Community celebration of Passover

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

More than 30 people gathered at the 1880 Grill on Wednesday evening, April 24, to celebrate a traditional Passover meal together.

The group was led in the Passover Seder by Rabbi Arthur Zuckerman, a resident of Sun City.
In an interview with The Progress, Zuckerman emphasized the signficance of this local celebration. “This is the first time that the Jewish community in Mesquite has come together to celebrate the Passover as one,” he said. “In other words, it wasn’t just one person doing it with family at home. It was a community coming together to celebrate as one. And that is…well, I am in awe!”

The Seder is a ritual feast involving the retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

In observing the Passover, “…we obey the commandment as found in the Bible which states that you shall tell the Passover story to your children in the days to come of how the Jewish people were freed from being slaves,” Zuckerman said.

Throughout the meal, Zuckerman read from the Haggadah, an ancient work containing the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. At certain points in the ceremony, participants joined in special blessings, songs, commentaries and rituals.

The Seder also included the drinking of four cups of wine, eating unleavened bread (matzah), and partaking of certain symbolic foods.

A meal of traditional Jewish dishes was provided by members of the community who were willing to bring food.

The ceremonious evening ended with expressions of gratitude. The group sang the traditional Jewish song “Dayenu,” which reminds the singer to switch from the mentality of always wanting more to, instead, be more grateful for the things which God has already blessed them.

“For example, we have to realize that the freedoms we have, we must not take for granted,” Zuckerman said. “We live in a free society. But it doesn’t take much to turn that around on us. We are blessed to have the freedoms we having in living here in the United States.”

Zuckerman explained that he had decided some time ago that he would like to organize a community Passover celebration. He began to publicize the event through social media and by word of mouth and was pleased with the response the idea received.

Next was the problem of where to hold the ceremonial meal, Zuckerman said. When other venues were booked, he approached Mark Whetzel, Director of Golf at the Conestoga.

Whetzel had graciously offered to host the meal at the 1880 Grill, Zuckerman said.
“I really want to thank Mark for allowing us to use this facility,” he said. “Otherwise, we would probably be eating outside tonight.”

Toward the end of the evening, attendee Ron Turshinsky addressed the crowd to express appreciation for the event.
“When I first moved here I was one of a very few Jews in the community,” Turshinsky said. “Now there are quite a few more. For many years, we had Passover in my home. Now we have a Rabbi here and I have to tell you it warms my heart to see us brought together this way. It is just amazing. Thank you all!”

Zuckerman concluded the evening by praising the community of Mesquite for its acceptance of different cultures. “I tell you, if Jews are experiencing anti-semitism elsewhere in America right now, they should come here!” he said. “We have no problem with that. Jews are welcome in the city and we function as part of the city. It is truly a blessing to be here.”