In
my home, we all pitched in wrapping and boxing the dishes used during the rest
of the year, schlepping them down the basement and carting the Passover dishes
and utensils, only used during the holiday, upstairs to be washed and put in
place. The house would be cleaned checking every nook and cranny for crumbs of
"chametz" (anything with
leaven). There is a ritual that goes along with that which I will cover in the
next article.
The
thing which struck me even as a child was that on Passover, along with the
regular family and extended family, there were always non-Jewish guests. Many
were people my mom worked with at the Essex County Welfare Board, some were my
father's patients or people who worked in his nursing home, others were friends
of my sister's or brother, or were my friends and their families.
My
father loved running the "seder",
a Hebrew word for "order."
He would always explain the order of the service, what all the rituals and
traditions meant, and invite everyone at the table to read and participate -- Jewish or not. He would always
start each seder with his own personal statement which usually went something
like this:
"It's
wonderful that you are here with us to share in this holiday which recalls the
Israelite Exodus from Egypt, because plainly and simply, if we never got out,
you wouldn't be here!"
He
was probably right. If the Israelites never left, history would be very
different.
Having
non-Jewish people attend and participate was an idea which has stayed with me
over the years. At the beginning of the seder,
it says, "All who are hungry come
and eat." I think the "hungry" refers to and includes those
who hunger for family, acceptance, and belonging to a group. As a Jew, and as a
Rabbi, I never push people away. I do my utmost to be as inclusive as possible
without intruding upon someone else's BS (belief system & the other kind
too).
When
I came to Texas, I continued this philosophy. For many years, I've conducted
Passover Seders for a number of different churches. I feel like an ambassador
for the Jewish people, going places that other rabbis fear to tread. On many of
those trips I met people who grew up in places where they had never met a Jew, much
less a rabbi. I always have a great time and the attendees are so grateful.
They tell me how much they appreciate the knowledge and background information they
receive. I use this experience to show others how we are connected. If they
claim to follow Jesus, the Jewish teacher, then this gives them a context which
they normally never get about him.
There
is great Blessing in giving others "a place at the table." Jesus and
his Jewish students never attended a "seder",
because in his day, the Temple was still standing. Seders did not appear until
later times. So, if the "Last Supper" wasn't a seder, what was it? Look for the answer in my next blog.
Do
TOV, Choose Life!
Rabbi
Jeffrey Leynor
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