A TIME TO REMEMBER AND BE THANKFUL.Byline: Carol Bidwell Daily News Staff Writer Passover, an observance more than 3,000 years old, will be observed by Jews worldwide for eight days beginning with the Seder at sundown Friday. Called Pesach in Hebrew, the holiday is marked by preparation of special dishes, rituals and prayers, and the retelling re·tell·ing n. A new account or an adaptation of a story: a retelling of a Roman myth. of the story of the freeing of the Jewish slaves and their exodus from Egypt so many centuries ago. It's particularly important that children learn the tale because, besides teaching them how the Jews as a people came to be, it also teaches that tyranny and enslavement en·slave tr.v. en·slaved, en·slav·ing, en·slaves To make into or as if into a slave. en·slave  ment n. are deplorable, said Rabbi Stewart L. Vogel of Temple Aliyah aliyah(Hebrew; “ascending”) In Judaism, the honour, accorded to a worshiper, of being called up to read an assigned passage from the Torah at Sabbath morning services; or Jewish immigration to Israel. in West Hills. ``For American Jews, what could be further from their reality (than slavery)? We live in the most free country in the world, so for them to understand what it means to suffer ... well, it's not their living experience,'' said Vogel. ``We say all the time that Jews don't appreciate the freedom they have.'' The principal Passover celebration is the Seder, a special meal marked by candles, prayers and recitation rec·i·ta·tion n. 1. a. The act of reciting memorized materials in a public performance. b. The material so presented. 2. a. Oral delivery of prepared lessons by a pupil. b. of the Exodus story, punctuated by a special plate filled with symbolic foods: a lamb shank shank (shangk) 1. leg (1). 2. crus ( 2). shank n. The part of the human leg between the knee and ankle. bone (to represent the blood of the lamb blood of the lamb used to mark houses of the Israelites so they could be passed over. [O.T.: Exodus 12:3–13] See : Protection sacrificed so long ago), an egg (symbolizing life and rebirth), greens (usually parsley, a symbol of springtime), haroset (a mixture of nuts, apples and wine, representing the mortar the slaves used), and bitter herbs dipped in salt water (to remind of bitter times the slaves endured and the tears they shed, also for the Red Sea). To remind Jews of the slaves' hasty exit, matzo is eaten instead of leavened leav·en n. 1. An agent, such as yeast, that causes batter or dough to rise, especially by fermentation. 2. An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole. tr.v. bread. ``It is the most-observed Jewish ritual, a family holiday that's passed on from generation to generation,'' Vogel said. ``We know the Seder is thousands of years old and that it's changed over the years. But the one thing that has stayed the same is that on Passover, each person is obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to feel as if they came out of Egypt,'' Vogel said. Although it's a complicated story, filled with miracle after miracle, it's one even children can comprehend, even though such things are far beyond anything they've seen, except in the movies or on a computer screen, the rabbi said. ``I think the children understand,'' Vogel said. ``They understand what special effects are. I think they can distinguish between what Hollywood makes and what God makes.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: The story of Passover is particularly important to children, says Rabbi Stewart L. Vogel. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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