Passover Newsletter

chabad ‫ב"ה‬

First Coast

April 2012 / Nissan 5772

A ttitude Of Gratitude

Chabad of Southside Celebrates 5 years, Honors Lazar and Raissa Finker 5

Passover

Holiday guide passover dates & Times

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Photo gallery

recent events Public Menorah Lighting & Concert At the Plaza de la Constiucion

Mrs. Andrea Samuels, Jewish vice-mayor of S Augustine Beach, passes around the “Torch of Freedom�.

Yellow Red Sky rock group jamming Chanukah songs in the heart of S Augustine

Crowds gather in the Plaza de la Constitucion

Chanukah Wonderland & Concert

Chanukah at Chabad of Clay County

Rabbi’s Notes

Attitude Of Gratitude Charles Plumb was a US Naval Academy graduate who flew jets in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, he was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. Upon ejecting he parachuted into the jungle where the Viet Cong captured him and held him prisoner for six years in North Vietnam. After the war, Charles Plumb lectured on lessons learned from that experience.

become a millionaire.

In his memoirs, Rabbi Israel Lau, one of the youngest survivors of Buchenwald, describes how he arrived in the Holy Land after WWII bereft of father and mother, with all his worldly possessions stuffed into one tiny suitcase.

Rabbi Lau has come a long way since those painful and uncertain times. He studied in Yeshiva, raised a family and even became One day, when he and his wife were sitting in Israel’s Chief Rabbi, but he could never forget a restaurant, a man came up to him and said, the tiny suitcase with which he arrived on “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam Israel’s shore. It serves for him as a reminder of Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were G-d’s loving kindness and the many miracles Chabad NE Florida Founder/Director shot down!” by which his life has been blessed.

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Matzah and Marror. The Haggadah tells us that Rabbi Lau was not the first to preserve a Plumb, the former pilot. piece of his past in order to keep the future in we eat Matzah “Because our ancestors’ dough “Well, because I packed your parachute!” perspective. It is a rather familiar phenomenon didn’t have time to rise . . . since they had been banished from Egypt.” In other words, replied the stranger. Plumb gasped in surprise. in Jewish history. the Matzah symbolizes the good news – our The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess The Midrash interprets the verse: “And David’s “Exodus” from Egypt. it worked!” name went forth in all the lands,” to mean Plumb assured him that indeed it did. “If that “His coins spread through the world.” But at the same Seder we are also required your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here In describing King David’s coins, the Midrash to eat Marror. The reason for this, states the today.” asserts, that one side bore the insignia of “His Haggadah, is to be reminded that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors. We That night Plumb couldn’t sleep. He kept staff and sack,” the other side, “His tower.” find herein the same pattern of contrast. We thinking about the stranger. He wondered how Unlike other ancient kings – wont to imprint celebrate our freedom, and at the same time many times he might have seen the guy before their own image on the currency of their place remember our bitter days of exile. but would not speak to him, because he was a of reign – for his currency, King David chose fighter pilot and the man who packed his chute a staff and sack on one side and his royal This then explains why we eat Matzah and was “just a sailor.” tower on the other. Having risen from a simple Marror. However, as we know, the great Sage Hillel insisted that, in addition to the obligation Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor shepherd all the way to king, David sought to of eating Matzah and Marror separate, one had spent perched over the long wooden table be reminded, even as he sat in the royal tower, needs to also eat the Matzah and Marror in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving of the days when he carried a staff and a sack together. The reason for the sandwich still the shrouds and folding the silks of each as a simple shepherd. remains to be understood. parachute, each time, holding in his hands the The Midrash continues to note a parallel fate of someone he didn’t know. phenomenon regarding Mordechai, who Hillel, it appears, believed that the joy of exodus and the bitterness of exile must be part Now, when Plumb lectures, he always asks his apparently had coins bearing his own insignia and parcel of the same sandwich – that Matzah of choice. These coins bore the symbol of audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” sackcloth and ashes on one side, and a crown and Marror must serve the same purpose as the two-sided coins of King David and Mordechai.

Upon entering a store, it’s not uncommon of gold on the other.

Just as they didn’t use two separate coins to to find its first dollar prominently displayed on the front wall. The reason for this is to The familiar reason given for this was the make their point so too, according to Hillel, it remind the proprietor of his early struggles. desire for his generation to be reminded of the is with the Matzah and Marror. Only in the face The owner does not wish to forget his difficult sackcloth and ashes that he had worn before of stark contrast can we truly appreciate our and humble beginnings; even should he later he rose to the position of second in command. freedom and thank G-d for the miracle of our He did not want them to forget the threat of Exodus. extinction which the entire There is a relevant lesson in all this for us in Jewish nation faced. our unique day and age. With the possible Check out the Like King David, the hero of exception of the era of King Solomon, the the Purim story wanted to Jewish nation has never had it this good in perpetually memorialize those its entire history. No generation has enjoyed dreadful days, lest they take such peace, freedom, affluence and tranquility the good days for granted. He as does ours. Yet we so often forget how good wanted to remind everyone that we have it – our freedom is taken for complete things could have turned out granted. much different, Heaven forbid, and that they should forever be We ought to be in a continual state of song and gratitude to the Almighty for all the good He grateful for G-d’s kindness. has bestowed upon this generation. Never in and In the above light we could our history, as individuals or as a people, have better understand the rituals of we enjoyed such freedom and acceptance from the Pesach Seder; why we eat our neighbors as we do nowadays in the United firstcoastchabad.blogspot.com

post,

comment,

discuss

April 2012/nissan 5772 |

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Attitude Of Gratitude

(continued)

