Spring 2014/5774 - Sharei Chesed Congregation

Spring 2014
BOARD MEMBERS
Rabbi Avraham
Ettedgui
Co-Presidents
Bernie Miller
Terry Schwartz
Treasurer
Gregory Gittsovich
Secretary
Dmitry Gringauz
Immediate Past
President
Sol Awend
Board Members
Berek Awend
Sol Awend
Madalyn Braufman
Jerry Berkowitz
Bruce Cohen
Dr. Martha Cohen
Roz Ettedgui
Dr. David Feldshon
Nina Furman
Aaron Geller
Boris Gerber
Judith Ingber
Gail Kenton
Leo Kudishevich
Francelyne Lurie
Jacob Mars
Jack Moskowitz
Cindy Neff
Gail Nord
Dr. Sheldon Pinsky
Naomi Salloway
Irving Smith
Anya Solodkina
Corrine Toretsky
Richard Woldorsky
Shelly Zien
Dear Members and Friends of Sharei Chesed,
Did you know that the Torah provides a “make-up-day” if one
was Tameh, unclean or was in a distant land and unable to
return on time to Jerusalem to partake in the Pascal Lamb and
the Seder? That person could observe the Seder night one
month later. This provision is not available for any other
holidays.
Today, Pesah continues to be the favorite and most observed
holiday. We observe dutifully, the commandment of Vehigadta
Lebincha, “Tell your Child” to recall that magnificent narrative,
the story of the Exodus. It was an exodus not only from slavery to freedom, but
also a liberation from the cultural and religious beliefs of the Egyptian masters. It
was a tremendous empowerment for the former slaves to start living as free and
responsible human beings.
Unlike that first Seder in Egypt, when they ate hastily with their shoes on and bags
packed and ready to leave, we take our time to fulfill the Mitzvah of “hagaddah,”
telling the story of our people and what it means for us today.
I would like to remind you that besides the joyful family celebration, Pesah is also
observed in the synagogue, with prayers and songs of gratitude and thanksgivings
for our liberation. This year, because the first and last days fall on weekdays, we
need everyone’s help to guarantee our Minyan. Please make every effort to come
and celebrate with us this Festival of Freedom. As you can see from the Schedule
of Services, there are many opportunities for you to participate.
We also urge you to participate in the Mitzvah of Maot Hittim, Matzah Fund, to
help those in need with a Pesah basket containing Kosher Passover food.
Do not forget also to fulfill the Mitzvah of Mechirat Hametz, Selling of Hametz.
Forms have been sent and should be returned to the office no later than Friday
April 11, or brought to the office by 9:00 a.m on April 14.
We wish you and your dear ones a Happy, Joyous and Kosher Pesah!
Rabbi Avram Ettedgui
Spring 2014
Page 2
MESSAGE FROM THE CO-PRESIDENTS
Shalom Aleichem, everyone!!
With thanks to G-d, plus the energy and enthusiasm of our members, we are in the midst of what
is turning out to be a very busy spring here at Sharei Chesed, including:
Weekly classes on ‘Being SHALOM’, taught by Rabbi Gail Nord.
Our first ever cooking classes (with thanks to Lori Krelitz and Danny Levey).
Our annual Purim services and party (with thanks to Dr. Neil Covin for being our featured
entertainer).
A Kabbalat Shabbat in March with guest speaker and historian Laura Weber.
Medical student Roni Rahav of Poriyah Hospital in the Galilee, describing her experiences
with treating refugees of the Syrian civil war.
There is more to come, including our Yom HaAtzmaut celebration on Saturday May 3 rd, and a
return visit by Klezmer violinist Judith Eisner and narrator Lev Mailer performing “Peter and the
Wolf” and “Curious George” – both in Yiddish – on Sunday afternoon May 18th. We hope you and
your families will join us – especially the youngsters.
Our annual Maot Hittim fund drive is also underway. Sharei Chesed has always shown tremendous
generosity in helping those in our community who are less fortunate and run the risk of not being
able to celebrate Passover with a proper Seder. We thank you for helping us to continue a very
giving tradition.
