Happy Passover
Without question, Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday. Memories of the
Seder remind me of how special it is to be Jewish. It evokes a pride in my
family that came before me and instills a responsibility in me to carry
the torch and pass on the responsibilities of being a Jew to the next
generation. It is a time when all of my family is together. And while
certainly there is a degree of sadness in remembering those that are not
there, it is an opportunity to remember them in a blissful manner.
I grew up in a very observant, Jewish household. We had four sets of
dishes; two for during the year and two more for Passover. The Seders were
very formal. My Grandpa Harry led them and I don’t think we skipped a page
in the Hagaddah. They were definitely not egalitarian. My Grandma Sadie
spent the entire time in the kitchen, except when we sang Dayenu. My
sisters carried the bowl of water and a towel around the table for the
washing of the hands and participated mainly in the singing. The men did
the “real” prayers. Everyone was very quiet and didn’t speak out of turn.
We were very serious. After my grandfather died, my father became the
leader.
Over the years, the Seder got shorter. He introduced some innovations like
new songs with CD accompaniment and it became a little less formal. The
women got to wash their hands instead of just bringing the water around.
My mom participated and the men helped in the kitchen. My brother in law
took over after my father died and continued the tradition of shortening
the Seder. It’s much more chaotic now. We don’t just read about the
plagues, we act them out. We have all kinds of new melodies. There’s lots
of clapping and joyful singing. The men don’t wear ties, the women don’t
wear dresses, we only have one set of dishes, but we still get together as
a family. We have created new traditions and the Seder continues to
evolve.
In a way, it mirrors my journey through Judaism. I have become a Reform
Jew. I am still very observant but in a much different way. I no longer
consider certain customs to be right or wrong but rather as different ways
of being Jewish. Sometimes I wear a kippah in Temple and sometimes I
don’t. The Friday night service at Temple Beth El is a lot less formal
than the one I used to go to. We clap our hands and try out different ways
of worshipping. It’s definitely egalitarian. I’ve learned that there are
diverse ways to be Jewish. Each of them is special and each of them is
authentic. I am still very proud to be Jewish. I wish all of you a very
joyful and wonderful Passover.
Last month’s contest was to send in palindromes. The winner was Laura
Lewin with – A man – a plan – a canal – Panama. This month, find eight
missing letters throughout the bulletin to spell afikomen. (Yes - find
this month’s typos)! To get you started find the “A” by checking out the
title to this column,
Arthur B. Kramer |
Kramer's Remarks Arhive
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Kramer's
Remarks