States and other Western countries.

this generation. Still, these people whom we do not personally know, are responsible for who we are. In fact, as Jews, we have benefited from every single generation of Jews that preceded us. To them we owe the ultimate recognition and debt of gratitude for guarding and preserving our precious heritage, often at the ultimate price, so that we may be its beneficiaries.

Never have we been allowed to practice our Judaism as freely in just about anywhere in the world. But it’s hard to appreciate just how good we have it, when we never experienced any lack.

Was there ever a better time to be alive than today? Was there ever a worse time in history to be alive then one generation ago? A measly 60 years separates our generation from the worse time of history and the best time ever.

Do we really appreciate what this means?

While on Passover we celebrate our freedom, we must at the same time remember the stark contrasts of history. Such memories will spur us to even greater appreciation for all the blessings that G-d has given us in placing us in this unique point in history. The awareness of our unique and blessed generation will help us realize our true purpose and responsibility.

And there is still more to the Hillel sandwich.

There are other, equally compelling, reasons for the need to remember the past while we celebrate the present. This is emphasized in the Yizkor ceremony, which is observed upon the conclusion of the holiday.

During this sacred time of memory our thoughts turn from the joy of family to thoughts of those who are not physically present. We turn to their memory; we recall how they nourished us. We remember how they influenced our lives and helped us become the persons we are today.

We also remember others who have played a crucial part in shaping our lives, even if we do not know them or realize it. Indeed, we have all benefited from some form of a parachute.

So as we recite Yizkor, it is fitting for us to memorialize those who have packed our parachutes, even though we may not know their names, or their stations in life, because they are the ones to whom we owe everything in our lives.

The Hillel Sandwich philosophy can perhaps explain one more Seder puzzle, namely: how the “Days of the world to come” have found their way in to our Passover narrative, and why, in fact, will it be necessary to recall the miracle of the Egyptian Exodus at a time, when all negativity will once and for all be eradicated from the world?

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According to Hillel’s reasoning the answer becomes clear. The reason is so that we may fully appreciate the blissful state in which we shall find ourselves at the time. In fact the Midrash tells us that when Moshiach comes, all the sacrifices of the Temple will no longer be offered—except for the Thanksgiving Sacrifice, which will never cease.

May we take all the pertinent lessons of this rich Yom Tov, not the least the fundamental importance of the Hillel sandwich, and apply it to our lives, hastening thereby the coming of the righteous Moshiach BBA.

Sunday, March 18th, Clay County: 2:00 PM Sunday, April 1st, Southside:11:00 AM -1:00 PM Free for hebrew school students

Please call your local Chabad Center for locations and more information.

Southside - 904.646.4434 Clay County - 904.460.7020

Many who packed our parachutes are not from

Selling the

chametz

Fill out this form and send it in to your local Chabad House by thursday, April 5th DELEGATION OF POWER FOR SALE OF CHAMETZ

Prohibition of Chometz

I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Yossie Kahanov to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chametz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g.

Chametz, possible Chametz, and all kinds of Chametz mixtures).

On Pesach it is prohibited to possess chametz (leaven).

All chametz that will not be eaten or burned before Pesach must be sold to a non-Jew. All chametz utensils that will not be thoroughly cleaned by then should be stored away in closets or rooms. The storage area is locked or tapeshut, and leased to a non-Jew at the time of the sale.

Also Chametz that tends to harden and adhere to inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets that have been eating Chametz and mixtures thereof.

Rabbi Kahanov is also empowered to lease all places wherein the Chametz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/s listed below, and elsewhere.

There are many legal intricacies in this sale, thus, only a competent rabbi should be entrusted with its execution.

The rabbi acts as our agent both to sell the chametz to the non-Jew on the morning before Pesach starts and also to buy it back the evening after Pesach ends.

Rabbi Kahanov has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein.

Rabbi Kahanov also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my Chametz, Chametz mixtures, etc., as provided herein.

Locking your chametz away and giving your Local Rabbi the Signed Chametz Contract is an easy way of observing one of the most important laws in the Torah.

(Contract follows across).

This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

Name: Address:

www.Chabad.org/ 111191 4

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

You can also sell your chametz online at

________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

City/ State/ Zip Country: ________________________________________________________________ Signed: _________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Passover Dates & Times Tuesday Evening, April 3 Farbengen in honor of 11 Nissan Birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe at Mandarin & Beaches

Thursday, April 5

Formal search for Chametz after 8:17 PM See below

Friday, April 6

Morning Services: 7:00 AM including Siyum for the firstborns Finish Eating Chametz by 11:18 AM Burn Chametz before 12:16 PM

first Seder Night Light Candles at: 7:31 PM Say blessings 1 & 3 Evening Services: 7:00 PM

Saturday, April 7

first day of Passover Morning Services: 10:00 AM Evening Services: 7:00 PM Count Sefira 1

Second Seder Night Light Candles* after: 8:26 PM Say blessings 2 & 3 *Light only from a pre-exsting flame.

