Pesach Edition of Haftorah 2023

The Journey of Change

By Natalie Bellehsen / Class of 2026

On the first day of Pesach, we read the Haftorah from the book of Yehoshua, chapter 5. The Haftorah spans several important events as Bnei Yisrael enter into Eretz Yisrael. This includes the crossing of the Jordan River, the mass Brit Milah, the Korban Pesach, the end of receiving the manna, the reenactment of the Exodus from Egypt and the miraculous conquest of Yericho Entering Eretz Yisrael (Exodus 12:25; 13:5; 13:11, 14) and Brit Milah (Exodus 12:43; 12:48) are prerequisites for the annual Passover offering These events strengthen the relationship of Jews with Hashem and fulfill the covenant with Him. This Haftorah symbolizes change, and how one must proceed with their lives after change, and accept their struggles in order to reach a higher level.

One way we see the symbol of change is when the men of Bnei Yisrael get a Brit Milah This event was entirely foreign to them since they had not performed this mitzvah for the 40 years that they were in the desert Yet, they had to alter their mindset and accept

this ritual in order to move on into Israel The Brit Milah was completed and Bnei Yisrael finally were able to solidify their relationship with Hashem and move on with their journey. Another way we see the symbol of change is when Bnei Yisrael abruptly stopped receiving the manna, which was their only source of food for 40 years Hashem took it away from them so they could become more independent, and they realize that they would not need it once they are in Eretz Yisrael This makes a huge impact on their everyday lives, yet they slowly realize this was necessary in order to move on. Finally, Bnei Yisrael’s journey into Eretz Yisrael signifies change because of the many different encounters they had to face in order to gain independence and move on with their lives We can all learn from this that in order to achieve great goals we must accept change and move past the challenge of change to continue on the journey of growth

FACULTY ADVISORS

NATE DEUTSCH MEIR FARKAS ELISABETH GURTMAN ABBI KAMMERMAN ELIANA PERL

SYDNEY SCHNEIDER HAYLEE SOSHTAIN

The Order of Gratitude

By Lindsay Appel / Class of 2025

We introduce the first half of hallel with: “Lefichach anachnu chayavim lehodot ulehalel l’shabeach ”

Harav Shlomo Aharon

Wertheimer, my grandmother’s great-grandfather, in his “sefer biur shemot hanirdafim betanach”--where he explains the differences between seemingly similar, synonymous words in Tanach–explains that “hallel” includes gratitude and praise of Hashem

He goes on to say that “shevach” and “hodaah” are not found in the Torah.

“Hodaah,” he says, is giving thanks for the good that Hashem has done for us, and “Shevach” is

“me’shubach hu yeter mechevro,” that Hashem is deserving of praise

In the introduction in the Haggadah, “lefichach anachnu chayavim…,” the word “hodaah” comes before “shevach”--because first you have to give thanks so you don’t appear to be ungrateful (“kafui tova”) and only then can you praise Hashem Similarly in davening, we usually first say “hodaah” before “shevach” like in “nishmas” on Shabbos–“veyivrchu, vayishbachu” and “lehodot, lehallel, leshabeach.”

This also answers and explains a discussion in the gemara about the order in the Haggadah of

“avadim hayinu'' and “mitchila Ovdei Avodah zara ” We say Avadim Hayinu first–because first we have to have “hodaah” and thank Hashem for taking us out of Egypt and setting us free, and then we can praise “leshabeach” for the good that Hashem has done for us

Pesach PesachTrivia Trivia

By Meir Farkas / Class of 2023

Q: What did the Jews put on the doorposts to prevent the death of their firstborn sons?

A: Lamb/Goat blood

Q: What is the name of the last Shabbat before Pesach?

A: Shabbat HaGadol

Q: What was the third plague in Egypt?

A: Kinim (Lice)

Q: What was the eighth plague in Egypt?

A: Arbeh (Locusts)

Q: What does Maror symbolize?

A: The bitterness of slavery

Q: What does Charoset symbolize?

