Haverim (friends):
The holidays of spring have come and gone in recent weeks. As I think back on them my first thought is that these are joyous holidays of celebration. Maybe this is because of the approach of spring represents the end of the dark and cold winter months, and the beginning of renewal of nature. There is also a positive side to the holidays as well. We celebrate the community being saved by the brave Queen Ester, and in Passover we celebrate our people being saved by Moses from slavery in Egypt. However, there is a dark side to these holidays as well.
The story of Purim tells about the evil Haman, who seeks to destroy the entire Jewish community because Mordechai, the Jew, is standing in the way of his thirst for power. We often treat Haman as one of the first anti-Semites who develops a hatred for the entire Jewish people, not just an individual. Passover, also tells the story of the Jewish people who at first were welcomed into Egypt seen as the family of Joseph, an Israelite who also became a great man in Egypt for his service to Pharaoh. Nevertheless, the text says a Pharaoh came to power who did not remember Joseph. He then turned against the people and sought their destruction.
Each of these stories start with darkness but we celebrate the joy of how they end. Evil exists, but we can triumph over it in the end.
We cannot ignore the rise in anti-Semitic incidents that have occurred in many places around our country. The bomb threats on JCC’s – as close to us as the JCC in Milwaukee – and the desecration of Jewish cemeteries as close as St. Louis and reminders that hatred and anti-Semitism are still around us. Nevertheless, there is a positive side to this story as well. Many people from a variety of faith groups, notably the Muslim community as well, have joined together to denounce these acts of hate and have worked to repair the damage. We cannot live our lives cowering in fear, but we should be vigilant and stand with our friends in every faith group to combat hatred and violence against anyone due to their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.
One other thing to remember. It is a well-known fact that Jews celebrate with food. Passover is particularly important here because the main celebration is over dinner and there are many extra expenses for food during the Passover time. These extra expenses of Passover may be a temporary inconvenience to some of us. However, there are many in the Jewish community around the world and closer to home, for whom these extra expenses are a very hard burden and even impossible. Also, the springtime and Easter is a special time for people of many faith communities throughout the Beloit/Janesville and Northern Illinois area to celebrate with family and gather for special holiday meals. This can be a difficult time for them as well to find the resources needed to have a festive and happy season.
What can we do? As we remember the wonderful meals we had at our Seder and the many trips to the grocery store, we can add a little to our food budget to make an extra donation to a food-related charity. Some suggestions for local, national, international, and Jewish giving are below.
I hope you had a Happy Purim and Happy Passover this year. The rabbis see Passover as the beginning of a new year. May the words of the Seder: “Let all who are hungry come and eat!” have a special significance this new year and time of new beginnings as we reach out to help others who are in need.
L’Shalom, Hag Sameach!, Happy Holiday!
Rabbi Shlomo Wing
MAZON (www.mazon.org) – Jewish organization that makes grants to Food banks throughout the country
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
10495 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 1-800-813-0557
Fax: (310) 442-0030
Send some money to the Jewish Chaplains Council so that Jewish men and women serving our country in the military can have a wonderful and meaningful Passover wherever they are in the world. Tax deductible donations can be made online at www.jcca.org/chaplaincy or mailed to:
JWB Jewish Chaplains Council
520 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 786-5099
Local donations:
Caritas – Beloit
2840 Prairie Ave.
Beloit, WI 53511
ECHO- Everyone Cooperating to Help Others www.echojanesville.org
65 South High Street
Janesville, WI 53548
Israel:
Yad Eliezer – Israel Charity for Poor and Hungry
American Friends of Yad Eliezer
1102 E. 26th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11210