Frichy, April 7, 1944
THE JEWISH NEWS
Passover Facts and Legends
A Section for Our Boys and Girls
Dear Boys and Girls:
The great Festival of Freedom is here, and for a period of
eight days we shall all rejoice over a great Jewish historic event
which always inspires us to look for better days for ourselves
and for all mankind.
Passover—Pesach in Hebrew—refers to the Biblical story when
the Angel of death passed over Jewish homes during the plague in
which the first-born Egyptians died.
The story of Jewish deliverance from Egypt is kept alive by
the observance of Passover. Because we had suffered as strangers
in Egypt, we are commanded to be kind to strangers in our midst
and not to commit the sins which were practiced against us by the
Egyptians.
Passover teaches us a lesson of hope and courage. It tells us
that freedom must rule on earth, and that we must strive for
liberty at all times.
I hope you will enjoy the special. features in this column, includ-
ing the explanation of the Seder arrangements.
I wish you and your families a very happy Passover.
UNCLE DANIEL
*
*
*
THE SEDER SYMBOLS
sold junk and in the night read
"Seder" is a Hebrew word holy books. But for the kindness
meaning "order" or "procedure." of a Christian Count, who before
On the first two evenings of each holiday would give him
Pesach in orthodox Jewish money the Rabbi could hardly
homes, a special order or service have supported his family. At
is conducted. When our ancestors such times the Rabbi always said:
left Egypt they celebrated their "Thank God, who forsaketh not
freedom with a special ceremony. His children, He hath helped me
Ever since then Jews have ob- again."
served this ceremony and it has
At length the Count thought:
come to be called the Seder. It is "This man always thanks God
a ceremony of praise and thank- instead of me, so I will stop
fulness to God, and the book helping him and see whether his
from which the story of the flight God will help him instead." Just
from Egypt is read is called the before the Passover, Pinchas
"Haggadah," which means "nar- came to his friend the Count for
rative."
help. The Count, however, re-
The special food we eat on fused, saying that he was rather
Pesach night helps us to recall short of money himself at that
certain events in the story of that time and could not give Pinchas
flight. For instance we eat bitter assistance. Giving the Count a
herbs, usually horseradish, to re- friendly greeting and saying,
mind us how bitter life was for "God will help," the Rabbi re-
our ancestors when they were turned to his home.
slaves in Egypt. The bitter herbs
His family was sadly disap-
are called "morror," from the pointed. As he sat reading at
Hebrew word for "bitter."
midnight, a large animal was
The roasted bone of a lamb is suddenly hurled through the
also placed on the table on Seder window! To his amazement it
night. When the Jews left Egypt was a dead monkey. He and his
they offered up the sacrifice of wife talked the matter over and
a lamb to show their thanksgiv- decided to burn it.
As they lifted it to carry it
ing for their freedom.
Then, of course, there are the to the oven a gold coin dropped.
matzoth (or unleavened bread), They were delighted, and each
which we eat on Pesach. When time they moved the animal an-
Our ancestors left Egypt they other fell. On cutting open its
were in such haste to escape that body they discovered that the
they had no time to bake their stomach was filled with coins.
bread in an oven, and let it rise, • The Rabbi was convinced that
so they took along dough and God meant to help him in this
baked it in the sun while wander- way and with the new found
ing in the desert. And we eat wealth a joyous Seder was pre-
pared. Just as the Seder was in
matzoth in memory of this.
On Seder night, too, we eat full sway, the Count arrived ex-
"Haroses," a mixture made of plaining that he had been unable
nuts, apples, raisins, cinnamon to rest for fear that his friend
and wine. It has the color of the Rabbi might be in great want.
clay or mortar, and reminds us Then Pinchas told his friend of
of the bricks our ancestors' made his good fortune.
Then the Rabbi learnt that
in Egypt when they were Pha-
the monkey had belonged to the
raoh's slaves.
Then there is the roasted egg Count, who had kept it in a room
which is a feature of the Seder where he had a hag of gold coins.
meal. It reminds us of the burnt- The monkey seeing him test one
offering which was brought to or two pieces between his teeth,
the Temple in Jerusalem in olden had evidently thought them good
times on every day of the Pass- to eat and ate so many that he
died. Ordered to bury the animal,
over feast.
* *. *
Rabbi Pinchas and the
Count—A Passover Story
Once upon a time in the city
of Prague there lived a certain
Rabbi Pinchas. He was a very
poor man, who in the daytime
DEXTER-
DAVISON
MARKET
N. Cottler — H. Leviant
13310 DEXTER
TO. 8-1382
DEXTER
SHOE BUILDING SHOP
9609 DEXTER
Cor. Longfellow
CASSIDY'S
PRESCRIPTION
LABRATORY
8246
WOODWARD •
Phone
T R. 2 - 2 2 2 6
the servants, as a joke, had
thrown it in at the Pinchas win-
dow. The Count refused to accept
the gold from Pinchas, however,
saying that God had meant it
for him. He fetched his wife, and
the noble couple enjoyed the
Seder with the Pinchas family.