A: The mortar used by the Jews in Egypt

Q: Why do we recline during the Seder?

A: To symbolize our freedom

Q: How many times do we wash our hands during the seder?

A: Four

Q: The counting of the Omer lasts from Pesach to what holiday?

A: Shavuot

Q: Which Megillah is read on Pesach?

A: Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)

Q: What does Seder mean?

A: Order

AROUND THE AROUND THE SCHOOL SCHOOL

BY THE BY THE BY THENumbers

18: The maximum number of minutes to prepare dough for matzah More than this is considered chametz (leavened bread)

17: The Gematria, Hebrew numeric value, of the word הדגה/Haggadah.

16: The number of times that we spill wine out of our cups at the Seder

15: The fifteen stages of the Seder: 1) kadesh, 2) u’rchatz, 3) karpas, 4) yachatz, 5) maggid, 6) rachtza, 7) motzi, 8) matzah, 9) maror, 10) korech, 11) shulchan orech, 12) tzafun, 13) barech, 14) hallel, 15) nirtzah

14: The number of times we say Dayeinu in the Dayeinu song, acknowledging that each of Hashem’s kindnesses would have been “enough” יד for us

13: The number of stanzas in the famous song "Who Knows One?" (Echad Mi Yodeya)

12: At 12 o’clock midnight on the 15th of Nissan, Hashem passed over the Jews’ homes and struck the firstborn of the Egyptians

11: The number of stars in Yosef’s dream, corresponding to the 11 tribes who bowed down to Yosef as they came down to Egypt

10: The number of the Makot

9: The hour that The Korban Pesach sacrifice was slaughtered, after the daily Tamid offering, from the ninth hour of the afternoon until sunset on the 14th of Nissan

8: The number of perakim in Megilat Shir HaShirim, which is read during Passover

7: The number of warning days that preceded each of the ten Makot

6: The number of mitzvot: telling the Seder story, matzah, maror, hallel, four cups, and leaning

5: The number of Rabbis the Haggadah speaks of that stayed up all night on Pesach telling the exodus story: R’ Eliezer, R’ Yehoshua, R’ Elazar B. Azaria, R’ Akiva, and R’ Tarfon

4: The languages of “redemption” listed in Exodus 6:6-7, depicting the four stages of our redemption in Egypt: removing יתאצוה, saving יתלצה, redeeming יתלאג, and taking יתחקל

3: The number of matzahs at the Seder table

2: Number of dippings: karpas in salt water and maror in charoset

1: Is Hashem

½: The splitting of the Matzah by Yachatz

0: The amount of Chametz that should be in one’s presence

By Nate Deutsch / Class of 2023

Number of Mitzvot Regarding Pesach:

There are seventeen mitzvot regarding Pesach and Pesach Sheni (eight affirmative, nine negative):

To celebrate the festivals [Passover, Shavu'ot and Sukkot] (Ex. 23:14) (affirmative).

To remove chametz on the Eve of Passover (Ex. 12:15) (affirmative)

To rest on the first day of Passover (Ex 12:16; Lev 23:7) (affirmative)

Not to do work on the first day of Passover (Ex 12:16; Lev 23:6-7) (negative)

To rest on the seventh day of Passover (Ex 12:16; Lev 23:8) (affirmative)

Not to do work on the seventh day of Passover (Ex 12:16; Lev 23:8) (negative).

To eat matzah on the first night of Passover (Ex. 12:18) (affirmative)

That no chametz be in the Israelites’ possession during Passover (Ex 12:19) (negative)

Not to eat any food containing chametz on Passover (Ex 12:20) (negative)

Not to eat chametz on Passover (Ex 13:3) (negative)

That chametz shall not be seen in an Israelite's home during Passover (Ex 13:7) (affirmative)

To discuss the departure from Egypt on the first night of Passover (Ex. 13:8) (affirmative).

