FROM THE RABBIS

NOTICE OF
NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY

CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE

14390 W. Ten Mile / Oak Park

Invites you to a
Memorial Service to the 6 Million
and a reevaluation of their legacy
to the next generations

April 14, 1988

7:30 P.M.

PROFESSOR
SID BOLKOSKY

of the
University of Michigan
will speak on

"How to Talk To Your Children
and Grandchildren about
the Horrors of the Holocaust"

congregation

th YA cnim

,

During the Passover season
which commemorates the
Jewish peoples' freedom'
from Egyptian bondage,
we invite all our fellow Jews'
who have recently arrived
from the Soviet Union
to join us as members
of our congregation.

No Charge

for the first year's membership

For further details call
Philip Vainik,
Executive Director

352-8670

The Joyous Passover Seder
Emphasizes Past Sorrows

RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT

Special to The Jewish News

he seder table, with its
sublime ritual and
colorful pageantry, is
second only to the solemnity
of Yom Kippur in the fascina-
tion it holds for the modern
Jew. Observant and non-
observant are linked together
in their participation in the
Passover seder. Its mystical
grip upon the soul of even the
most jaded of our coreligion-
ists is truly remarkable.
Passover is a time for sing-
ing, rejoicing and glorious
festivity. We are grateful for
our blessings and thankful
for our good fortune.
It is therefore most puzzling
to note the heavy emphasis
which the Haggadah places
upon the sorrows of our past
and the privations inflicted
upon our ancestors.
In response to the four ques-
tions of the child, we read,
Avadim Hayinu, We were
slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.
We partake of the bitter herbs
as a tangible reminder of the
persecution of our people by
the Egyptians. We recite,
Arami Oved Avi, the Aramite
would destroy my father,
again referring to the suffer-
ings of the ancient past.
In fact, most of the Hag-
gadah consists of this sort of
reference. Why is this so?
Would it not have been more
appropriate in this season of
renaissance and renewal to
extol the glorious present
with its joys and blessings?
The answer is that the
seder experience presents us
with a significant lesson
which is relevant not only to
Passover but to every day of
our lives. The lesson is that
we can only appreciate the
present and its blessings by
remembering it and con-
trasting it with the past.
Freedom is valued only
because we have suffered
through slavery.
Those who were born and
raised under a totalitarian
regime are frequently more
appreciative of the blessings
of America than their
children, who take the bless-
ing of freedom for granted.
Only one who has experienc-
ed the tyranny of an op-
pressive government can ful-
ly understand the meaning of
life in a free and open society.
And the same holds true for
the blessings of wealth. Con-

T

Morton F Yolkut is rabbi at Cong.
B'nai David.

36

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1988

A 19th Century earthenware seder plate: Appreciating the present by
remembering the past.

sider the man who through
his efforts and struggles was
able to rise from the depths of
poverty to the heights of af-
fluence. The memory of past
poverty makes his present
status all the more mean-
ingful. His children, on the
other hand, often take their
wealth for granted, squander
it and, in many ways,
demonstrate their lack of ap-
preciation for material com-
forts and blessings.
Another blessing that we
often take for granted is that
of good health. Helen Keller,
writing from the vantage
point of her personal handi-

Freedom is valued
only because we
have suffered
through slavery.

cap, once made this pertinent
observation. "It would be a
blessing if each human being
were stricken blind and deaf
for a few days at some time
during his early adult life.
Darkness would make him
more appreciative of light;
silence would teach him the
joys of sound."
And on Passover, precisely
when we are full of joy at the
pleasure of life and look for-
ward to the blessings of the
future, our attention is
directed forcefully to the past.
We are reminded of what we
lacked then and what we
have been granted since. In
the words of the Haggadah:

Kama maalot tovot lamakom

aleinu — How many wonder-
ful blessings God has bestow-
ed upon us.
A short prayer expresses
this thought so well: "You
have given so much to me,
give me one thing more; a
grateful heart."

Torah Club
Will Meet

Rabbi Allan Meyerowtiz
will discuss "Sacrifices, Puri-
ty and the Occult in Judaism"
at the sixth session of the
B'nai Moshe Ibrah Club at 7
p.m. April 10 in the
synagogue board room. The
public is invited.
At 10 a.m. April 10 the
monthly "Torah for Tots" pro-
gram of songs, dancing and
stories will be held. It will be
conducted by Rabbi Allan and
Mrs. Robin Meyerowitz for
pre-school children and their
parents. Admission is free,
and the children of non-
members are welcome.

Students
To Be Honored

Cong. Beth Abraham Hillel
Moses will honor its college
students on Saturday during
morning services.
The students will par-
ticipate in the service and a
special kiddush will be hosted
by the congregation following
services.
The public is invited.

World Zion ist Press Service

Yeshivath Beth Yehudah admits students of any race,
color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights,
privileges and programs available at the school. It
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, na-
tional and ethnic origin in the administration of its
educational and admission policies, scholarship pro-
gram, and other school administered programs.