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