Passover

The Fifth Son

by | in Opinion

Their name was pronounced Peshevorsky. I have no idea how it was spelled. Neither do I know their first names. I addressed them as “Mr. and Mrs. Peshevorsky.” It was such a mouthful; I had to practice… Read more

The Purim—Pesach Connection

by | in Passover

Imagine the moadim (holidays) as a circle beginning with Pesach in Nissan and ending with Purim in Adar. If the moadim were arranged in a straight line, Purim would be the furthest from Pesach. Read more

The Storyteller

by | in Opinion

As a volunteer leader of Seders in small Jewish communities in a former Communist country, I usually devote my introductory remarks to quickly explain why we have come together. I don’t turn to a… Read more

Pesach on the Base

by | in Passover

Preparing for a seder in Balad, Iraq, 2004. Courtesy of the Unit Ministry Team PESACH IN IRAQ One week after US forces toppled Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical regime in April 2003, Jews everywhere… Read more

Leaving Egypt in Romania

by | in Opinion

It was the first night of Pesach, and on a holiday that celebrates questions, I began by asking one. “Where are we tonight?” We were 150 people, participants in a communal Seder I led last year in… Read more

The Art of Leading a Seder

by | in Opinion

Participating in a Seder comes naturally to those who grew up in observant families or who had the benefit of a Jewish day school education. But what about ba’alei teshuvah or those who don’t have an… Read more