Sunday, April 8 Second day of Passover Morning Services: 10:00 am Evening Services: 7:00 PM Count Sefira 2 Yom Tov ends at: 8:27 PM

Thursday, April 12

Light Candles at: 7:34 PM Say blessing 2 Evening Services: 7:30 PM Count Sefira 6

Friday, April 13

7th day of Passover Morning Services: 9:20 AM Evening Services: 7:30 PM Count Sefira 7 Light Candles* before: 7:35 PM Say blessing 1

Saturday, April 14

Final Day of Passover Morning Services: 9:20 AM Yizkor Memorial Service: 11:15 AM (approx.)

Evening Services: 6:00 PM Seudas Moshiach: 6:30 PM Count Sefira 8 Yom Tov ends at: 8:31 PM

Candle Lighting Blessings

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Ba-Ruch A-Tah Ado-Nai E-Lo-HeNu Me-Lech Ha-Olam Asher KidE-Sha-Nu Be-Mitz-Vo-Tav Vetzi-Va-Nu Le-Had-Lik Ner Shel Shabbat V-Shel Yom Tov. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Shabbat & Yom Tov light.

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Ba-Ruch A-Tah Ado-Nai E-Lo-HeNu Me-Lech Ha-Olam Asher KidE-Sha-Nu Be-Mitz-Vo-Tav Vetzi-Va-Nu Le-Had-Lik Ner Shel Yom Tov. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Yom Tov light.

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Ba-Ruch A-Tah Ado-Nai E-Lo-HeNu Me-Lech Ha-Olam She-HecheYa-Nu Ve-Ki-Ye-Ma-Nu Ve-Higi-A-Nu Liz-Man Ha-Zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

On the evening before Passover, April 5th, after 8:17 PM, make a formal search of the home and all its surrounding properties while holding a lit candle.

Take heed to search first in the room nearest the place where the blessing was heard, and not to go to another room immediately after the blessing.

my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.

It is customary to put 10 pieces of hard bread in various places some time before the search, so that the one who searches will find them.

After the search one must be careful that the chametz retained to be eaten or to be burnt in the morning, be put in a safe place, so that it not be carried about and thereby crumbled and spread by children or rodents.

The ten pieces are to be burnt, and the following is said during the burning of the chametz:

Before starting the search, the following blessing is recited: Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the removal of chametz.

One is to search by candlelight in all hidden places, even cracks in the floor.

One is not to speak between the blessing and the beginning of the search, even concerning the search itself.

Throughout the search one should not speak about anything that is not relevant to the search.

Members of the household should stand nearby to hear the blessing, with each one then searching his own place without speaking in between.

After the search one must also nullify the chametz he may have overlooked and say: All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.

On the afternoon before Passover, April 6th, no later than 12:16 PM, one should make a special fire and burn the chametz and nullify it.

For the nullification of the chametz say: All leaven and anything leavened that is in

May it be Your will, Lord, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that just as I remove the chametz from my house and from my possession, so shall You remove all the extraneous forces.

Remove the spirit of impurity from the earth, remove our evil inclination from us, and grant us a heart of flesh to serve You in truth.

Make all the sitra achara, all the kelipot, and all wickedness be consumed in smoke, and remove the dominion of evil from the earth.

Remove with a spirit of destruction and a spirit of judgment all that distress the Shechina, just as You destroyed Egypt and its idols in those days, at this time. Amen, Selah.

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rebbe When the Rebbe Asked Me for $100 Million And then He Began Quoting Zorba the Greek

By Gordon Zacks In tribute to the 62nd yartzeit of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, and the succession to leadership by the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Friday, 10 Shevat (1950-2012).

In 1969, I was the Chairman of the Young Leadership Cabinet of the National United Jewish Appeal. As such, I was invited to deliver the keynote address to the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds Annual Conference, being held that year in November in Boston. The theme was “Youth Looks at the Future of the American Jewish Community.” I spent six months preparing for this talk. Usually, I speak extemporaneously with at most a one-page outline. This time — because of its importance — I elected to read the entire speech.

In it, I thanked my parents’ generation for supporting the creation of the state of Israel and rescuing survivors from the Holocaust.

In its aftermath, two million Jews had been delivered through their efforts from lands of oppression and resettled to lands of freedom.

Nonetheless, I pointed out that we faced a disaster in the field of Jewish education.

We ran the risk of losing more Jews through assimilation than we had saved through affirmation. We needed to address the failure of our Jewish educational system to inspire many young Jews to continue to be Jewish.

I recommended that we create a national Jewish research and development venture capital fund to invest risk capital in innovative approaches to make Jewish education relevant to young people and to create an Institute for Jewish Life that would manage the process.

