Different Than All Other Nights
The Halberg
cousins
will rekindle
childhood
memories, and
friendships,
at a reunion seder.
ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR
PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST
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42
The Originals
H
allelujah" always comes up in
conversation.
Grandpa Halberg's triumphant
"Hallelujah!" at the end of the
seder was a benchmark for the
11 grandchildren at the yearly Passover get-
together in Detroit, on San Juan near Outer
Drive. So was the hunt for the afikomen.
"You never were given the afikomen," Shel-
don Rocklin recalls. "You had to earn it. And
if Grandpa caught you sneaking around un-
der the table trying to get it from his pillow,
he'd give you such a look.
"He'd never get up from his seat," thus pro-
tecting that precious piece of matzah needed
to complete the seder. "Grandma would get
so mad at him. But once in a while we were
able to distract him and get the afikomen."
It has been 35 years since the Above: Debbie Hitsky and role Rocklin Seiden, Buddi's daugh-
last of those seders. Both grand- Phyllis Domstein look at ter, died in Atlanta after a long bat-
tle with leukemia at the age of 47.
parents, Aaron and Rosemary a photograph of the four
The seven "originals" living in
Halberg, died. There were years Halberg sisters and
metropolitan
Detroit, and their
Rosemary
Halberg
of friction between some of their
spouses, began meeting periodi-
four daughters, which kept the (below).
cally at restaurants. Plans for the
grandchildren apart.
On facing page: Janet
seder started to solidify in Febru-
One by one, the daughters Berman, Sharon and
died. First it was the eldest, Es- Sheldon Rocklin, and Ms. ary and March.
Stuart and Lou Taub reserved
ther Taub. Then Shirley Inden- Domstein hold grandpa's
the
clubhouse at Lou's apartment.
baum, the youngest at age 50, in matzah cover and
Lou and the other surviving uncles
1975. Before their own deaths, kiddush cup.
— Milt Levin of Florida and Bernie
Sadie Levin and Buddi Rocklin
tried to end the differences, meeting for the Indenbaum — will be at the seder.
The Rocklin and Levies checked the prices
first time in years. That helped to bring the
of kosher caterers. The Indenbaum sisters—
cousins back together.
Attendance at family weddings and bar Debbie Hitsky, Janet Berman and Ruth
and bat mitzvahs began to increase. And the Hurvitz — checked the prices of kitchen help
cousins began reminiscing about their and buying paper goods vs. renting tableware.
And Mickey Levin, much to the chagrin of
childhood, about the old seders at their
his
wife Beryl (on whom much of the actual
grandparents' home.
But it was the death of one of the 11 work will fall), calmly announced at each
cousins last summer that was the im- meeting, "This sounds do-able."
Catering was ruled out. Because of
petus for a seder this weekend, in-
Passover
falling on Shabbat, the food would
volving the 10 remaining original
have to be delivered too early and the club-
cousins, their spouses and families.
"The death of Carole was the cata- house oven is too small to warm seder meals
lyst," said cousin Phyllis Domstein. for 50-60 persons. Kashrut and price con-
"We said we should get together for cerns also quashed ideas for renting table-
simchas, not just funerals. That made ware.
The result of the discussions: Each fami-
us move beyond the talking stage." Ca-