Gamaliel’s three symbols – the Passover offering, maror and matzah. You can certainly read this in English, but it’s one of the oldest and most central aspects of the service, so it’s worth including.

A logistical question concerns the meal. Some people will want to end the Zoom video with the meal. Let’s therefore do everything possible before the meal, remembering that we are still trying to keep the traditional order (you really can’t

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B’NAI SHALOM OF OLNEY PASSOVER GUIDE 2020/5780 say the Grace After Meals before you eat). To that end, you could try having a quiz among the kids, with the winner getting an prize (okay, everyone else too). Yes, you have to eat the afikoman after the meal, but you can always search for it before.

You can also sing all the songs listed at the back of the haggadah before the meal, like or . There’s no precise placement for them so anywhere you choose to sing them is acceptable. Cantor Geller has posted a number of on the BSO YouTube channel for you, so you can look there for ideas for your own seder.

If you do it this way, you’ll end up doing a few prayers yourself, but they’re prayers you would move through quickly under the best of circumstances.

The Seder and COVID19

The real question this year, once all is said and done, is how you should celebrate in a difficult and challenging time. The answer is: by trying to strike a balance between conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, when we celebrate Passover as we always do (more or less), then we are expressing hope for the future. We are expressing the belief that life in general, and Jewish life in particular, will continue forward for us as in the past. Victor Frankl, a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, reminded us that once a person gives up hope, all is lost. So let’s keep hope alive in this time.

On the other hand, we can’t simply avert our eyes from the hardship all around us. Here in the United States, far more have died already of COVID19 than perished on September 11th. We must acknowledge that reality, taking into account the sensitivities of children and others who may have difficulty coping with such reminders.

I offer a few suggestions, to which you should feel free to add your own.

First, at a minimum I would observe a moment of silence for the victims. We could do this after reciting the list of ten plagues. You could also tie it to the idea of seeing oneself as having personally emerged from Egypt. We ourselves feel as if we’re waiting for “liberation,” albeit from the scourge of disease rather than the scourge of tyranny.

Second, one might consider reciting a special mi-sheberach for the recovery of those being treated for this disease. You could use the traditional formulation of the prayer book or simply write a prayer of your own. You can find the traditional Hebrew and English texts here: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/mi- sheberakh-may-the-one-who-blessed/

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Third, I would also spend some time sharing stories of heroism from these dark days. After all, if there was no to lead us, would we have ever been freed? Who are the people serving as “Moses” to us? We need to acknowledge their bravery, and reflect upon ways in which we might emulate it.

Fourth, try including a special reading or poem for this time. My colleague, Rabbi Naomi Levy, is a “poet laureate” among rabbis (I say that with utmost seriousness as many of us are writers but few are poets). You can access her poem, which I shared with a number of you during one of our minyans, here: https://nashuva.com/a-prayer-of-hope-during-this-pandemic/

Fifth, I think it is imperative that we all assert our belief in traditional Jewish values, including the coming of the Messiah. After all, we know that the prophet is invoked at the seder. Why? Because Israel was redeemed in the past on this night, so too will Israel be redeemed on this night in the future. There really is only one song which captures this spirit, “Ani Ma’amin,” an anthem recited in memory of Holocaust victims. You can access a stunning performance by a group of high school students here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY3kYPeTL3A. The words are listed here:

Ani ma'amin, Be'emuna shelema

Beviat hamashiach ani ma'amin Beviat hamashiach, ma'amin Beviat hamashiach ani ma'amin Beviat hamashiach, ma'amin

Veaf al pi sheyitmahmeha Im kol zeh, achake loh Veaf al pi sheyitmahmeha Im kol zeh, achake loh

Im kol zeh, im kol zeh, achake loh Achake bechol yom sheyavoh Im kol zeh, im kol zeh, achake loh Achake bechol yom sheyavoh

(sof) Ani ma'amin

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Yizkor

Yizkor is the religious service in memory of our loved ones who are no longer with us. It is recited on as well as the last day of each of the three Festivals – Shavuot, Sukkot and Passover. Yizkor for Passover this year occurs on Thursday, April 16th. Services that morning begin at 9:15 am, and Yizkor should start at 9:45 am.

Virtual Resources

BSO’s Pesach Resource Page Hazzan Geller’s Resource Page Sell Your Chametz PJ Library Haggadah Passover Made Easier - PJ Library Pesah Guidance from the Rabbinical Assembly Cantor's Assembly - Virtual Seder USCJ Passover Resource Page Conservative Yeshiva Resource Page Jewish Grandparents Network Resource Page

Service Schedule

Sunday, April 5th 7:00 pm - Q&A with Rabbi Hoffman: Passover Edition. Rabbi Hoffman will answer your questions about Passover under Quarantine during this live Q&A. (click HERE to join)

Tuesday, April 7th 12:00 pm - Last Chance to Sell Chametz - click HERE to fill out the online form. 8:30 pm - Live Search for Chametz with Hazzan Geller - (click HERE to join)

Wednesday, April 8th - Erev Pesach/Taanit Bechorot 8:00 am - First Born Service & Siyyum (click HERE to join) 9:30 am - Live Burning of Chametz via Zoom (click HERE to join) 7:10 pm - Ma'ariv & Candle Lighting (click HERE to join) First Night Virtual Seder "Live" with Hazzan Geller You're invited to celebrate Seder with Cantor Geller. (click HERE to join)

Thursday, April 9th - Pesach 9:15 am - Pesach First Day Service (click HERE to join) 8:23 pm - Candle Lighting (click HERE to join)

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Last Words

Obviously, I have not covered each and every aspect of Passover observance, in this year or any other. But, I have endeavored to offer a few pieces of advice which I hope will make this festival meaningful for you.

Someday, many years from now, our children and grandchildren will still remember this Passover. It’s surely “different from all other nights.” Hard as it is, let’s make it memorable for them. And, may we be privileged to celebrate together, if not in Jerusalem, then at least in our own homes.

L’shana ha-ba b’batenu

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