To fund this Institute, I proposed that the Jewish community endow the Institute with $l00 million of State of Israel bonds for a period of ten years. The purchasers would receive a tax deduction. At the end of ten years, they would get their principal back. The Institute would get the use of the interest. Annually it would provide about $6 million in revenue.

We would have ten years in which to evaluate the results. If the concept didn’t produce worthwhile results, that would be the end of the Institute. Ultimately the idea was adopted in an abbreviated form with funding of $3.5 million. In this truncated version, it failed in its mission and was eventually closed. Still, it stimulated a lot of discussion about Jewish education, and placed it right behind rescue as a priority for the American Jewish community.

In December 1969, I received a call from a man named Leibel Alevsky. He was a rabbi with the Lubavitch movement in the Crown Heights

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section of Brooklyn. He said the Lubavitcher Rebbe wanted to meet me. Given the tone of the phone call, I thought I was being invited for a royal audience. I immediately said yes to a date in January, but I didn’t even know who the Rebbe was! My rabbi gave me some background and urged me to go ahead with the meeting. On the appointed day in January, Alevsky and I were finishing dinner in his home at 11:15 at night. We got a call that the Rebbe would see me now. I walked with Alevsky to a modest building to find 300 people — from around the world —each waiting at the Rebbe’s headquarters, the Chabad Center, in the middle of the night for an audience with the Rebbe!

Later I learned that the Rebbe held these audiences three times each week, lasting from sundown often until the middle of the night.

I went in alone to see the Rebbe. In his office, illuminated by a single ceiling light, books were stacked from the floor to the ceiling. He was a slight man with translucent skin and absolutely clear whites of his eyes—the sclera encircling his sparkling blue irises, his beard outlining an impish grin. The Rebbe was sixty-seven at the time. He looked at me in such a penetrating way that I felt like I was being x-rayed.

Mr. Gordon Zacks are entitled to a quality Jewish education that makes Judaism relevant to their lives. That’s why we need this Institute.”

“Do you believe in revelation, Mr. Zacks?” he asked me next.

“I believe in G-d and I believe he inspires... but I don’t believe he writes,” I answered.

“You mean, Mr. Zacks, that there is this vast structure G-d has created of plants, animals, food chains, stars, and planets. And, that the only creature in all of creation that doesn’t understand how to fit in and live their life purposefully is the human?”

I told him yes.

“What about the complexity of the human body? What about the jewel of the human cell?

How does the body ingest food and renew itself with absolute consistency?”

I had no answer.

“Mr. Zacks, I have read your speech,” he began, “and it’s clear you have taken good care of your mind. I can look at you, and it’s clear you have taken good care of your body. What have you done to take care of your soul?”

“Why, Mr. Zacks, is the nose always where the nose belongs? Why are the eyes always on the face for generation after generation?”

No small talk about how I was, or if I had a pleasant trip. I was stunned.

“And, how can you account for the brain and the mind? How do they steer this remarkable system in a purposeful and precise way?

And, what about how we fit into the earth’s ecosystem, where we inhale the oxygen that plants so wonderfully manufacture for us?

Could this all be accidental?”

“The Jewish house is on fire,” he continued.

“We have an emergency, and this is not the time to experiment with new ways to put out the fire. Instead, you call the proven and tested fire department. We are that fire department.

We—the Lubavitchers—don’t have drugs or intermarriage problems with our children or kids opting out of Judaism. Our tradition works, and our children are being educated.

We have a worldwide outreach program that contacts and impacts non-observant Jews and saves souls. Give us the $100 million, and we will spend it to correct the problems that you are concerned about.”

“Rebbe,” I asked after pausing for a moment, “what if the house is on fire, but people have forgotten your telephone number?” “G-d will provide,” he answered me.

“There are millions of Jews whose houses are on fire,” I said to him. “Most of them are Jews who will not call you, either because they have lost your number or they won’t accept the lifestyle compromises you expect. They’re still worthy of saving in their own way, and they

I could only shrug my shoulders, but my respect for him deepened by the moment.

How could I answer him?

“And, beyond what happens on earth. What about all the heavenly bodies in the sky that seem to follow such a perfect order and don’t collide with each other? Is man the only creature on the planet earth without guidelines for living its life? Should man ignore the Torah given to us by G-d as a roadmap to guide us?

This is the missing link which connects us to the complexity of Nature!”

So it went. Comment after comment. More times than not, I could not begin to answer his points.

He quoted Kazantzakis’ book Zorba the Greek to me during our conversation. “Do you remember the young man talking with Zorba on the beach, when Zorba asks what the purpose of life is? The young fellow admits he doesn’t know. And Zorba comments, ‘Well, all those books you read — what good are they? Why do

rebbe you read them?’ Zorba’s friend says he doesn’t know. Zorba can see his friend doesn’t have an answer to the most fundamental question.

That’s the trouble with you. ‘A man’s head is like a grocer,’ Zorba says, ‘it keeps accounts...

The head’s a careful little shopkeeper; it never risks all it has, always keeps something in reserve. It never breaks the string.’ Wise men and grocers weigh everything. They can never cut the cord and be free.