Not to eat chametz after mid-day on the fourteenth of Nissan (Deut 16:3) (negative)

To observe the second Passover (Num 9:11) (affirmative)

To eat the flesh of the Paschal lamb on it, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Num 9:11) (affirmative)

Not to leave any flesh of the Paschal lamb brought on the second Passover until the morning (Num 9:12) (negative)

Not to break a bone of the Paschal lamb brought on the second Passover (Num 9:12) (negative)

Magnitude of Pesach in Halacha: Pesach makes up 2.9% of all mitzvot, ranking it number 1 among the three pilgrimage holidays, followed by Succot at 1.3% and Shavuot at 0 82%

By Eliana Perl / Class of 2023

Anna Stern, my Tante Anna, was born in Stropkov, Czechoslovakia on June 11, 1926. Born to Avraham and Ettel, Anna was one of seven children: Shmuel, Mendel, Yisroel, Serena (my grandmother), Leiber, and Tobe Anna had a wonderful childhood before the war. Her family was Orthodox, owned a tannery, and lived comfortably Her parents valued education and were friends with their neighbors - Jewish and non-Jewish Anna loved to help her mother prepare for Shabbat and play with her friends

Anna vividly remembered the Germans invading Czechoslovakia in 1939 She said, “It was like a parade, but the only difference was the horror everyone felt This was the beginning of the end of our lives in Czechoslovakia ” After a neighbor warned them that Nazis were arresting Jewish girls over sixteen, Serena was sent to a friend’s house When the police came and Serena wasn’t there, they took fourteen-year-old Anna instead Anna’s parents were devastated Anna’s last memory of her father was

Remembering my Tante Anna Remembering My Uncle

By Maya Karasanti / Class of 2024

Yom Hazikaron is a significant day in Israel dedicated to remembering and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country This solemn occasion is a day of remembrance and reflection, providing an opportunity for Israelis and Jews worldwide to deeply contemplate the value of life and the meaning of sacrifice The day is marked by ceremonies and events throughout Israel, with public gatherings held to honor fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism

As the country comes to a standstill, people take a moment to pay their respects, thank those who fought for their freedom, and honor the memory of the brave men and women who gave their lives in defense of Israel For many Israelis, Yom Hazikaron is a time to recall the sacrifices made by their loved ones who died fighting for Israel It is a

him screaming he would rather have died than see her taken away Anna never said goodbye to her parents and was terrified Later, Ettel brought Serena to take Anna’s place, but Serena was imprisoned too They were sent in a cattle car on March 26, 1942, on the first transport to Auschwitz. Upon arrival, they were stripped, examined by doctors, and tattooed Anna’s number was 1002 Anna believed they survived because they spoke German, were favored instantly, and given better jobs Anna escaped death many times For example, everyone had to jump over a ditch If you fell, you were sent to the gas chambers, but if you succeeded, you lived Serena went first and successfully jumped However, Anna fell into the ditch Serena ran to a guard, begged for Anna’s life, and luckily, he conceded, “If she doesn’t die today, she’ll die tomorrow '' Before the liberation of Auschwitz, they were sent on the Death March to Ravensbruck and then to NeuStadtGlebe Finally, on May 15, 1945, the U S Army liberated NeuStadt-Glebe

After surviving three and a half years of hell on earth, they were finally free

After returning home, Serena and Anna found Yisroel They were the only surviving members of their family After living at home for one year, they went their separate ways. Anna went to Israel to become a nurse, then to Canada because life in Israel was hard She married David Appel, had a child, Alan; then, David tragically died. Anna then moved to Queens to live near Serena Luckily, Anna married Joseph Rosenthal and had a daughter, Judy For over fifty years, Anna and Serena were always together, lived to see their families flourish, and have children of their own, their “dividends ” Tante Anna was the most warm-hearted, caring person I have ever met She always had a smile on her face and tried to make everyone happy Tante Anna brought so much happiness into the world, which now feels empty without her as she died on Purim in 2019

day to remember that the Jewish people have a home today because of the sacrifices of so many soldiers who fought, protected, and risked their lives to keep the nation safe It is a day to honor the memory of each and every person who lost their life in this struggle

