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Passover
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Congress is still kicking up dust, A freshman House Democrat
but Jewish Washington has gone has jumped into the matzah
into holiday suspension.
wars, guns blazing.
Passover is being marked in a
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.),
number of ways in the capital.
who is Orthodox, said that he
Last week, Rabbi Yechiel Eck- was responding to more than 200
stein, the founder of the Center complaints from constituents en-
for Jewish and Christian Values raged by the high price of matzah
and a longtime advocate of clos- in his south Florida district.
er ties between Jews and Evan-
Residents of the West Palm
gelicals, held a private seder in Beach area, he said, pay up to
the Senate for 30 legislators, three times as much for their
many with spouses, most of them Passover matzah as Manhat-
non-Jews.
tanites.
The Chicago-based rabbi of-
Mr. Wexler used his new clout
fered an abbreviated seder and as a U.S. representative to get
sang several songs; he avoided the Florida attorney general to
overtly political topics.
investigate possible price-fixing;
"I didn't feel that we needed to at least nine matzah makers
directly connect the holiday to to- have been subpoenaed.
day's events," he said. "What re-
The matzah mavens defend
ally struck me is that these are themselves by blaming the prob-
people with spiritual needs and lem on local retailers; some use
desires. So I spoke of recovering the food as a "loss leader" to lure
the Jewish roots of the Christian customers into the stores, while
faith, and helped them connect others seek a profit on the holi-
with the idea that as senators, day fare. The results include
they are partnering with God in wide variations in the price of
bringing about a better world.
matzah.
Not invited were reporters.
But Mr. Wexler wasn't im-
"The senators were leery about pressed.
publicity," Rabbi Eckstein said.
`The bottom line is that this is
"These are people who just want- a consumer issue," he said in an
ed to come together for spiritual interview. "Matzah consumers
nourishment."
in south Florida are being
These are busy times for Rab- gouged, in terms of the price
bi Eckstein, who has worked they're playing. It's wrong any
closely with leading Evangelical time a consumer is treated un-
leaders such as the Christian fairly; when it's in the context of
Coalition's Ralph Reed. Recent- a religious celebration, it's un-
ly, he was asked to give the open- conscionable."
ing prayer in the Senate; soon,
he will do the closing prayer at
the dedication of the FUR memo-
rial on Washington's Mall.
Also on the seder front, the
American Jewish Committee
was scheduled to hold its annu- So it's official: Rep. Chuck
al "diplomatic seder," which Schumer (D-N.Y.), the bane of
brings together envoys from the National Rifle Association
around the world for a seder that and a strong defender of Jewish
emphasizes the universality of interests on Capitol Hill, has de-
the Passover story, on Thursday. cided to challenge Sen. Alfonse
This week's seder at the Reli- D'Amato (R-N.Y.) in next year's
gious Action Center of Reform Senate contest.
But unseating the wily Mr.
Judaism was scheduled to fea-
ture a prominent guest — the D'Amato won't be a piece of cake,
Dalai Lama. The exiled Tibetan political observers agree.
For the past two years, specu-
spiritual leader was in town for
lation has centered on a possible
a series of meetings.
The RAC event was a "tradi- Schumer bid against Republican
tional seder," said associate di- Gov. George Pataki. But Mr.
rector Mark Pelavin, "but it was D'Amato's weak showing in re-
planned to powerfully under- cent polls apparently changed
score the links between the Mr. Schumer's mind, setting the
struggle for freedom of the Is- stage for last week's announce-
ment.
raelites and the Tibetans."
That means a Brooklyn
And as usual, B'nai B'rith is
coordinating charitable activi- shootout: The borough with its
ties intended to make the holi- hu ge Orthodox population, is Mr.
Sc, humer's home base, but Mr.
day a better one for needy Jews Th
around the country. Included in -" Amato traditionally has done
its program is the delivery of ive ry well with Orthodox Brook-
packages of Passover food and Y n ites, who increasingly prefer
CO nservative candidates.
seders for the needy in Boston,
And the incumbent senator
New York, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Tucson, Ariz., and ha s polished his Jewish creden-
Sofia, Bulgaria. tia ls in the past year by leading
th e charge against Swiss banks
Schumer-D'Amato
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