As Purim is now safely in the rearview mirror, we turn our attention to the next holiday, Passover. As this is my first year at OVS, you are not familiar with just how fanatical I get when it comes to Passover. Simply put, it is my favorite holiday and one that I feel we all need to pull out all the stops to go over the top in celebrating. Passover is a great holiday for so many reasons I won’t get into in this short article. It’s also a very complicated holiday, filled with so many laws and customs that many find it to be daunting. Over the coming weeks, please feel free to contact me with any and all questions about any singular aspect(s) of the holiday. Be on the lookout next week for an email about Passover that will be packed with very important information on preparing for, and observing, the holiday.
Passover is the holiday during which we celebrate freedom. With that said, we do not fully appreciate or recognize what freedom actually is. We often take freedom for granted, in large part because we do not understand what the opposite actually is. It’s natural for us to learn about the world through contrasting and comparing, and in this case, we really cannot do so from our own experience, but only by learning about the experiences of others. I recognize this is not an absolute rule since many of us know, and are friendly with, people from other parts of the world, where freedom is not a guarantee and at times doesn’t even exist.
The freedom we celebrate at Passover is not an absolute freedom. This is in large part because freedom without constraints is not actually freedom so much as it is tyranny. While we appreciate our freedoms here in America, we must be cognizant that it’s not absolute and doesn’t exist in a vacuum. In the Spiderman comic book series, we are famously taught by Peter Parker’s uncle, “with great power comes great responsibility.” If we were to change the word power to freedom, we could better understand the point I’m making. In order for freedom to exist, we must all accept that we live in a world of community, and as such, we each must be cognizant of the needs and desires of others in exercising their freedom when we exercise our own.
Our freedoms are indeed urgently important, but our obligations and responsibilities are sacred and holy. In better understanding this dichotomy, we can better appreciate the freedom we have and what we’re actually celebrating. For a better explanation, we need look no further than a few chapters after winning our freedom following the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. Right there in chapter 20 of the Book of Exodus, we are brought into a covenantal relationship with God at Mt. Sinai with the giving of the Torah and our acceptance of it.
At that moment, we went from newly freed slaves just beginning to experience the sweet taste of freedom, to becoming partners in a covenantal relationship. In that relationship, as is the case with all relationships, there are rituals, expectations and rules. All of those mean that our freedom is not an absolute. Our freedom is not about getting to do what we want to do when we want to do it. Our freedom is about being able to recognize our own power and the effect we have, and to exercise the power within the system we live in while being cognizant of our great responsibility.
It is in this light that each of us should rejoice in our freedom, knowing that our freedom is a gift and one we all must celebrate and enjoy together in a community. It is in this light that we are better capable of recognizing the treasure of freedom in spite of not being able to compare and contrast with its polar opposite. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Hearshen
Candlelighting time this week is 6:20 pm. Shabbat ends at 7:20 pm.
Tot Shabbat is Back! Saturday, March 6 at 11:00 am
Services will take place in the chapel. Masks are required for everyone age 3 and older and children must remain with a parent at all times.
Advanced registration is REQUIREDand social distancing will be observed. Click here to register
Tot Shabbat will be held once a month. Check your email and our website for future dates.
Chef Alex is accepting orders, through this weekend, if you’d like to purchase meals for the Kofinas family. Please get in touch with him ASAP since Passover cleaning in the OVS kitchen will begin on Tuesday, March 9. His number is 404-786-8133.
Orders through Chef Alex can be frozen and picked up at OVS when you are ready to take the food to the family.
Click hereto learn about other Jewish community events.
Kosher Vegan Food Truck at OVS Sunday, March 21 from Noon - 2:30 pm
Kosher for Passover Takeout!
Click here for more information and to place your order for Shabbat Dinner, Seder Meal and Keftes Dinner! Seder Plate with all ritual items is also available for purchase. All food will be prepared in the OVS Passover kitchen with Passover utensils.
BIRTHDAYS Sunday Janet Cadranel Martin Goldstein Stella Kofinas
Monday Mariya Akbashev Mark Tarica
Tuesday Abraham Tache Sydney Benator
Wednesday Esther Nerenbaum
ANNIVERSARIES Monday Ryan and Jennifer Tourial
Wednesday Steven and Taylor Benatar
Thursday Ben and Betty Arogeti Michael and Allison Bouhadana
Meldados
Shabbat Burton Handmacher for Mother Dorothy Rahn Isabelle Maslia for Mother Rose Sirota Tuck Steven Feldman for Mother Selma Feldman
Sunday Elizabeth M. Benator for father Johnny Benator Kenneth Sobel for Mother Beatrice Sobel
Monday Carol Gleichman for Mother Regina Cohen Susan Greenhouse for Mother Regina Cohen Lisa Galanti Rabinowitz for Aunt Regina Cohen Rachel Galanti for Sister-in-law Regina Cohen Sam Galanti for Sister Regina Cohen Ila Galanti for Sister-in-law Regina Cohen Grace Benator for Father-in-law Isaac Benator Sylvia Benator for Father Isaac Benator Sofia Arar for Father Moysey Vaynshteyn Susan Tourial for Mother Shifra Gershon
Tuesday Albert Barrocas for Brother Victor Notrica Rebeca Selber for Brother Victor Notrica Rochelle Notrica for Brother-In-Law Victor Notrica Sarah Duwell for Brother Victor Notrica Blanchette Ichay for Husband S. Robert Ichay David M. Ichay for Father S. Robert Ichay Elena R. Franco for Grandmother Marie Franco Leah Franco for Mother-in-law Marie Franco
Wednesday Alan Taranto for Grandmother Catherine Papouchado Vicki Grosswald for Grandmother Catherine Papouchado Anne Birnbaum for Mother-in-law Paulette Birnbaum Betty Handmacher for Mother Catherine B. Franco Stella DeLeon for Mother Catherine B. Franco Jeanie Marx for Mother Catherine B. Franco Lyudmila Pinkhasova for Mother-in-law Zilpha Borukhova Mark Pinkhasov for Grandmother Zilpha Borukhova Rochelle Notrica for Father David Varon Sylvia Benator for Mother Emily Levy Victor Levy for Mother Emily Levy
Thursday Craig Rich for Father Arnold Rich Hayyim Kassorla for Sister Madelyn Kassorla Honig Joyce Alhadeff for Husband Jack Alhadeff Richard Grosswald for Wife Judy Grosswald
Friday Imonel Khanimov for Father Abraham Khanimov Josiah V. Benator for Sister Victoria Braverman Marianne Tarica for Father Henry Hank Clayman Peter Lazarnick for Mother Phyllis Sherbert