One such person was my great uncle, Chayim Yochai, who was one of the many brave soldiers who died fighting for Israel's independence Chayim was born in Kanakale in the Dardanelle region of Turkey He moved to Istanbul when he was a teenager to study While he was there, he joined a Jewish Zionist movement He was determined to fight for Israel, despite having no family there at the time In his twenties, Chayim joined the Israeli army and fought for the establishment of the state of Israel

Afterward, he helped bring his family from Turkey to Israel But Chayim's dedication to Israel did not end there. He continued to fight for Israel, and unfortunately, it was on a mission to the Syrian border that he lost his life Chayim Yochai was a hero, and he spent most of his life fighting for Israel's independence Today, he is buried on Har Hertzel, and on Yom Hazikaron, I take a moment to remember him and honor his memory I remember that my family is safe in Israel because of him and because of every other soldier who fought for the country The fight for Israel continues every minute of every day, but it's because of this fight that the Jewish האבה הנשל“ ,people will be able to say ” םילשוריב

A Night of Optimism

By Jacob Wallach / Class of 2024

During our Pesach Sedarim we read Maggid, which is when we tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt Within Maggid the story of the Seder of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Tarfon is told All throughout the night these rabbis were engaged in discussion of the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. Only when their students came and told them that it was time to say the morning Shema did they stop.

There are many questions that are asked about this story. For one, why did the Rabbis specifically meet in Bnei Brak? If all the Rabbis lived in different places, then why did they all come to Bnei Brak, as opposed to having their own Sedarim? Moreover, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua were the Rabbeim of Rabbi Akiva, so wouldn’t it make more sense for the student to go to the teacher’s home and not the reverse? Rav Rimon answers this question based on a Mishnah in Pesachim, where Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva argue where the blessing of redemption ends.

Rabbi Tarfon argued that the blessing of the redemption on the Seder night deals only with the redemption from Egypt, while Rabbi Akiva says that the blessing deals with the future redemption, in which we express our hopes that we will yet rejoice at the building of Jerusalem, and the renewal of the Beit Hamikdash service. This belief is typical of Rabbi Akiva, as even in difficult times he was still optimistic.

Rabbi Akiva had the power of consolation He understood that the Churban was preparation for the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the Beit Hamikdash Rabbi Akiva understood that even in exile we must speak about redemption This story took place in a generation where the Romans persecuted the Jews; a generation where those who studied Torah were persecuted. On the night of the Seder, a night where we celebrate our freedom from Egypt, all these Rabbis wanted to come to the home of the Rabbi that would offer them encouragement and strengthen their resolve, one who saw their prelude to the ultimate redemption. This is why the other Rabbis went to Rabbi Akiva for their Seder We as a people have had our ups and downs, but our success as a people lies in our recognition that our ultimate redemption is just ahead

A Spiritual Count Love can Split Waters

By Ayala Benscher / Class of 2023

One would think that while counting the Omer, we would be counting down in numbers as we are counting down the days until the Jews received the Torah from Har Sinai

However, in fact, we count up until the day of Shavuot from day 1 to day 49 Why is this so? Wouldn't it make more sense to count down the days in anticipation of getting the Torah? In “Why Do We Count

Up the Omer,” Malkie Janowski shares her outlook on this question When a person is counting down until an event, usually the only thing standing between them and the event is time They are waiting for the right time to come to achieve the goal However, when counting up to Shavuot, there was so much more than merely time standing between the Jewish people and receiving the Torah The Jewish people are compared to a prince who had fallen into a deep pit and cannot resurface The prince was on his own in this pit for quite some time, fighting to survive. One day, the prince was rescued by an impressed king who offered his daughter as a wife for the prince

Although it was an amazing opportunity for the prince, he could not immediately take up the offer and marry the princess He first had to clean and heal himself from his time spent fighting for his life in the deep pit that he had been trapped in Once the prince felt clean, healthy, and secure again, he would then be able to marry the daughter of the king

