Shabbat Thoughts- Yom HaShoah

Last night the silence in our sanctuary was deep enough for  us to almost hear each other"s breathing; adults and children, Jews and Christians,African-Americans and whites- all assembled in testimony to the significance of remembering and marking the Holocaust.  A brief service during which we heard words from Agnes Tannenbaum – words which are a window into a world that is vanishing before our eyes. Candles were kindled and memorial prayers chanted and recited, poetry was shared by middle school and high school students. In addition to the written compositions presented by the students were the many pieces of artwork; eight tables laden with paintings and sculpture emerging from a young generation that is deeply caring of others. Students from St. Mary’s, St. Dominic’s and St. Paul’s took deeply to heart the lessons being taught by their teachers. These students reflected upon their art, history, English and humanities classes and reached out to all in attendance by creating works to uplift and to inspire.

         Of all in attendance some quietly shed tears, others held hands, and still others meditated in silence. There was a special atmosphere of holiness in the room. What prompted that holiness? It was the willingness to share, the openness to care and the thoughtfulness of being present as a community.Holiness is dependent upon our willingness to assemble as a community with an openness of heart and mind.

         In this week’s Parsha (Shemini) Aaron and the other Cohanim, are described as eating special foods, wearing specific garments and living in a cloistered manner for 7 days. On the 8th day God calls out to them and says it is time for you to be holy. How are they to be holy if they have already been living a very regimented lifestyle for an entire week? The answer is that there is a need to be aware of others and to be present in the lives of each other.Only by being involved with each other in a caring fashion do we become Kadosh(holy).

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Steve Silberman

       P.S.  You might open this link and take part in the March of the Living.

       Some especially meaningful scenes are at the time stamps 1:30 and 2:00. Just skim through the video.

       http://www.timesofisrael.com/watch-march-of-the-living-begins-in-auschwitz/

Also please join us on Facebook. Keep up to date with everything happening!  https://www.facebook.com/AhavasChesedSynagoge

A Jewish Idea - Freedom

Saturday night the holiday of Passover ended. All over the world Jews began to enjoy ordinary foods. Middle Eastern Jews celebrated Maimouna, which is an opportunity to go from house to house and joyously share food. Some Jews sampled Italian food and some went to a restaurant of any preference. Manette, Danit and I enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches and milk shakes. Those first bites and first slurps bore a very special taste because for eight entire days we had gone without such luxuries. One of the purposes of changing our diet for the holiday of Passover is to identify with people who have much less than we do. Thankfully, many of us Jews have been free for many centuries. Pesach reminds us that there are those in our world, of many different religious identities, who still suffer oppression and abuse. We must never take our freedom for granted. We must celebrate and enjoy the taste of religious and communal liberty every day and work to assist others who are deprived of freedom and humanity. 

          In our own community, please remember to mark the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Jews from Auschwitz by attending the Yom HaShoah service on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00p.m. at the Shul. Local middle school and high school students have been studying theHolocaust and many pieces of artwork will be on display for our viewing. It isvery moving that local teachers in Mobile and Baldwin counties have been teaching Holocaust to our areastudents. Please attend the service and reflect upon the artwork and how the lessons of the Shoah are being transmitted throughout our region of the Deep South.

Remember--Friday April 17 is Tot Shabbat.

Family Service is 5:30-5:55 and Dairy Mexican dinner(6:00-6:30 p.m.) is available for all who RSVP ($3 for Shul members, $5 fornon-members. Toddlers eat free).RSVP to the office by Thursday April16 at 5:00p.m.

May we all live and be well!

Shalom. Rabbi Steve Silberman

Pesach Thoughts- Yom HaShoah

Who doesn't enjoy candlelight? The flickering flames cast shadows upon our walls. Our eyes are drawn to the hypnotic ballet of the candles and we pause and reflect.

It is easy to see candle-lighting as a meditative practice. Why not kindle two flames tonight in honor of the seventh night of Passover? Pesach is gradually departing from us-the 7^th night is tonight and the 8^th night coincides with Shabbas. Take three moments out of your busy schedule and watch the flames as they remind us of the eventual departure of the world’s first holiday to celebrate spiritual freedom; our Yom tov (holiday) of Passover champions spiritual freedom and in this world wherein Muslim extremists are murdering Christians and Jews and many are afraid of walking the streets,Passover is ever–more significant. As Pesach 5775 begins to fade, share your heart with someone who is suffering by including him or her in your personal prayers.

Tonight we offer a brief blessing after lighting the candles and we say:  Blessed are you, Lord our God, sovereign of the universe who has made us holy with the commandments of ‘kindlingYomtov flames’.  (Tomorrow night we say the exact same sentence but change the last phrase to ‘kindling Shabbat flames’.)Tonight: Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kid-shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzeevanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom tov.

(Tomorrow night we say: Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech

ha-olam asher kid-shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzeevanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat).

Reminder the Shul office will be closed Friday April 10 but there will be services Friday evening at 6 PM.

Saturday morning April 11 marks the first of a new trial format of service. We shall begin the morning service followed by a Jewish coffee klatch!

         From 10 to 12 we will have our Torah service and concluding prayers. Saturday is the last day of Passover and we will have the Yizkor memorial service for our loved ones (approximately 11:30-12). Stay for lunch!

***Pesach ends Saturday night at dark- only after dark may we eat ordinary foods!

Three lastreminders:

1)   Yom Hashoah service is on Weds. April 15, 7:00-8:00 p.m. at Shul. Come see artwork made by dozens of area middle school and high school students as reflections of what they have learned about the Shoah. You will be amazed by the insight and human concern of our Christian friends and neighbors. It’s a shame that so few Jews attend.