“Your problem, Mr. Zacks, is that you are trying to find G-d’s map through your head. You are unlikely to find it that way. You have to experience before you can truly feel and then be free to learn. Let me send a teacher to live with you for a year and teach you how to be Jewish.

You will unleash a whole new dimension to your life. If you really want to change the world, change yourself!

It’s like dropping a stone into a pool of water and watching the concentric circles radiate to the shore.

You will influence all the people around you, and they will influence others in turn. That’s how you bring about improvement in the world.”

“Rebbe, I’m not ready to do that,” I told him.

I remained firm despite the incredibly woven tapestry of the universe he presented to me.

“What do you have to lose?” he asked, “One year of your life? What if I’m right? It could gain you an eternity if I’m right, but only cost you one year if I’m wrong.”

of years, I received five letters from him saying that he wanted to send his representative to me to spend a year teaching me how to be Jewish.

I responded to each of them and declined.

Beginning in 1986, the Rebbe had a receiving line on Sunday in which he passed out a dollar bill to be given by the recipient as tzedakah to charity. His reasoning: “When two people meet, something good should result for a third.”

People waited in line for as long as four hours to be greeted by him and receive his blessing and the dollar bill. The Rebbe was eighty-four when he started doing this. An older woman in the line asked him how he could manage to perform this demanding task. “Every soul is a diamond,” he answered. “Can one grow tired of counting diamonds?”

“Mr. Zacks, I have read your speech,” he began, “and it’s clear you have taken good care of your mind.... What have you done to take care of your soul?”

“I’ll think about it,” I said as we wrapped up our hour-and-a-half conversation. The normal audience with the Rebbe was thirty seconds to a minute. Three hundred people were still waiting to come in at one in the morning.

In 1987, my youngest daughter, Kim, had just returned from Israel and she wanted to participate in the custom of Sunday Dollars. I said fine I would take her. I neither called nor told anyone who I was when we arrived. I stood in line with her. It had been seventeen years since I had seen the Rebbe and ten years since he wrote me his last letter. When it was our turn to speak with the Rebbe, he looked at me and asked “What are you doing for Jewish education?” His eyes had the same penetrating look that had scanned me seventeen years earlier and asked, “What are you doing to take care of your soul, Mr. Zacks?” It was as though I had just walked back into his office. In truth, hundreds of thousands of people had filed past him over those years.

“You are amazing!” I exclaimed to him.

*** The Rebbe took people the way they were. His ultimate goal was to bring you to the ways of Jewish life, but his means were not confrontational and demanding. You could literally feel his warmth and love in addition to the power of his vast intellect. Once he established the Chabad Center at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, I don’t think he ever left it. Yet he was totally wired into the events of the world. I sensed this in my first meeting with the Rebbe. He radiated compassion, love, and respect for others — a servant leader totally committed to serving G-d through helping others.

“What has that to do with saving Jewish lives?

What are you doing for Jewish education?” he retorted. He may not have gotten exactly what he wanted from me, but the Rebbe surely taught me the power of changing yourself to influence others. He wanted to enlist me as his fundraiser for Jewish education. While I certainly considered his invitation, I declined it. Still he may have been the most charismatic man I ever met. He had an incredible aura to him, partly because he was such a combination of charisma and pragmatism. This man came out of the scientific community to return to the religious life. Every Israeli prime minister and Israeli chief of staff found his way to the Rebbe’s doorstep when they came to the United States.

The Rebbe wrote me letters encouraging me to devote myself to Jewish education. Over a series

The most amazing thing? The Rebbe saw himself as perfecting G-d’s will. He had no

power in the sense that a police commissioner, a general, or a tax collector does. He had no one enforcing his decisions. What he did have was the authority of his holiness, which caused others to connect to him. It wasn’t his title that gave the Rebbe authority. It was his presence and his profound grasp of bringing the principles of the Torah to life in himself and in others. The Rebbe didn’t declare himself a leader. His overpowering presence inspired those around him to declare him their leader and to revere him. Through earning respect and trust, people endowed him with leadership.

About ten years after I first met the Rebbe, I attended a dinner in Cleveland at the home of Leibel Alevsky. At the table with us was the man the Rebbe sent to the Soviet Union to save Jews. When the Rebbe sent him on this mission, he didn’t give him a plan or give him money! This was during the Stalin era.

The anti-Jewish, anti-Zionist mentality of the Soviets may have been at its very worst. The Rebbe’s designate went to the Soviet Union, lived and worked by his wits, and figured out how he could smuggle Jews out to Poland by train. He succeeded. At the same time, he was smuggling in prayer books, religious articles, and calendars for those still in the Soviet Union.

And, he set up secret schools to teach Hebrew.

The Lubavitchers are incredibly resourceful people, whose outreach is one-on-one.

The Lubavitchers are the essence of true believers. As I traveled abroad, I first noted their presence in Morocco. They ran schools for kids in the ghetto. That may sound noble, but not earth-shattering until you understand the kind of “social security system” that prevailed in Morocco at the time. Children were the system.