While the celebrations of other religions tend to have as their focal point their houses of worship –
their temples, their churches and cathedrals – Judaism has always maintained that the focus of our
religion needs to be on the home and on the family. Nowhere is this more evident than at this
time of year. Passover is the one holiday which tends to bring Jews home more than any other –
regardless of how far away people may live from each other, regardless of how far apart they may
have grown over the years. We read from the Haggadah, not as ‘spectators’ in a synagogue led by
a rabbi or cantor, but rather as family members sitting around a dinner table, retelling a beloved
story and sharing a good meal. It is the time, not only for giving thanks to G-d for delivering us
from slavery to freedom, but also for giving thanks for allowing us to celebrate that freedom with
our parents and grandparents, our children and grandchildren – and, in some cases, even with our
great-grandchildren – so that the traditions, the knowledge, the gratitude and the love may be
passed on from one generation to the next.
We wish all of you a very happy and Kosher Pesah, surrounded by the love of family and friends.
Bernie Miller and Terry Schwartz
Page 3
Spring 2014
OUR TRIP TO AIPAC | BY SHARON BERKOWITZ
On March 2, 3, and 4th we attended the AIPAC (American
Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference in Washington
DC. There were 14,000 delegates, including 100 from
Minnesota, and numerous government officials from both
parties. The conference is the largest gathering of
congressional members other than the State of the Union
address.
The entire event was non-partisan, culturally diverse,
informative, interesting, and fun. The conference consisted of
general sessions for all delegates and smaller elective break
out sessions, consisting of panel discussions, town hall style
meetings, films, and even a cooking class (for those wanting a
break from more serious issues of the day). We heard
speakers from American and Israeli branches of government, American and Israeli journalists,
business leaders, scientists, writers, film-makers, educators, clergy, and various other individuals.
There were a number of interesting and inspiring talks. Two talks which touched both of us were:
an Arab Israeli physician describing treating over 100 Syrian wounded in Israeli field hospitals, and a
South African woman who had lived under Apartheid and felt the need to fight against what she
perceived as Apartheid against Palestinians until taking an AIPAC educational trip to Israel where
she observed and experienced an open society with opportunity for all people. She expressed
outrage at the use of the term Apartheid, and now she is a strong pro Israel college activist.
On the last day we chose to lobby and met with Senator Franken, Senator Klobuchar, and
Congressman Erik Paulsen, our representative from the Plymouth district. The AIPAC agenda
lobby items were the Iran sanctions bill, the signing of a bipartisan letter outlining conditions
necessary for a final Iran nuclear deal, the foreign aid bill, and the strategic alliance bill. It was an
amazing feeling to be told by these senators and congressman, as well as other numerous
politicians that AIPAC policies and information was important to them in making decisions
concerning Israel. Frankly, it was astonishing to us, as individuals, to see how important we were in
helping to express these views.
Lastly, we woke up at 5:00 AM on the last day and managed to find front row seats to both hear
and see Benjamin Netanyahu address the conference. It was an inspiring moment which we both
always remember.
Attending the conference was an amazing experience. It reinforced our commitment to Israel and
made us feel that as part of AIPAC we could make a difference in strengthening government
support for Israel. We are enrolled for next year’s conference, look forward to attending, and
would loved to be joined by other members of Sharei Chesed congregation.
Spring 2014
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ALL ABOUT PESAH
The Festival of Freedom is by far the most popular Jewish holiday and is probably observed more
scrupulously than the Holy Days. One of the reasons for Passover's universal interest is it’s home
character. Members of the family travel great distances to be together at the Seder table with
their kin. The desire to participate in a Seder, no matter where a person may be, indicates that the
childhood impressions of the holiday have a fast hold upon the Jewish heart.
Pesah has several names, alluding to the various aspects of this holiday, so that each one of us can
identify with and celebrate whole heartedly, the message that is closest to our hearts.
Passover emphasizes the miracle of Jewish homes being spared from the last
plague on that night of the Exodus and the annual celebration that followed.
Festival of Matza stresses that when the time of deliverance arrived nothing
could stop it - people chose freedom over staying behind to prepare provisions for the
trip.
Festival of Spring is the time of rebirth and renewal and also
the Season of our Freedom.
The Seder is a family experience that provides unique and wonderful opportunities to tell our
children the national history of the Jewish people and the story of our individual family. The
stories, the songs, the bitter, salty and sweet food items and the many symbols on the Seder plate
are all there to provide a virtual reality and powerful illustration of the lessons we want to pass on
to our children.
