Passover begins tonight
“Living our story that is told for all peoples, whose shining conclusion is yet to unfold, we gather to observe the Passover, as it is written — “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of Egypt. You shall observe this day throughout the generations as a practice for all times (Exodus 12:17).” – “A Passover Haggadah,” Central Conference of American Rabbis
Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, begins at sundown tonight.
In honor of the holiday, I’d like to offer some Passover related or Judaism news tidbits and commentary:
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Passover foods hold meaning
My first seder several years ago was a memorable one. I’ll never forget the moving experience as the meal helped tell the story of the Israelites’ freedom from Egyptian bondage. For non-Jews, here’s a sampling of some of the seder foods and the meaning attached to them, taken from “A Passover Haggadah.”
The seder place typically consists of a roasted shankbone, which represents the ancient Passover sacrifice.
Parsley or any green herbs signifies the growth of springtime, the green of hope and renewal.
The top part of the horseradish root is symbolic of the bitterness that the Israelites experienced in Egypt, and in a modern sense, the lot of all who are enslaved.
Haroset is a sweet combination (and my favorite edible part of the seder) of apples with chopped walnuts or pecans. Sometimes mashed raisins, dates, prunes or apricots are added, along with cinnamon and wine. Haroset represents the mortar which the Israelites used in doing Pharoah’s labor.
A roasted egg represents a festival offering and is a symbol of life itself.
Three separate pieces of matzah are typically placed in either a special cloth matzah cover with three sections or in a napkin folded over twice. these three pieces of matzah represent the two traditional loaves set out in the ancient Temple during the festival day and the extra matzah symbolic of Passover.
(Photo by
Carla H.
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Newsweek releases list of 50 most influential Jewish clergy
Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in edWashington and a member of President Obama’s Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, tops Newsweek’s list of the 50 most influential Jewish clergy in the country, Religion News Service reports.
The RNS reported that Saperstein took the top spot from Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center. Hier had topped both previous annual lists, but came in second this year.
The ranking system, compiled for the third year by Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton, News Corp’s Gary Ginsberg and Jay Sanderson of JTN Productions, rewards rabbis with international reputations and political influence.
In response to criticism about overlooking local community leaders, the three judges also compiled a list of 25 Most Vibrant Congregations this year, ranging from the Orthodox B’nai Jeshrun in Manhattan to the nondenominational Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.
Read Newsweek’s list here: “50 Influential Rabbis.”
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Group says economic troubles fueling Canadian anti-Semitism
TORONTO– Jewish groups here are linking the downturn in the economy to a rise in reported incidents of anti-Semitism.
The Religion News Service reported that in its annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents, the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada recorded 1,135 anti-Semitic incidents in 2008 — an increase of 8.9 percent compared with 2007.
The report, released March 31, added that since more than half of the incidents occurred in the last four months of 2008, the rise could be attributed to “fallout” from the economic recession and sensational cases like disgraced financier Bernard Madoff and the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank.
Anita Bromberg, director of legal affairs for B’nai Brith Canada, said her organization has been collecting and analyzing data about anti-Semitism for 27 years. She has heard many conspiracy theories about Jews and their control of the world’s money. One recent theory, said Bromberg, suggests that Jews transferred $400 billion to Israel just prior to the collapse of Lehman Brothers and other major investment banks in the U.S.
“The conspiracy theories didn’t surprise us,” said Bromberg.
B’nai Brith compared reported incidents in Canada with Australia, which recorded a 2-percent increase, and the United Kingdom, which had 4 percent fewer incidents in 2008 than 2007.
Bromberg told the RNS that her organization is often asked if it is simply the reporting of incidents of anti-Semitism — and not the incidents themselves — that is rising. On the contrary, she said, B’nai Brith believes there’s a problem of underreporting.
“Since the release of the report, 11 more incidents have been phoned in to us,” she said, adding that many individuals are too scared or ashamed to complain.
In the U.S., the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) tracks incidents of anti-Semitism, but the release of statistics is delayed this year, said Todd Gutnick, an ADL spokesman. The ADL however, is carefully monitoring the trend of how the economic turmoil has led to the spread of conspiracy theories and stereotypes about Jews and money, he said.
In an April 1 report on its Web site, the ADL noted that around the time of Madoff’s guilty plea in a $65-million Ponzi scheme, articles on popular mainstream Web sites (including The New York Times, Newsweek and The Washington Post) elicited scores of anti-Semitic comments. Many of the offensive remarks, the ADL said, blamed Madoff’s actions “not on his criminal behavior but on the fact that he is Jewish.”
The Canadian report noted that most of the incidents of anti-Semitism last year took the form of harassment — 70.7 percent, or 803 incidents. They included a government worker in Toronto who was called “Christ Killer” by her boss and a taxpayer who was told by a Revenue Canada employee not to worry, the agency was “not Jewing” him.
Vandalism accounted for 28 percent (313 cases) of the reported incidents and 1.2 percent (14 cases) involved violence.
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On DVD: “Kosher Not Kosher” ($19.98).
Comedian Robert Cait offers a two-performance DVD designed to make people laugh whether they are Jewish or not.
The “Kosher” side offers a stand-up set featuring lots of Jewish humor that was shot live at a Chabad center in Los Angeles. The “Not Kosher” side is a secular and uproarious show from the world famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood. At the Chabad, Cait faces his struggle with 
Judaism. At the Laugh Factory, he struggles with his marriage and life with three kids.
There are Hebrew and Yiddish translations on the “Kosher” side. A father of three, Cait’s comedy offers jokes that can be safely enjoyed and repeated at any barbeque or bar mitzvah.
The DVD is available at retail outlets nationwide and on Amazon.com.
Check Cait out on YouTube: Robert Cait
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Compiled by Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Make Holocaust denial illegal? Scholar says no.
Noted Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt said she has heard that some people think Holocaust denial —denying the Holocaust ever happened — should be against the law, like child pornography or hate crimes.
At Sunday’s Yom HaShoah Holocaust Commemoration, Lipstadt said she is against such a measure.
She said making Holocaust denial illegal would be turning the deniers into martyrs.
She also said it would suggest that “we don’t have the evidence (that the Holocaust happened), which we do.”
Lipstadt was a powerful speaker. You could tell that she had connected with the audience because thee was complete silence. I took my 15-year-old son with me to hear her speak and he was just as enthralled by what she had to say as others in the audience.
Interfaith family survey
InterfaithFamily.com wants to know what interfaith families are doing for Passover and Easter.The two holidays will coincide this year. The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover, begins at sundown April 8. The Christian holiday of Easter is on April 12.
Interfaith families can fill out InterfaithFamily.com’s survey at Passover-Easter Survey by March 3. InterfaithFamily.com offers resources and services for interfaith families exploring Jewish life.
Survey participants will be eligible to win a $250 American Express giftcard.
The winner of the drawing will be announced March 17. InterfaithFamily.com will announce the results of the survey in late March. 
For more Passover and Easter resources, check out othe Web site’s Passover and Easter Resource Page.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
