spirituality
Together in Jerusalem we will shout
.
Theatrical Seders
For years, this family retold the
Passover story by putting on plays.
Jessica Naiman
Special to the Jewish News
I
Blessed are You,
our God, Creator of tirne and space,
who has supported us, protected us,
and brought us to this moment.
HADASSAWS CENTENNIAL CONVENTION OCTOBER 15-18, 2012.
Bring your friends and family. Register and read all
the details, including pre-and post-tour options, at
www.hadassah.orglcentennial. Please contact our tour
operator Ayelet Tours (800.237.1517) or the Hadassah
Meeting and Tra ,.(el Department (212.303.8239) with
any questions -for further informaton.
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44 April 5 • 2012
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Light grew up near Linwood in
Detroit to a very religious European
family, and he attended Central
High School and United Hebrew for
religious instruction as a child. For
as long as he can remember, Light
has been captivated by photography
and film, immortalizing his travels
around the globe with his camera
and shooting cowboy and Indian
films of his son and daughter when
they were young.
f you're looking for a memorable
way to bring your Passover seders
to life this year, consider looking
to 83-year-old Jerry Light of West
Bloomfield for some theatrical inspi-
ration.
Over the years, the pharmacist and
Congregation B'nai Moshe member
has built an entire script and playbill
replete with a comical
dialogue and clever musi-
cal parodies to tell the
Exodus story and bring
the Haggadah to life.
Light used his script
for several years of fam-
ily seders starting in
2005, casting himself,
wife Rose, and their
two children and three
grandchildren as actors
in the cosmic drama,
complete with appropri-
ate biblical-era costumes,
props and scenery.
The script, which Light
tweaked over the years,
features star characters
like the Slave Narrator,
Moses, Aaron, Miriam,
Burning Bush, Pharaoh
— and God (off-stage, of
course).
The custom playbill
Jerry Light plays Moses and granddaughter
announces the title of
Danielle Justin plays God in the family's annual
the play, Cherishing Our
Passover play.
Freedom, and sets the
scene: "The action takes
Turning the Passover story into a
place in the living room and dining
family
performance just seemed like
room of a suburban home." You can
the natural thing to do. Costumes
make your own playbill by dividing
were simple, says Light. For the
your family seder into scenes, creat-
slaves, bed linens for robes, sandals
ing a cast list and even "advertising"
and a broom or stick for walking; for
your cook's dining room as the the-
Pharaoh,
lots of gaudy jewelry; for
ater's in-house restaurant.
Moses, played by none other than
Today, Light's children, grandchil-
Light himself, his tallit and an attach-
dren and one great-granddaughter
able beard.
have moved away, and he no longer
One year, Light spread a blue tarp
hosts a yearly seder for the family, but
across the floor and the entire fam-
the film and photography aficionado
ily crossed the Red Sea together.
is hoping others will put his creative
Daughter Verna Cole supplied little
ideas to use.
frogs and other trinkets to enhance
"Each person had a printout and,
the Ten Plagues. Light even fash-
more or less, practiced beforehand:'
ioned his own burning bush and Ten
says Light, who filmed the plays
Commandments tablet.
each year. "I was the director and
The script contains two acts. Here's
told them when to enter. It just came
an excerpt from the Ten Plagues
naturally, whether from instinct or
scene, after Pharaoh catches a
past experience. My home was their
glimpse of his face covered in boils:
theater."
imppolimo
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