Pesah is a demanding holiday - the cleaning, the special diet for a whole week and the extra
expense, but it is worth it. Think of where we are today 3500 years after the Exodus. We talk
about it as if it just happened and we try our best to re-live the experience of the Exodus. It is a
powerful tool by which we pass our heritage to our children. Shep nachas from your children as
they ask “Mah Nishatana” and enjoy your family.
Counting of the Omer
Starting with the second night of Pesah, we begin the Counting the Omer until Shavuot. We count
the days and the weeks for a total of seven weeks. The fiftieth day is Shavuot, when we observe
the Revelation at Mount Sinai, Matan Torah.
We wish you and your family a Happy and Kosher Pesah !
Page 5
Spring 2014
PESAH SERVICES CALENDAR
Saturday, April 12
Shabbat Hagadol
9:30 am
Sunday, April 13
Shaharit (morning service)
8:30 am
Monday, April 14
Fast of First Born – Come to services
and participate in Seudat Mitzvah
7:30 am
Monday, April 14
First Seder
Tuesday, April 15
1st Day of Yom Tov
Shaharit
9:30 am
Wednesday, April 16
2nd Day Yom Tov
Shaharit
9:30 am
Thursday, April 17
Hol Hamoed
Minha-Maariv
Shaahrit
7:30 am
5:45 pm
Friday, April 18
Hold Hamoed
Shaharit
7:30 am
Saturday, April 19
Shabbat Hol Hamoed
Shaharit
9:30 am
Sunday, April 20
Hol Hamoed
Shaharit
8:30 am
Monday, April 21
Yom Tov – 7th Day
Shaharit
9:30 am
Tuesday, April 22
Yom Tov – YIZKOR
Shaharit
9:30 am
SPECIAL OBSERVANCES AT SHAREI CHESED
Saturday, April 5
Sunday, April 27
Saturday, May 3
Sunday, May 4
Monday. May 5
Shaharit Services & Speaker from Israel
Medical Student Roni Rahav and Eilat Harel
Yom Hashoah & Shaharit Services
Yom Hashoah Community Observance
Temple of Aaron, St. Paul
Israel Independence Day Celebration
Israeli food, dancing and speaker
Israel Memorial Day
Adath Jeshurun Congregation
Yom Hahatzmaut –Community
Sabes JCC Minneapolis
9:30 am
8:30 am
7:00 pm
9:30 am
7:00 pm
5::00 pm
Spring 2014
Page 6
PURIM AT SHAREI CHESED
Our sanctuary was filled to capacity as members and
friends of Sharei Chesed Congregation and their
youngsters participated in the annual Purim Dinner.
Many children and adults came dressed in costumes and
enjoyed the food and festivities.
Sharei Chesed was pleased to host members of Caring
Connections, accompanied by their family members,
staff, and care-givers. They made the entire celebration
most meaningful in the true sense of Mishloah Manot and
Matanot La-evyonim. These are two important Mitzvot
of Purim, helping and bringing joy to others.
Our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Neil Covin who kept the audience mesmerized by the magic
show he presented. His final act, the Wallet on Fire, drew oohs and aahs from the entire group.
We also commend the youngsters who participated in the talent show as well as the beautiful
musical pieces by Daphna, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel, Norimi, Lev, Eli and other youngsters.
Everyone was impressed by Mark from Caring Connections who played a piece on a tiny
harmonica. He also followed Swede's comedy act with some jokes of his own.
Caring Connection is a program for special adults in collaboration with JFCS of Minneapolis, JFS
of St Paul and the JCC's of Minneapolis and St. Paul. We thank Stacey Spencer, the Caring
Connections Event Coordinator and Anette Sandler for bringing the group to Sharei Chesed.
Baking and Cooking on our Premises
Now that a commercial stove has been installed in our kitchen, we were able to put it to good
use. More than a dozen children and their parents attended Danny Levey's class in making
Hamentashen and a similar number attended Lori Krelitz class in Challah baking. It was good to
see young and old, proud of their finished products which they were pleased to take home.
We also used our kitchen to prepare the festive meal for the Purim dinner which was attended
by more than 100 people. Our thanks and appreciation to all the volunteers who helped prepare,
cook and serve the participants. Our special thanks to Adam Schwartz, a cook par excellence,
and his father Cantor Neil Schwartz. To Shelley and Steve Zien, Dede Bolter, Cindy Neff, Jerry
and Sharon Berkowitz, Ron Scholder, Lee Reinharz, Bernie Miller, Cindy and Momy Benzquen,
Miriam Clark, Rosie and Swede Larson, Jacob Mars, Dr. Martha Cohen, the entire Truskinovsky
Family, Dr. Sasha, Takako, Leah, Rachel and Norimi, Sandy Miller and all those who helped that
evening. Our apologies if we left out anyone.
