Pre-Passover Weekly Message - 2017/5777

Pre-Passover Weekly Message - 2017/5777

I hope everyone's Pesach preparations are going well.  Every year, we busy ourselves with kashering our kitchens, cleaning our homes from top to bottom, buying the appropriate kosher for passover foods (which often means wading through crowded aisles at kosher grocery stores), and of course, cooking if you are hosting a seder.  Unfortunately, we must not only physically prepare for Passover, but spiritually prepare.  In my weekly message, I have provided resources for both your physical and spiritual preparations for Pesach.  

1.  Passover Guide from the Rabbinical Assembly
2.  Some divrei torah/sermons I have delivered/written over the past couple of weeks about the holiday of Passover and related themes.
3.  Resources to spice up your Passover Seders
4.  Face to face learning on Sunday and Monday.  

On Shabbat morning (tomorrow), join us for Shabbat HaGadol as we honor our graduating seniors and welcome a guest speaker (speaking after services), Hen Mazig, a former lieutenant in the IDF, writer and speaker who will speak to our congregation about the challenges that young Jews face on college campuses regarding the BDS movement.  Thank you to the Committee for Accuracy In Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) for providing our speaker!  

On Sunday morning, I invite you all to prepare in person at 9:30 am as I teach a Spiritual Writing class which will help us prepare through written reflection.  We will also be shredding your sensitive documents from 9:30 am - 11:30 am at Shaarei Kodesh.  Thank you to the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County for co-sponsoring this event!  

On Monday morning, please join us for morning minyan at 8 am for our annual Fast of the First Born Siyyum.  I will be finishing Mishnah Megillah so that first borns can avoid fasting on Erev Pesach.  Also, I will be selling our community's hametz to Norma, our neighbor here at CSK.  The deadline to send in your hametz forms has passed, but you can sell your hametz on Monday morning in person at Shaarei Kodesh.  

On Tuesday morning, we will gather for Passover Yom Tov services at 10 am (note later start time) in our PJs for our annual PJ Passover Pesach Service!  We invite you to wear your pajamas (kid and adult alike).  I will be telling a Passover story to the congregation which is both kid and adult friendly.  

On Wednesday morning, we will gather for the 2nd day of Passover Yom Tov services.  We will have completed our Pesach Seders for the year, but we will bring matzah with us for the next six days of Passover.  I'll be leading a text study during services on Bread of Affliction.  

We have so much going on this Pesach, and more to come!  I wish you all a Shabbat Shalom and Hag Kasher V'Samech, a Happy and Kosher Passover!

Rabbi David Baum
Kashruth and Ritual Resources 

Passover Guide for 2017 from the Rabbinical Assembly

The guide includes information on the holiday, kashruth updates as well as questions about kashering your kitchen and utensils for Passover.  The issue of kitniyot on Passover is also addressed in the guide.  
Sermons and Writings From Rabbi David Baum Leading Up to Passover 2017/5777

In this Dvar Torah for Shabbat HaHodesh, I speak about about my favorite moment of the seder - opening the door for Elijah.  What person of 'need' will come into your life this year?  How does our tradition define a person in 'need'?  

In this Dvar Torah, I suggest a theme for this year's Seder: 'Many Voices, One Mission'.  I have to admit, I borrowed it from AIPAC's Policy Conference theme, although I think they will forgive me for it.  How will we interact with our family and friends at the Seder table this year with whom we disagree with?  

Pesach is a time for recognizing the miracles that surround us, past, present and future.  Times might seem tenuous for Jews world wide, but there is still so many reasons to be hopeful.  Thankfully, Team Israel in this year's World Baseball Class reminded us of this lesson.
Spice Up Your Seder With Supplements For Your Haggadah!

Make your own Haggadah through Haggadot.com

Traditional Sources
 

The Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem offers a number of source sheets and articles for your Seder this year


Pardes is an open, co-ed and non-denominational Jewish learning community, based in Jerusalem and with programs worldwide.

Social Justice Themed Haggadot and Supplements

 
"Throughout our history, violence and persecution have driven the Jewish people to wander in search of a safe place to call home. We are a refugee people. At the Passover Seder, we gather to retell the story of our original wandering and the freedom we found. But we do not just retell the story. We are commanded to imagine ourselves as though we, personally, went forth from Egypt - to imagine the experience of being victimized because of who we are, of being enslaved, and of being freed. As we step into this historical experience, we cannot help but draw to mind the 65 million displaced people and refugees around the world today fleeing violence and persecution, searching for protection. Like our ancestors, today's refugees experience displacement, uncertainty, lack of resources, and the complete disruption of their lives..."

"Each year at our Seder tables, telling the story of our ancestors' journey from slavery to freedom illuminates the core narrative of the Jewish people. But it also offers thematic resonance with the stories and struggles of other oppressed communities around the globe."

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