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Spring has come and brought Pesach to us. We have been celebrating
Pesach every year for the last 3 thousand years; and Pesach means the emancipation
from the Egyptian slavery. Agada says Pesach should be not only a memory but
also the emotional experience of Exodus. Every participant of Pesach Seder has
to go out of Egypt. The content of the holiday is the same for thousand years
but every time it happens in some new way, different from the previous year.
Everything is changing: times, circumstances, people…
Our community conducted two Pesach Seders on15 and 16 of Nisan.
About 200 people participated in them. We've never had that big amount of people
before. Most of the participants celebrated their first Pesach. Rabbi Meir Holzberg
and Braha, his wife, who came from Israel specifically for the event, conducted
both Seders.
A few centners of matsa were shipped to Aktobe City from Jerusalem
and every Jewish family got it for Pesach. Besides matsa, kosher chicken and
grape juice were shipped as well.
Rabbi Meir and his spouse came to Hesed to conduct bdikat khamets
on the eve of the first Seder. Also they koshered the oven and dishes for Pesach
celebrating. Before they came there had been a cleaning up, and Meir and Brakha
said everything was "very nice".
More than 100 people came to Hesed for the first evening, more than were invited,
but there was enough room for everybody. People brought their families, and
it was very interesting to watch young children repeating after rabbi the words
of the pray.
All Seder participants got books of Agada. And before the meal
rabbi Meir read Agada and Brakha helped him with the translation. After that
women lighted the candles, shipped form Jerusalem, and started dinner.
The atmosphere was very warm and friendly. People were very impressed
with candle lightening, Agada reading, holiday meals and Pesach songs, because
they have never participated in Pesach before. They had a chance to see Tradition,
to see what our forefathers did 3 thousand year ago and how modern Jews do it
now.
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