At birth, many infants —Arabs and Jews both — were maimed and deformed by their parents so the kids could beg more effectively! The Lubavitchers bought the children from their parents for one more dirham than the market value of the child begging on the street for a year, and then they gave the children an education.

You could see the evidence of the Rebbe’s positive work all over the world in places like the Soviet Union, Morocco, and Iran. How did these devout Lubavitchers get there? The Rebbe would simply say, “Go to Morocco and save souls.” They didn’t get a dime or an ounce of organizational help. They saved thousands and thousands of Jews physically, and they spiritually changed many more. The conviction they are doing G-d’s work carries them forward.

Their passion brings them to college campuses all over the United States. They will send out a representative wearing payos and a black frock coat and open up a Chabad house on campuses like University of California at Berkeley. They get kids off narcotics and give them a spiritual jolt instead of a buzz on drugs. “Get high on G-d!” they preach. Their individual missions are great illustrations of the power of one. The April 2012/nissan 5772 |

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HOLIDAY GUIDE In Our Forefathers’ Footsteps At the Seder, every person should see himself as if he were going out of Egypt. Beginning with our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we recount the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt and recall their suffering and persecution.

We are with them as G-d sends the Ten Plagues to punish Pharaoh and his nation, and follow along as they leave Egypt and cross the Sea of Reeds. We witness the miraculous hand of G-d as the waters part to allow the Israelites to pass, then return to inundate the Egyptian legions.

The Seder Plate The Seder Plate (Ka’arah) includes most of the ingredients that go into the making of the Seder. Its three matazahs and the six other items are arranged in a formation dictated by their mystical significance and relationship vis-a-vis each other.

See page 15 for how you set it up:

Kadesh - the Benediction The Seder service begins with the recitation of Kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. This is done over a cup of wine, the first of the four cups we will drink (while reclining) at the Seder.

The Four Cups of Wine Why four cups? The Torah uses four expressions of freedom or deliverance in connection with our liberation from Egypt (see Exodus 6:6-7). Also, the Children of Israel had four great merits even while in exile: (1) They did not change their Hebrew names; (2) they continued to speak their own language, Hebrew; (3) they remained highly moral; (4) they remained loyal to one another.

Wine is used because it is a symbol of joy and happiness.

Why We Recline When drinking the four cups and eating the Matzah we lean on our left side to accentuate the fact that we are free people. In ancient times only free people had the luxury of reclining while eating.

Urchatz - Purification We wash our hands in the usual, ritually-prescribed manner (by pouring water on your right hand 3 times, then 3 times on your left hand) before a meal, but without the customary blessing.

The next step in the Seder, Karpas, requires

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dipping food into water, which in turn mandates, according to Jewish law, that either the food be eaten with a utensil or that one’s hands be purified by washing. On the Seder eve we choose the less common observance to arouse the child’s curiosity.

Karpas - the “Appetizer” A small piece of onion or boiled potato is dipped into salt water and eaten (after reciting the blessing over vegetables).

Dipping the Karpas in salt water is an act of pleasure and freedom, which further arouses the child’s curiosity.

The Hebrew word “Karpas,” when read backwards, alludes to the backbreaking labor performed by the 600,000 Jews in Egypt.

[Samech has the numerical equivalent of 60 (60 times 10,000), while the last three Hebrew letters spell “perech,” hard work.]

The salt water represents the tears of our ancestors in Egypt.

Yachatz - Breaking the Matzah The middle Matzah on the Seder plate is broken in two. The larger part is put aside for later use as the Afikoman. This unusual action not only attracts the child’s attention once again, but also recalls G-d’s splitting of the Sea of Reeds to allow the Children of Israel to cross on dry land. The smaller part of the middle Matzah is returned to the Seder plate. This broken middle Matzah symbolizes humility and will be eaten later as the “bread of poverty.”

Maggid - the Haggadah At this point, the poor are invited to join the Seder. The Seder tray is moved aside, a second cup of wine is poured, and the child, who by now is bursting with curiosity, asks the time-honored question: “Mah nishtah-na hah-laila-ha-zeh me-kol hah leilot? Why is this night different from all other nights?” Why only Matzah? Why the dipping? Why the bitter herbs? Why are we relaxing and leaning on cushions as if we were kings?

The child’s questioning triggers one of the most significant mitzvot of Passover, which is the highlight of the Seder ceremony: the Haggadah, telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

The answer includes a brief review of history, a description of the suffering imposed upon the Israelites, a listing of the plagues visited on the Egyptians, and an enumeration of the miracles performed by the Al-mighty for the redemption of His people.

The Seder Service in a Nutshell Rochtzah - Washing Before the Meal After concluding the first part of the Haggadah by drinking (while reclining) the second cup of wine, the hands are washed again, this time with the customary blessings, as is usually done before eating bread.

Motzie Matzah -We Eat the Matzah Taking hold of the three Matzot (with the broken one in between the two whole ones), recite the customary blessing before bread.

Then, letting the bottom Matzah drop back onto the plate, and holding the top whole Matzah with the broken middle one, recite the special blessing “Al achilat Matzah.” Then break at least one ounce from each Matzah and eat the two pieces together, while reclining.

