| "Let all who are hungry (for knowledge?) come eat..." .jpg) The ground here in the North may well be frozen hard, the air may be frigid and the warmth of summer may seem a barely accessible memory, but Judaismfs first harbinger of spring is already on the horizon...or, at least, on our mental horizons. I am referring to Passover which will begin this year on Monday evening, March 29, 2010.
While the first seder@of Passover is traditionally conducted at home for family and friends, it is quite common for synagogues to hold a congregational seder on the second night of Passover. Such has been the FJCfs tradition since its founding.
In 2010 that tradition continues but with a significant and important change: the FJC seder will be held this year at the Coonamessett Inn on Tuesday evening, March 30th and will be open to all who wish to attend. This decision has been a number of years in the making and reflects two important goals embraced and endorsed by our congregationfs leadership:
- To encourage unaffiliated Jews to experience the warmth of an FJC seder and to do so in a venue that will accommodate all who might wish to partake
- To allow interested non-Jews the opportunity to experience firsthand one of the most significant of Jewish rituals
It is a well-established fact that the Passover seder is the most widely observed of Jewish rituals. And yet, there are many unaffiliated Jews and interfaith families whose ambivalence about connecting with a synagogue might keep them from attending a seder held in a synagogue. Holding our seder in a "neutral" venue may make it easier for such people to experience a seder and, by extension, the FJC.
Our congregation has a long and rich history of positive interactions with the broader non-Jewish community. There is tremendous interest in our congregation and in Jewish ritual on the part of many Christians. This "Community Seder" becomes an important way for us to extend the hospitality that is so traditional an aspect of the Passover experience. When the haggadah instructs us to "let all who are hungry come and eat" its meaning is not only literal. There are many in our community who are "hungry" for knowledge of Judaism. Many are Christians eager to better understand the Jewish roots of Christianity; some have Jewish relatives or friends whom they wish to honor by learning more about what Jews experience and cherish.
This will not be an every-year event: it is a unique opportunity to open our hearts (and the doors of the Coonamessett Inn) to many people who would otherwise never experience the sublime beauty, meaning and pleasures of a Passover seder. We anticipate a wonderful response as we continue to publicize in the broader community our plans for Passover, 2010.
The February Newsletter will carry full details about this Community Seder. For now, please mark your calendar and start a list of those friends and neighbors to whom you might wish to extend an invitation to experience the heart of Judaism and the Falmouth Jewish Congregation.
Reb Elias Back to the Rabbi's Section | 