So, too, the Jewish people were not capable of immediately receiving the Torah after leaving Egypt. They first had to rid themselves of the impurities that they had accumulated while in Egypt The 49 days that the Jewish people were given between leaving Egypt and getting the Torah were to cleanse themselves from the pit of Egypt in which they had been trapped There was much more than just time separating the Jewish people from achieving their goal and receiving the Torah There was a need for purifying their souls and working on their neshamas to overcome the devastation that they had encountered in Egypt Each day the Jewish people reached a higher level of holiness and got closer to reaching the holiness of being capable of receiving the Torah. Each day the Jewish people were one day closer to being chosen by Hashem to receive the Torah We continue to count up the days to Shavuot rather than counting down as we are counting up in anticipation, trying to better ourselves each and every day. It is important to focus on growing spiritually as people during this period of growth as there is much more than time separating Pesach from Shavuot

By Rabbi Gary Slochowsky

If He had split the Sea for us and had not taken us through it on dry land; [it would have been] enough for us

The question on this aspect of “Dayenu” is obvious What does it mean that it would have been enough for the sea to split without the land being dry? Isn’t it obvious that we needed the land to be dry if the Bnei Yisroel were to walk through?

The Chida (Harav Chaim Yosef David Azulai ) explains this line of Dayenu by asking a contradiction between two different Midrashim One Midrash says that the Yam Suf split in the zchus of Yosef HaTzadik In Hallel we say, סניו האר םיה, the Sea saw and split. The Midrash says that the Yam Suf saw the Kever of Yosef, and it was in his zchus that it split for Klal Yisroel However, there is another Midrash that seems to contradict this Midrash In describing the splitting of the Yam Suf the Torah uses a unique language ועקביו םימה The Midrash comments that this word was used to remind us of the word used at the Akeida In preparation for the Akeida, Avraham Avinu chopped wood to build a fire and the Torah says הלוע יצע עקביו The Midrash explains that this language indicates to us that the Yam Suf split for Klal Yisroel in the zchus of Avraham who split wood for the Akeida So, did the Yam Suf split in the merit of Avraham or in the merit of Yosef?

The Chida explains that, of course, both Midrashim are true, and that is the lesson of this line of Dayenu Avraham Avinu went ahead and did something unnatural for Hashem With his complete love and dedication to Hashem, he was willing to offer up his beloved son as a korban. Therefore, in honor of this act of love to Hashem, Hashem responded with an act of love to Avraham’s descendants, and the Yam Suf split

However, even though it split, it was still muddy It might have created a path, but it was not an easy path to walk on or to travel through That is where we needed the zchus of Yosef Yosef, too, had a difficult test from Hashem with the wife of Potiphar Yosef not only overcame his test because he loved Hashem, but he “ran” away from his nisayon in his love for Hashem Yosef demonstrated that a person can totally disregard this world, and become the total opposite of what this world enticed us with In the merit of his running away from this world, the muddy floor of the Yam Suf became completely dry, because the water ran away just like Yosef did

Using these two Midrashim, the Chida brilliantly explains the two aspects of Kriyas Yam Suf, that the Haggadah mentions in this one line of Dayenu

REBBETZIN RESPONSA REBBETZIN RESPONSA REBBETZIN RESPONSA

Since arriving in the Five Towns 28 years ago, it’s been our yearly custom to give out hundreds of pounds of Shmura matzah through the community Nowadays, Shmurah matzah is much more widely available, at local supermarkets and even at Costco But when we first started out, it was not as accessible as it is today, and people always questioned the importance of eating the expensive cardboard, as some of our friends have been known to call it The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of Blessed Memory, explained that according to the Zohar, the matzah you eat on the first night is called the bread of faith and the matzah you eat on the second night is “bread of healing " It is a blessing to be able to share the power of faith and healing with thousands of Jews over the past 28 years

Additionally, we host a beautifully catered communal seder at Chabad of the Five Towns, for those who might not have had the opportunity to be raised with a traditional seder and would like to learn more about it, and for the many who would like to enjoy a family atmosphere for their seder This is truly a highlight of the year for our family

"What is a meaningful Pesach tradition that has enhanced your Pesach with your family or congregation?"