2)   Friday April 17. Tot Shabbat service 5:30-5:50. Dairy Mexican food dinner from 6-6:30 p.m is open to all. $3 per adult member, $5 per non-member (toddlers eat free).

 Brief Adult service 6:30-7 p.m.

3)   Kiss someone you love.

Happy Pesach and Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Steve Silberman

P.S. You might also bless God over a glass of wine tonight and tomorrow night after kindling the candles.

***Blessed are you,Lord our god, ruler of the universe who creates the fruit of the vine.

***Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam boray pri ha-gafen.

Pesach Thoughts

Friday–1^st Seder- Meditation (perhaps during the Dayenu)

 Tonight we celebrate our liberation from bondage.

Slavery rendered our ancestors who were living as neighbors of the Egyptians into captives; freedom transformed us into a nation. As we descendants of Miryam and Moses and unnamed thousands of others eat matzah and bitter herbs and recite the sacred account of our Exodus we open our ears to the suffering of others. In the days of Torah, Egyptian firstborn children lost their lives and we today lessen our joy by diminishing wine from our cups.

 In these very hours Christians are being murdered by Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. We diminish our joy and we remove an extra drop of wine from our cup of liberty. If others are still chained we are as well. Hear our prayers, o God, prayers for liberty for all who are oppressed and persecuted by religious extremists. Hear the prayer of all of your children, o God of our ancestors who delivered us.

 On this first night of Passover, a night of enduring  hope for freedom, a night during which we ONLY SAY THE FIRST PHRASE OF SH’MA AND NO OTHER  PARAGRAPH BECAUSE OF THIS NIGHT’S  PROTECTIVE POWER ,WATCH OVER ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANT THEM  SAFETY!

  

Saturday -2^ndSeder-Meditation (after the meal is eaten)

What could be more important in our world than kindness. Kindness is so important that we mark a week long period of time named CHESED. From Saturday night April 4 to Saturday night April 11 we are seeking to instill ever increasing levels of CHESED within our minds and our hearts. Beginning with each of us is the hallowed goalof putting kindness into our world. God, be in front of us during the upcoming week. Usher into our own daily world the power to place Chesed in our communities. Establish each one of us as force for causing kindness to permeate the lives of others.

We begin the sacred act of counting the Omer with the following words:

 Blessed are you Lord, our god ruler of the universe who has made us holy with the mitzvah of counting the Omer. Tonight is the first day of the Omer.

 Baruch atahadonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotavv’tzeevanu al s’feerat ha-omer.

A Jewish Idea- Passover

  

A year has passed since last Passover and each of us has changed. Some in our Shul have lost loved ones and have suffered emotionally, others have undergone surgeries and experienced illness and still others have witnessed births and marriages. In large and small ways, all of us are different than we were last Passover.

        As Passover approaches, consider doing something just a bit differently than in prior years. Take a moment to reflect upon what you are thankful for this year and share that thought at the beginning of Seder.When eating the bitter herbs,if comfortable, share an episode or experience that embittered your life since last year and recognize the importance of leaving it behind. Journey away from that moment of bitterness in your own personal life towards the third and fourth cups of wine which are emblematic of increasing levels of redemption.

              As we remove 10 drops of wine from our wine cups and call to mind the suffering of the Egyptians reflect upon the suffering of others, near and far, and meditate upon how you may make a difference in the lives of others.

       Try a new kind of Charoset (see two attached recipes). Perhaps ask one or two guests to bring one or two of the ingredients, arriving just a bit early to combine the ingredients together; thus making Passover a shared preparation experience.

      You are invited to a special study session on Friday, April 3 (8:00 8:30 a.m.)at shul to mentally prepare for Pesach by studying a short passage o fBible in association with remembering the death of the Egyptian First-borns. How incredible –that we Jews prepare for our holiday of freedom by thinking of and remembering our oppressors! It is a lesson in collective empathy.

 Please mark your calendars for a short study session on Sunday April 5 (Noon- 1p.m.)in honor of the 2^nd day of Yomtov.

Don’t forget that we mark Yizkor for our loved ones on Saturday April 11 during morning services.

Make the last day of Pesach different by memorializing our loved ones in the company of others.

Happy Pesach to you and all of your loved ones!

May you and your loved ones celebrate this year in health and joy!

Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday of Passover)!

Rabbi Steven Silberman

 Persian Charoset Recipe / Iranian Charoset Recipe

1 unpeeledpear, cored and finely chopped

1 unpeeledapple, cored and finely chopped

1 cup finelychopped walnuts

1 cup finelychopped almonds

 1 cupfinely chopped hazelnuts

1 cup finelychopped pistachio nuts

1 cupchopped pitted dates

1 cupchopped raisins

2 teaspoonsground cinnamon

2 teaspoonsgrated ginger root

1 tablespoonapple cider vinegar

Sweet wine

Instructions for the Persian Charoset recipe/ Iranian Charoset recipe:

Combine pear, apple, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachio nuts, dates and raisins in a large bowl, and blend well, being careful not to chop the mixture into a paste. Add cinnamon, ginger root, cider vinegar and enough wine to bind.

Place on a platter and shape into a pyramid. Cover and refrigerate.

Moroccan Charoset Balls Recipe

500 gramshazelnuts

250 gramsalmonds

250 gramsdates

250 gramsgolden raisins

Note: 500grams = 1 pound + 1.65 ounces; 250 grams = 8.825 ounces.

Instructions for the Moroccan Charoset Balls recipe:

Using a food processor, grind the nuts together coarsely.

Add dates and raisins and process until consistency is smooth but still has some texture.

Prepare balls of the mixture about 2 centimeters in diameter (about 0.79 inches in diameter).

Can also be served as a dessert during Pesach.