Spring 2014
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T
TFROM
B
AS LETTER
CARING CONNECTIONS | STACEY SPENCER
UNDAY
ALLIT AND
EFFILIN
REAKFAST
Dear Rabbi Ettedgui,
Please convey our thanks and appreciation to
Bernie Miller and Terry Schwartz, co-presidents,
and the entire Sharei Chesed Family for hosting
our group at the Annual Purim Dinner held on
March 16.
We were so happy and excited to be there. In fact
38 of us attended and we were all welcomed like
“Purim Royalty.”
We really enjoyed everything at the Purim
party—the delicious food, the wonderful magician,
and the creative and very talented musicians and singers. In fact, one of our
Caring Connections program participant named Mark actually went up to the
microphone, played his tiny harmonica and performed a very funny joke that
was enjoyed by all—what a wonderful self-esteem builder for him!
Dr. Covin performing magic at Purim Party
You all went our of your way to show this special group of people so much
hospitality—from the time they arrived, until the time they left.
Caring Connections provides opportunities for Jewish adults with developmental disabilities to connect with their
faith community and take part in Jewish life and learn about holidays and traditions. Monthly programs may feature a storyteller, an art project, or link to larger community events to create a sense of celebration and enjoyment. Caring Connections is funded by the Toodie and Frank Trestman Special Needs and Collaborative Education Endowment Fund at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.
Spring 2014
Page 10
TRAVEL TO ISRAEL WITH
RABBI ETTEDGUI!
NOVEMBER 9-21, 2014
Enjoy a wonderful, exciting, and beautiful adventure through Israel with Rabbi Ettedgui,
fellow congregants, and others from around the country. Whether this will be your first
time in Israel or you’ve been before, it will be a trip to remember. With questions,
please contact Rabbi Ettedgui or Michelle at Affinity Excursions.
Tour Highlights Include:
The Haganah Underground Bullet Factory in Rehovot
Strolling Israel’s largest handicraft market at Nahalat
Binyamin
Walking tour of the revitalized area of Jaffa
Visiting Sderot and hearing from residents what life is
like under the constant threat of Qassam rockets
Tour of Yad Mordechai to hear about its role in the
War of Independence
Jerusalem's Old City's Jewish Quarter
Participating in David Ben Gurion's Declaration of Independence
Visiting the new Rabin Center and learning about the history and development of Israel
through his life
Welcome Shabbat at the Kotel
Walk along the ramparts of the Old City Walls
Visit Yad Vashem — Israel's Holocaust Memorial
Hike in Ein Gedi, ascend Masada, float in the Dead Sea
Enjoy a day in the Upper Galilee, including mystical Safed
Enjoy wine tasting at a Golan Heights winery
Explore the ancient city of Akko
Tour the security fence with an IDF colonel
Spring 2014
Page 11
Tour Price Includes:
Round-trip airfare on Delta Airlines (direct
service from Minneapolis to Tel Aviv)
10 nights' accommodations in luxury hotels
(Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Galilee)
17 meals
Touring and sightseeing in a deluxe, private
motor coach with English-speaking guide
Group transfers
Porterage in hotels (1 bag per person)
Gratuities for guides, drivers and waiters
REGISTER NOW!
