BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

TRAUMA SURVIVORS PLEADING FOR THEIR 'EXODUS' Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and have confirmed it, to observe Thy righteous ordinances. I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O HaShem, according unto Thy word. Accept, I beseech Thee, the freewill-offerings of my mouth, O HaShem, and teach me Thine ordinances. My soul is continually in my hand; yet have I not forgotten Thy law. The wicked have laid a snare for me; yet went I not astray from Thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes, for ever, at every step. Psalms 119: 105-112 In reading this week's news across the globe, I am always struck by the resiliency of trauma survivors. Victims of political hypocrisy, victims of Middle East terror and even crime victims here in New York. I am also sickened by the majority who turn the other way - think it's not goi...

by David Weiner For most Americans, Passover is that time once a year when their Jewish friends can't eat pizza. But there's actually a lot more to the holiday than what Jews can and cannot eat, and whose firstborn was killed or not killed (sorry Pharaoh!). For a good overview of the actual holiday, I suggest checking out these two sites. But if you want to impress your Jewish friends with some cool Passover facts, or if you need some good lines to break the ice with at your Seder, read on: 1. The World's Largest Passover Seder Takes Place in Nepal, of All Places. Each year members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement hold their "Seder on Top of the World" in Kathmandu for Jewish locals and travelers alike (I'm gonna guess more the latter than the former). Last year they had around 2,000 people attend the festivities, and you can bet your tuchus that between the flowing wine and the thin air, it was quite the party. 2. Abraham Lincoln Was Assassinated Durin...

Maggid Maggid - Retelling the Passover Story Raise the tray with the matzot and say: This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people. The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is POURED.(Do not drink it yet). Now the child asks "Mah Nishtana?" What makes this night different from all [other] nights? On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice! On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah. On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror! On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline! The tray is restored to its place with the matzah partly uncovered. Now we say "We were slave...

Several new Passover seder rituals are being adopted by Jewish familes to honor the role of Miriam, Moses's sister and the Prophetess in the Exodus, and to highlight the contributions of women to Jewish culture, both past and present. A second cup, called Miriam's Cup, is being added to the Passover dinner table along with Elijah's Cup. Miriam's Cup is filled with water and symbolizes the miracle of Miriam's well, which sustained the Israelites during their long journey in the desert.

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin The book of Exodus opens with a throwback to what we already know from the last portions of the book of Genesis: the names of Jacob’s children and the 70 Israelite souls — the Jewish households — who came to Egypt. “And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt with; each individual and his house came,” it says in Exodus 1:1. Why the repetition? The great commentator, Rashi, attempts to explain that “even though Jacob’s progeny were counted by name previously, the names here are repeated to show us how beloved they were.” However, these first few verses of Exodus actually are a prelude to the enslavement in Egypt, the tragedy of this first Jewish exile. I understand a loving recount when times are joyous, but I find such mention superfluous when we are facing suffering and tragedy. Secondly, Pharaoh made a striking distinction between males and females when he ordered Jewish destruction: “And Pharaoh commanded his entire nation saying, ‘ever...

by Reuven Hammer "This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you" (Exodus 12:2). One might have thought that Nisan, the month of springtime, was designated the "first of the months for you" because it is the time of the renewal and rebirth of nature, but that is not the case. Nisan is the first because it is the beginning of the renewal and rebirth of the people Israel, the time when Israel gained its freedom and emerged from Egyptian slavery. "Remember this day, on which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how the Lord freed you from it with a mighty hand... You go free on this day, in the month of Abib" (Ex. 13:3-4). It is part of the revolutionary nature of the religion of Israel that it downplayed the cult of nature, which was so important in many pagan religions. It did so mainly in order to stress the idea that nature is subservient to God, the creation of God, and is not...