2023 Pesach at CBH

One of the most evocative parts of the Passover seder is the section about the Four Children, each with different temperaments, each requiring different adult engagement.

Often there are giggles around the seder table when we read those sections aloud. At seders in my aunt’s basement in Canarsie, someone might yell, in full Brooklyn-accented voice, “Hey Leslie, are you gonna be the wicked child?!”

The giggles conceal discomfort. Who is the true wicked child? Who’s the “good one?” Who do we whisper about when they’re not around? And yet, the reading of the Haggadah text should remind us that things change. Pharaohs yield. Slaves become free. After all, many of us grew up with Haggadahs that said “Four Sons,” not “Children.” And many others felt deep loss when beloved partners and spouses were not invited to the table, due to their gender, ethnicity, or sexuality.

The Four Children section, if we get it right, teaches the opposite lesson. Even if we see someone as “wicked,” they still get invited every year. “All who are hungry — come and eat!” we shout through an open door for all to hear. Not some. All.

Thank God, CBH is a place of radical inclusion. We are faced with a world in which that value is far from a given. This Passover, may we dig deeper and stretch farther, finding the places where we closed doors to others — and to our deepest selves. May all of God's sweet and precious children, of all ages, find a place in our world, in our land, and at our table.

Gut Yontiff.  Hag Sameah.  Happy Passover.

  — Rabbi Mike

1. NEW THIS YEAR - Sell your Hametz Here
Hametz submissions due by Tuesday, April 4, 2023
In addition to the Torah teaching that prohibits eating hametz (leaven) during Pesach, we are also taught that it forbids our Passover joy to own hametz or even to have it on our premises. Tradition provides a legal procedure whereby we can "sell" our hametz and, an hour after the end of the holiday, purchase it back (without an actual delivery or pick-up!). Let Rabbi Mike handle the hard part - all you need to do is fill out a form! Just click this link and he will be your agent.

2. Join us at the CBH 2nd Night Seder
Thursday, April 6 at 6 pm
Our second night seder is back at CBH this year and we are looking forward to the amazing food and indescribable ruach that only comes with a CBH seder. Once again we have two seating areas: indoor, sanctuary seating and outdoor, tent seating. Spaces are limited for each area, so reserve your spot today. 

3. Start Counting the Omer
Start counting on the night of April 6
The omer refers to the 49-day period between the second night of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, Jews would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking God for the harvest. The word omer literally means “sheaf” and refers to these early offerings. Our rabbis taught that it also marked a spiritual journey, from the rush of liberation at the Red Sea to finding our purpose at Sinai, receiving Torah.

4. Fulfill Your Hunger for Learning with Mazon
Tuesday, April 11 at 6 pm
"All who are hungry — come and eat!” For 37 years, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger has been engaging in conversations with a diverse array of policymakers, partners, and Jewish communities who are united in a shared commitment to end hunger. Please join Congregation Bet Haverim, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and the Latino Community Fund Georgia for a conversation to examine the beliefs and myths about who struggles with hunger in America and why.

5. Attend our Passover Morning Service
Thursday, April 13, Time TBA
Join us at CBH for a Passover morning and Yizkor service led by Rabbi Mike.

!לשנה הבאה בירושלים
L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim!
Next year in Jerusalem!