Dates: November 9-21, 2014
Cost: $4,730.00 (Land & Air)
$3,075.00 (Land only)
RSVP: Rabbi Avraham Ettedgui
763-545-8800 | avrame@aol.com
612-250-5009
Michelle Cheslow (Affinity Excursions)
732-325-1124
michelle@affinityexcursions.com
Spring 2014
Page 12
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
JANUARY 1, 2014 TO MARCH 14. 2014
GENERAL DONATIONS
Sybille Aaron
Lisa Albright
Elka Arshanskaya
Sue & Sol Awend
Sharon & Jerry Berkowitz
Carmella & Alan Chazin
Kathy & David Cooper
Rabbi Avraham & Linda
Ettedgui
Sima& Mark Feldman
Irina Kigelman
Deanie Lerner
Sally & Mort Leder
MCM Properties
Donna Morales & Matthew
Schwartz
Jack Moskowitz
Mr. & Mrs. Max Rutman
Sofia & Aleksandr Starinets
Lola Szneler
Leo Wolk
Rakhil & Moisey Zilberman
IN HONOR & APPRECIATION
In Honor Of
Donor
Gail Kenton on her son’s
wedding
Sharon Specktor
For Help with a Difficult
Time
Anna & Irina Kigelman
Birth of Sophie Danielle
Gittsovich
Rabbi Avraham & Linda
Ettedgui
CAPITAL FUND
Marcy & Bruce Barrick
Raisa & Lazar Gringauz
Cynthia & Terry Schwartz
Fran & Bill Skolnick
Aileen & Miles Snyder
END OF YEAR APPEAL
Leone & Jerry Altman
Marina & Boris Bershadsky
Linda & Martin Kleinbaum
MCM Properties
Maureen & Eddie Rubintstein
DONATIONS FOR BIRTHDAY AND
OTHER SPECIAL WISHES
IN HONOR OF LEO WOLK’S 97TH
BIRTHDAY
Barbara & Earl Hoffman
Marilynn & Duane Paulson
Corrine & Morris Toretsky
IN HONOR OF MOREY MILLER’S
BIRTHDAY
Diane Baumwald
IN HONOR OF RABBI ETTEDGUI’S
BIRTHDAY
Diane Aronson & Richard
Woldorsky
Carolyn & Uri Koppel
Cindy Neff
Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Sue & Mark Wasserman
DONATIONS FOR A SPEEDY
RECOVERY
In Honor Of
Donor
Michael Perkins
Aaron Geller
Francelyne Lurie
Diane Aronson & Richard
Woldorsky
Martha Cohen
Rabbi Avraham & Linda
Ettedgui
Carolyn & Uri Koppel
Sonja Hauter & Bernie Miller
Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Vlad
Yelena Yantsev
KIDDUSH SPONSOR
Asya Akerman
Sharon & Jerry Berkowitz
Rabbi Ettedgui
Jane & Dmitry Gringauz
Gail & Greg Kenton
Cindy Neff
Esther Rubinstein
Barbara Schochet & Family
Sue & Mark Wasserman
Shelly & Steve Zien
DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF
In Memory Of
Donor
Bertha & Aaron Bearmon
Barbara & Lee Bearmon
Lisa Feldman
Larisa Palant
Spring 2014
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
JANUARY 1, 2014 TO MARCH 14. 2014
Edward Fishbein
Phyllis & Berle Richman
Harvey Fishman
Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Michael Geller
Lucille Abramovitz
Marilyn Chiat & Family
Rabbi Avraham & Linda
Ettedgui
Nathan Fursetzer
Freda Paper
Ruth & Abe Wolf
Anonymous Generous
Contribution
Herb Hillman
Rabbi Avraham & Linda
Ettedgui
Diane Aronson & Richard
Woldorsky
Walter Jonas
Freda Paper
Norbert Rauscher
Corrine, Morris & Mark
Toretsky
YAHRZEIT DONATIONS
Renee Aaron
Sybille Aaron
Barbara & Lee Bearmon
Jeanne Bearmon
Marina & Boris Bershadsky
Olene & Larry Bigelow
Zola Blicker
Maddy Braufman
Bronya & Nick Bryants
Shura & Yefim Budilovskiy
Vera Burstein
Marion Cass
Mary & Dr. Shep Cohen
Nina Dain
Irma Davydova
Tatyana Estrina
Bonnie & Dr. Harry Farb
Mariya Feldman
Sima & Mark Feldman
Cheryl Fields
Lyubiv & Sol Fridland
Maida & James Fruen
Galina & Shulim Gitelman
Mina & Chezar Grinberg
Rita & Azriel Grinberg
Eva Gross
Mina Hudson
Liza & Abram Ilyevskiy
Sandra & Jerry Johnson
AJ Josefowitz
Angelika & Leonard Kats
Marina & Sasha Kerbel
Boris Khodursky
Era Kirzon & Rafail Rubakh
Elaine Lerner
Kim & Barry Libson
Ryva & Tony Lipnik
Maya & Alex Malamudman
Morris Miller
Larisa Palant
Freda Paper
Maya & Yefim Peskin
Margarita & Mikhail Pevsner
Fred Phillips
Marcia & Aron Pinkus
Fran & Sheldon Rhodes
Phyllis & Berle Richman
Esther Rubinstein
Fanny Rubinstein
Maureen & Eddy Rubinstein
Darlene & Nathan Schwartz
Emma & Liya Shapiro
Alexander Shifrin
Adrienne & Paul Tanick
Sondra Tenner
Ita & Shmil Teyvel
Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Nesya & Aron Tsukerman
Sofiya Tsukerman
Alla Vaynberg
Sahra & Abram Vaynberg
Barbara Weil
Renee & Loren Weinberg
Carolyn & Marvin Wilensky
Lev Zadov
Luba Zevelev
Yelizaveta Zeveleva
Sofia & Moisey Zhuravel
Shelly & Steve Zien
OUR CONDOLENCES TO
THE FAMILIES OF...