Maror - the Bitter Herbs Take at least 1 ounce of the bitter herbs. Dip it in the charoset, then shake the latter off and make the blessing “Al achilat Maror.” Eat without reclining.

Korech - the Sandwich In keeping with the custom instituted by Hillel, the great Talmudic Rabbi, a sandwich of Matzah and Maror is eaten. Break off two pieces of the bottom Matzah, which together should be at least one ounce.

Again, take at least 1 ounce of bitter herbs and dip them in the charoset. Place this between the two pieces of Matzah, say “Kein asah Hillel...”and eat the sandwich while reclining.

Shulchan Orech - the Feast The holiday meal is now served. We begin the meal with a hardboiled egg dipped into salt water.

A Rabbi was once asked why Jews eat eggs on Passover.

“Because eggs symbolize the Jew,” the Rabbi answered. “The more an egg is burned or boiled, the harder it gets.”

Note: The chicken neck is not eaten at the Seder.

When the Rebbe Asked...

(continued)

Rebbe’s passion for saving Jewish souls lives through them.

Tzafun - Out of Hiding After the meal, the half Matzah which had been “hidden,” set aside for the Afikoman (“dessert”), is taken out and eaten. It symbolizes the Paschal lamb, which was eaten at the end of the meal.

Everyone should eat at least 1 1/2 ounces of Matzah, reclining, before midnight. After eating the Afikoman, we do not eat or drink anything except for the two remaining cups of wine.

Beirach - Blessings After the Meal A third cup of wine is filled and Grace is recited. After the Grace we recite the blessing over wine and drink the third cup while reclining.

Now we fill the cup of Elijah and our own cups with wine.

We open the door and recite the passage which symbolizes an invitation to the Prophet Elijah, the harbinger of the coming of Moshiach, our righteous Messiah.

Hallel - Songs of Praise At this point, having recognized the Al-mighty, and His unique guidance of the Jewish people, we go still further and sing His praises as L-rd of the entire universe.

Unlike every other Jewish figure in this book, the Rebbe was not a Zionist. Though very supportive of the state of Israel and its defense forces, he felt that redemption would only be ushered in by the Messiah. He also drove home the point that a commitment to the state of Israel does not exempt us from fulfilling age-old Judaic commandments. In fact, it should actually elicit more loyalty to the Torah.

The Rebbe was completely devoted to fulfilling G-d’s will.

The essence of the Rebbe’s teaching is celebration of G-d. The Chabad radiate a wonderful joy of life that is a reverberation of the Rebbe’s spirit. I wish I could believe the way they do, with their absolute confidence in their answer. Their sheer love in celebrating the Jewish traditions with singing and dancing is unmatched. Nothing equals the celebration of a Shabbat with a Chabadnik. The food is homemade, delicious — though not necessarily healthy for your arteries — but it’s only the beginning of the positive energy that flows in each Shabbat from celebrating the birthday of the world.

Mr. Gordon Zacks was general chairman designate of the National UJA and was a founding member and chairman of the Young Leadership Cabinet of the UJA. Excerpted from his book Defining Moments, published

by Beaufort Books. Our thanks to Rabbi Aryeh Caltman (Columbus, OH) for sending us this chapter of the book with permission.

After reciting the Hallel, we again recite the blessing over wine and drink the fourth cup, reclining

Nirtzah - Acceptance Having carried out the Seder service properly, we are sure that it has been well received by the Al-mighty. We then say “Leshanah haba’ah bee-rushalayim -- Next year in Jerusalem.” We want Moshiach Now!

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9

OUR OWN BACKYARD

Coming Home

By Mark Belas, Palatka, FL After I moved to Palatka, FL from Philadelphia, PA, I found out that not only were there no synagogues in Palatka, but there were no synagogues in the entire county. My wife and I were welcomed by the wonderful people of Palatka with the question, “What church do you belong to?” When I answered, “I don’t belong to any church – I’m Jewish”, the smile on their faces drooped a bit, but I was soon invited to just about every church in town. My wife and I did go to the churches of a few of our newly made friends, but it wasn’t long before I realized the invitations had another motive… proselytization.

My faith was strong enough not to give in, but after an extended length of time away from Judaism, the faith and the culture and being engulfed by Christianity, I started to have questions I needed answered.

I am a member of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania and now also in Florida, so I wrote an e-mail to a Brother Mason, who is also a Jew, explaining

my dilemma. My landsman e-mailed me back, telling me he belongs to a Chabad House in New Jersey. He told me that there were also Chabad Houses in Florida and I should go on the internet and find the closest one to where I live. I took his advice, went on the internet and found the Chabad House of St. Augustine, FL, which is about 45 minutes from our home.

I contacted the rabbi, Rabbi Levi Vogel, who invited my wife and I to come to his home, which is also where the synagogue is located.

My wife and I went to the Chabad House of St. Augustine and met Rabbi Vogel, his wife, and their beautiful children. Rabbi Vogel showed me his home, explaining a portion of his home is used as the synagogue, with the Ark and Torah, religious books, Chabad literature, pamphlets, extra yarmulkas and a picture of the “Rebbe” on a wall in the hallway. We were then invited to come for Shabbos services, which was followed by a large, sumptuous, kosher dinner prepared by the rebetzin. I haven’t had Jewish food like this, since my mother’s cooking, may

she rest in peace.