My good friend Rina Zerykier, principal of Yeshiva Shaarei Zion High School for girls, is very creative and serious about engaging children at the seder A few years ago, she suggested giving each of my kids a card with a phrase or idea from the Maggid section on it When we get up to that section in the Maggid, the child gets excited and tells us something about that section This has become a fun and meaningful way to get everyone engaged and talking

A few years ago, when one of my daughters was struggling with shidduchim, Erev Pesach, I was standing on the top rung of the ladder handing her the delicate plates we keep stored on a high shelf in the kitchen It’s a treasured set of white china decorated with a purple and gold flower motif That year we were a group of 11, so the 12th plate that completed the set stood alone and apart I told my daughter to set it on the table with the bracha that next year we would be הכוז to fill that empty plate by her ןתח Baruch HaShem, she did get married shortly after, but I still like to set an empty plate as a symbol of all that we are missing and yearning for, with a bracha and tefillah that the emptiness will soon be filled With hopes for the imminent בורקב הלואג!!

Baruch Hashem, we have a lot of family and guests join us on Pesach Something we recently started doing to help organize the seder and include everyone is to send out a Google sheet to all who will be coming, listing all the different stages of the seder, including the details of the Maggid section Each guest signs up to say a Dvar Torah for the section of their choice We have found that this really enhances our seder as everyone gets to have their moment They can be prepared in advance, and they feel like they own the topic they chose It also helps the flow of the seder and ensures that we get to cover so many interesting topics It has been a great addition to our seder

Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik Chabad of the Five towns

Rebbetzin Myrna Weinberger Congregation Aish Kodesh

Rebbetzin Lisa Septimus Young Israel of North Woodmere

Rebbetzin Malka Trump Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst

Yom HaAtzmaut and our Unwavering Support

By Megan Scharf / Class of 2025

Yom Haatzmaut is a great day of celebration for the Jewish people It is a day when we celebrate the tremendous miracle, after thousands of years of exile, of the creation of our homeland

For many centuries, the Jewish nation yearned to return to Eretz Yisrael, the land that Hashem had promised us so long ago Yom Haatzmaut is the day when we celebrate our joyous return to the land of Israel, and the formation of the Jewish State Our desire is to live there in peace and prosperity, and observe the laws Hashem commanded us that only apply in Eretz Yisrael

It is obvious but also important to remember that the creation of the State of Israel could not have happened without Hashem’s Hashgacha Pratis, Divine Intervention The pasuk in

Tehillim says, “Unless Hashem builds the house, the builders toil in vain ” It was only with Hashem’s help that we were able to return to Israel and build it up to where it stands today

Today, 75 years after the establishment of the state of Israel, we still need to be actively involved in Israel’s support It is our responsibility to constantly build and develop Eretz Yisrael according to the Torah and the will of Hashem Even if we don’t live there, we can still play an important role in helping build our homeland We can visit as often as we can, get involved in Israel advocacy, and continue to pray for the safety and wellbeing of our brothers and sisters who live there

In Shemot, we read about the journey of

the Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Holy Land

Throughout their journey, they faced numerous challenges, from hunger and thirst to hostility from the surrounding nations

Throughout all of their journeys, they remained steadfast in their belief in Hashem and trusted Him to guide us along the way Similarly, the establishment of the State of Israel required tremendous faith in Hashem and continues to require tremendous faith to this day As we celebrate Yom Haatzmaut, we can take inspiration from the perseverance and faith of our ancestors We must remember that Hashem has been with us all along, and we must do our best to make Him proud by thanking Him for everything we have and being happy with everything that He has provided for us and continues to provide up to this day

By Vivian Sharon / Class

of 2026