Michael Geller
Yetta Goldenberg
Aleksandr Grinberg
Herbert Hillman
Walter Jonas
Norbert Rauscher
Bertha Rockler
Dora Rutman
Debbie Hillman
Spring 2014
Page 14
MAZAL TOV…
In honor of the birth of Sophie Danielle Gittsovich, granddaughter of Lyudmila &
Gregory, by Rabbi Avram & Linda Ettedgui
Happy Birthday to Keith Kaye from Carolyn & Uri Koppel
Happy Birthday to Maddie Banwell by Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Happy Birthday to Naomi Salloway by Sybille Aaron & by Corrine & Morris Toretsky
Sharon Specktor in honor of the marriage of Benji & Katie, son of Gail Kenton
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Gabi & Michael Grinberg
Cantor Mitch & Susan Kowitz
Julie Miller & Ron Scholder
HILLEL FUNDRAISER WITH ANITA DIAMANT | HILLEL UMN
Join the University of Minnesota Hillel Chapter on Sunday, May 4th with New York Times best-selling
author Anita Diamant and Moderator Star Tribune columnist Gail Rosenblum. An intimate lunch with
Anita will be held prior to the event, open to all and will honor couples who met their spouses at Hillel,
the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Proceeds for this event will go to Hillel at the University of
Minnesota.
The event will be held at Beth El Synagogue, 5225 Barry St. in St. Louis Park. Lunch will be served at
12:00pm and the main program will follow at 1:30pm.
Visit Hillelumn.org for registration. For more information please contact Andrea Golden at 612-3794026 or Andrea@Hillelumn.org.
Spring 2014
Page 15
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF PASSOVER | BY SOL AWEND
Pesah is, and continues to be one of my favorite holidays. Growing up
in St. Louis, I attended public school and Religious School.
Things were tough growing up in a school with many bullies, so I can
relate to the plight of the Israelites, suffering and achieving freedom.
Wandering in the desert. Moses. The Ten Commandments. It grabbed
my fascination, because it had all the elements of grand adventure and
excitement. We learned all about the Seder, the Four
Questions, Maror, Charoset; the four sons. I was determined to be the
good son that year in spite of all the trouble I'd gotten into in the past.
I was about eight when I learned the commandment about searching for Hametz the
night before the Seder. I learned that the right way to do it, is to walk around with a
candle and feather, picking up the bread crumbs that were placed throughout the
house. We placed the Hametz in a paper bag, and saved it for the next morning so it
can be burned. The next morning was bright and sunny. I went out in the backyard with
the Hametz, and the matches.
The grass hadn't been cut since fall, and it was really dry; just waiting for a reason to
catch fire. I provided that reason. With a stroke of a match, it caught and started
burning. I hadn't really planned on that to happen, and saw the blaze had the potential
of growing to biblical proportions. I saw a faucet on the side of the house, with a hose
connected to it and ran to see if it worked. With the vision of Smoky the Bear shaking
his finger at me, I prayed for that water to work. It did. Whew! I doused the flames,
and stood there amidst the smoking and blackened grass which had burned the Hametz
and half the backyard. I meekly went inside. My mom got wide-eyed when she saw my
soot covered face and nearly fainted went I told her what happened. She looked
outside and said the words that strike deep into the heart of a young kid who has done
wrong. "Wait until your father comes home...". He came home and I got what I
deserved.
Sometimes you get religion by doing, but be careful, you just might get burned in the
process.
1712 Hopkins Crossroads
Minnetonka, MN 55305