I have learned much from my rabbi, answers to many of my questions as well as the history of the Chassidic movement and its rebbes.

And now Rabbi Vogel has brought me back to praying with “tefillin” every day.

I have come a long way since moving to the “bible belt”. I will admit, my Christian friends are very pro-Israel and sometimes ask me questions about my faith, the faith from which they have evolved. But I must say, with the help of Rabbi Vogel and the Chabad House of St. Augustine, I have returned to the culture and faith of my ancestors, renewing my sense of pride of being a Jew.

A recent CEU Event:

Mr. Pinchos Kurinsky CSW MSW addresses the crowd, introducing Chabad @ the Beaches’ social services. Mr Kurinsky, under the auspices of Chabad @ the Beaches is now offering professional counseling services.

Chabad @ the Beaches’ Jewish Recovery Program hosted world renowned speaker Dr. Gill Heart right here to Ponte Vedra Beach.

The lecture was held on Tuesday, January 31st.

There was be a second segment open to all but geared toward health care providers. The event was sponsored by Wakiva Springs and Riverpoint medical centers who also provided CEU’s for medical professionals at this event.

Dr Heart taught Kabbalah based stress management techniques implemented by elite special forces units in the Israel Defense Force.

Guest Speaker Dr. Gill Heart PhD was born and raised in Israel, and served for over 6 years in an elite, special forces unit in the IDF. He received his PhD in Bio-Medical Engineering from London University.

Close to 90 people joined us for this CEU event, special thanks to Wakiva Springs and Riverpoint medical centers for sponsoring this event.

Join all 5 Chabad Centers this year for an exciting

Lag B’Omer Picnic & Outing

thursday, May 10, 5:00 pm At Chabad Mandarin Free of 10129 Haley Rd.

Inter-Community Ball Game

Charge

The event is sponsored in part by Al and Marilyn Wolfson in honor of their Anniversary

Grand BBQ Dr. Gill Heart demonstrates practical exercises in remaining calm under stressful circumstances.

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Blow up Rides

Petting Zoo and Pony Rides Your sponsorships are welcome

Chabad of Southside Celebrates 5 years, Honors Lazar and Raissa Finker The Mussallem Galleries is home to one of the finest art collections in the country. Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Tissot and Monet are just some of the residents of the impressive collection.

Located right here in Jacksonville, and one of our best kept secrets, in an expansive 90,000 square foot Gallery Showroom you will find an eclectic array of museum quality works of art, including oil paintings, watercolor and mixed media. In addition, there is an extensive collection of Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Continental and European objects of art. Magnificent estate jewels and antique furnishings from around the world are also on display.

On Sunday December 4th, the Gallery put on a display like never before, hosting Chabad of Southside’s 5th Anniversary Benefit Dinner.

In 2006 Rabbi Shmuli and Chana Novack moved to Jacksonville’s Southside to establish a Chabad Jewish Center. They were appointed

by Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov who, together with his wife Rivkie, founded Chabad of Northeast Florida in 1992.

Mayor Alvin Brown declared the day “Chabad of Southside Day.” The Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved a resolution honoring the evening’s honorees Drs. Lazar and Raissa Finker for the positive impact they have made on Jacksonville and for their

staunch support of Chabad.

Guests arrived to the sound of classical music performed by the Douglas Anderson Quartet and enjoyed fabulous hors d’oeuvre and cocktails. As guests continued to the Loft for the dinner they were greeted by the music of the Yehuda Piamenta Band.

In his remarks Rabbi Novack exclaimed “Five years tells us that we are on the right track.

But tonight is not just an anniversary, tonight is an opportunity to look ahead to the future, re-determined and reenergized not just to continue but to increase ten fold with renewed vigor and purpose.”

April 2012/nissan 5772 |

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Join us for a

Seder Experience you will remember for a lifetime!

April 6h and 7th

Get to a Seder near you!

Friday Evening, April 6 At Your local Chabad Center Following services 7:00 PM

To reserve call your Local Chabad Center Locations Listed Below

Saturday Evening, April 7 See Page 5 for At Your local Chabad Center Passover Dates and Times » Following services 7:30 PM

Moshiach’ s Seuda

Saturday, April 14th, 6:30 PM

Just when you thought you had seen it all! This day, the final day of Passover, emphasizes an even higher Freedom! It is dedicated to our imminent and final redemption.

Following the custom of the Baal Shem Tov,

founder of Chassidism, Passover concludes with a “Feast of Moshiach.” This festive meal complete with Matzah and, yes, four cups of wine, begins before sunset. It is the perfect way to spiritually take leave of Passover and open our consciousness to the coming redemption.

Chabad of NE Florida: Mandarin/Headquarters 262.6641 • Chabad @ the Beaches 543.9301

Chabad of Southside 646.4434 • Chabad of S Augustine 521.8664 • Chabad of clay county 290.1017