• .^- ■ ••

Shared Wisdom
For Passover

assover: It's the sacred holi-
day in the Jewish calendar
where we, as Jewish people,
celebrate our freedom from
Egyptian slavery.
In today's fast-paced, ultra-modern
world, we sometimes lose scope of the
true meaning of the holiday. I never
realized this until I was 9 years old. My
grandfather had died Sept. 1, 1993,
before Rosh HaShana, so the Passover
of the previous spring was the last
Jewish holiday I spent with him.
Actually, until that point, I had
always thought of Passover as just

p

Jared Goldberg, 16, of West
Bloomfield, the son of Jeffrey and Sherry
Goldberg, is a 10th grader at West
Bloomfield High School. The family
belongs to Temple Beth El.

another holiday. Passover is the holi-
day where we remember that we were
once slaves in Egypt. As 9 year olds,
children do not understand Passover
or its true meaning. Neither did I, for
that matter. I merely associated
Passover with a seder, where family
came over, and I was not allowed to
eat bread for a week. All traditions,
stories and other aspects of the holi-
day went unnoticed.
It was not until after the death of
my grandfather that his words at that
last Passover really struck me.
As with all other holidays at my
house, I noticed, even at that age, all
other activities ceased. It was as if
someone had put a stop sign on all
other worldly activities as we pre-
pared to have my grandfather over for
the seder.

•

Our whole house had to
he exclaimed with a huge
be disinfected, sterilized and
smile on his face. He also
cleaned — even the bed-
liked to tease me some-
rooms — which seemed
times by calling me these
fairly odd to me, consider-
Polish names that I
ing no one went up there.
couldn't even spell, let
When that chore was com-
alone know the meaning
pleted, we helped my mom
of. So, humorously,
cook and clean dishes.
because I thought that
Between 5 and 6 that night,
this was going to be
my grandfather arrived.
another joke, I asked
My dad led him into the
about his dream.
JARED GOLDBERG
living room, where he
"Well," he said, "it
poured some wine. My sis-
Special to
began with you boarding
ter and I came down shortly,
the Jewish News
a plane headed to Israel.
and we sat with them. My
You visited many places
mother joined us, just as she
and met numerous peo-
always did. My parents, sister, grandfa-
ple. You changed a great deal on this
ther and I talked about all the gossip in
trip, but the change wasn't due to the
our family. Honestly, what else would
friends you made. It was a spiritual
we talk about? Now, I never cared for
change.
gossip, and I still do not; but I listened
"You walked in the footsteps of
anyway.
our ancestors and saw many different
My grandfather always liked mak-
things. You saw where great people
ing me think seriously, and this holi-
like Moses, Aaron and Joshua had
day was an opportune time to have
lived. All of these experiences helped
serious thoughts. He beckoned me
to change you from a regular person
over to him.
into an intelligent young adult. But,
"You know something, Jared? I
had the strangest dream last night,"
WISDOM on page 128

My Grandfather Did His Job

Spiritual Memories Abound

ly it's all part of the spirit.
looked around the
We
do the ceremonies that
table. I was met with
come
before the actual
radiant, glowing
reading
of the
faces all around.
Haggada.
Then the story
With everyone in his or
begins
of
how
we were
her holiday finest, it was
slaves
in
Egypt.
Whipped.
truly a sight to behold.
Beaten.
Abused.
Shamed.
The seder plate was gleam-
Degraded. Attempted
ing with all the various
genocide. Yet, the impossi-
foods perfectly in place.
ble occurred. We emerged
The men began to sing,
triumphant over our ene-
and then my grandfather
SIMCHA
T
ZIPPY
mies, for one reason —
started to recite the
our
God didn't abandon
COH
EN
Kiddush. His voice trem-
us.
Our
God saved us,
Special
to
bled as he looked around
with
a
mass
Exodus to the
the
Jewish
News
with the utmost joy at all
land
of
our
forefathers.
his beautiful grandchil-
Our ancestors, who went
dren. I smiled with con-
through
this
ordeal,
recounted the story
tentment.
to
their
children,
who
passed it on to
It was during the first cup of wine
their
children,
all
the
way
down to —
that someone's cup spilled. We all
and
then
my
eyes
settle
on
my grandfa-
groaned in mock-annoyance, but real-
ther, who has told the story to my father
every year since he was a kid. He now
watches with pleasure as my father pass-
Simcha Tzippy Cohen, 15, of
es the story on to my brothers and I so
Southfield, daughter of Rabbi Avraham
that we, in turn, can pass it on to our
and Golda Cohen, is a 10th grader at

ence.
pending time
The memories that real-
with family, big
ly stand out are more spir-
wet kisses from
itual. The core of spiritual-
my Tante
ity is ruach (spirit). We
Dorothy, the smell of
celebrate a traditional
hard-boiled eggs and vege-
seder
on the first and sec-
tarian chopped liver in my
ond
nights,
but our family
mother's kitchen. These
also
has
a
third
seder. At
are all fond memories of
this
one,
friends
are invit-
Passover.
ed
to
study,
in
depth,
the
Of course, the obvious
deeper meanings of the
things come to mind, too
ELI EISMAN
Haggada. Rather than
— matza, the unleavened
reading from the Haggada
Special
to
bread, and maror, the bit-
word
for word, we explore
the
Jewish
News
ter herbs. Like at all
the
Haggada
and the
Passover seders, there is
meaning
of
Passover
and
lots of food and salt water on the
freedom.
table and everyone gathers around to
My father carefully gathers materi-
read from the Maxwell House
als
for handouts from various classes,
Haggada. These fond memories make
the
Internet and other sources. By
up a small piece of my Pesach experi-
doing this, we can make the meaning
of freedom more current. We can
actually
relate to the things we are
Eli Eisman, 15, of West Bloomfield,
reading.
son ofjeffley Eisman and Nancy
In keeping with the spirit of Pesach,
Benchell-Eisman, is a ninth grader at
participants are asked to dress as "any-
West Bloomfield High School. The fam-

Sally Allan Alexander Beth Jacob
School for Girls in Oak Park.

ily belongs to Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.

I

GRANDFATHER

on page 128

S

MEMORIES

on page 128

4/14
2000

127