* * *
PASSOVER AND FREEDOM
By Chief Rabbi J. H. Hertz
of England
Passover is the Festival of
Spring. Its human appeal, there-
fore, is as old as humanity, and
as perennial as Spring. But it is
an historical festival—Israel's
birthday—as the annual com-
memoration of an event which
has changed the destinies of
mankind, that it proclaims the
man-redeeming truth, God is the
God of freedom. Even as in
Egypt, He espoused the cause of
brick-making helots against the
mighty royal oppressor, He for-
ever judgeth the world in right-
eousness, and the peoples with
equity.
There is an overruling Provi-
dence that exalts righteousness
and freedom and humbles the
Dominion of iniquity and op-
pression. This teaching has been
as a light unto the nations of
the Western world in their
weary, age-long warf.are for lib-
erty.
* * *
PASSOVER ODDITIES
Caucasian Jews observe t h e
Seder ceremony with a unique
custom. Several families assem-
ble together in the home of their
Chacham (Wise Man). In the
midst of the service, an impress-
ive dramatization is enacted. A
knocking, made by one of the
young men masquerading as a
poor traveler from the Holy ,
Land, is heard at the door. When
Pag e Forty-three
no answer is forthcoming, t h e
young man calls and asks for
permission to enter. Following
a lively conversation in which
the traveler gives evidence of
the fact that he is a Jew, he is
admitted into the room. He
brings hearty greetings from
the sages of Jerusalem and as-
sures the gathering of the speedy
redemption of all Israel.
At the conclusion of the Seder
service, each male Jew of Mor-
occo places a staff and pack
over his shoulder and rushes in-
to the street shouting these
words of the Haggadah: "In this
manner our forefathers went out
of Egypt, their kneading troughs
bound up in their clothes upon
their shoulders."
* * *
"Had Gadya", the concluding
hymn of the Haggadah, written
in Aramaic, served to interest
children as it is written in the
same style as the nursery rhyme.
"This is the house that Jack
built."
Another song of the Haggadah
begins with: "Who knows one?
I know one: One is the Eternal,
who is above heaven and earth,"
and continues asking and an-
Cleaners and Dyers
ONE DAY
SERVICE
9819 DEXTER
TV. 4-3010
JEWEL
BAKERY
A Kosher Passover
To Our Customers and the
JEWISH COMMUNITY
MR. and MRS. NEINBERG
13306
DEXTER BLVD.
Ibn Saud Receives First
Lend-Lease Arms Shipment
CAIRO (JPS)—A first ship-.
merit of U. S. lend-lease material
for Saudi Arabia, containing a
3,000-pound load of automatic
rifles, ammunition, blow torches
and helmets was flown to King
Ibn Saud. The King was out
hunting and the plane searched
him out in his desert encamp-
ment to present to him America's
arms loan.
(The New York -newspaper PM
observes that this shipment, as
well as General Marshall's testi-
mony against the Jewish Com-
monwealth resolutions, "may be
adding up to an Army appease-
ment policy for the Arab states.")
Passover Greetings—
Dr. and Mrs.
H. E. LIPPITT
9105 Twelfth St.
Passover Greetings-
Fogel's Boot Shop
'Children's Shoes A Specialty"
George Kay
8702 Twelfth St.
DRUGS
Passover Greetings—
ZION
GEO. KOLLENBERG
BOOK
STORE
13141 DEXTER
9008 Twelfth
HO. 9455
The Annual Pre-Passover Statement of H. J. Heinz Company
HEINZ
HEINZ Products
RAKED B E ANS
are NOT
Kosher for Passover
You have seen our advertisements dur-
ing the years, calling attention to the
0 on many of our labels. The © is the
symbol of endorsement of the UNION
OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGRE-
GATIONS OF AMERICA.
We remind you again of the fact that
the C) endorsement applies to the year-
round use of our foods and does not in-
clude the week of Passover. None of the
Heinz Varieties is "Pessadick."
We wish our many friends every-
where a Happy Passover. May this Sea-
son of Liberation be the herald of the
era of freedom for all mankind!
H. J. HEINZ COMPANY
PITTSBURGH, PA.
YOUNG'S
swering questions up to thirteen.
It is said that this was written
especially as a children's song, to
keep them interested in the Se- ,
der towards its end.
•
•
BACK THE
ATTACK!
BUY WAR
BONDS TO
HASTEN THE
DAY OF
VICTORY!
3