Goldfarb Passover 2019

Posted by

Our family had so much fun at our Passover Seder!  Our matzo eating race and speeding reading “Who Knows One” helps make our Seder even more magical, meaningful, and memorable! I hope you will try them at your Seder!

Matzo Eating Contest

Matzo Eating Contest

 

Speed Reading “Who Knows One”

Passover Speed Reading Play

 

PASSOVER HAGGADAH
“WHO KNOWS ONE”

Who knows one? I know one.
Who knows one? I know one?
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows two? I know two.
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows three? I know three.
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows four? I know four.
Four are the matriarchs; Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, on heaven and on earth.

Who knows five? I know five.
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows six? I know six.
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows seven? I know seven.
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eight? I know eight.
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows nine? I know nine.
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows ten? I know ten.
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eleven? I know eleven.
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows twelve? I know twelve.
Twelve are the tribes of Israel;
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen.
Thirteen are God’s attributes;
Twelve are the tribes of Israel;
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Matzo Eating Contest

Posted by

I like to begin our Seder with a matzo eating contest! it is such a fun way to engage everyone, and in particular, all of the children, no matter what age!

I hope you enjoy our matzo eating contest from our family Seder in 2019.

A Magical Fast and Fun Way to End Your Seder!

Posted by

Our family tradition is to read the “Who Knows One” prayer as fast as possible at the end of the Seder. It is such a fun way to engage the whole family and friends in such a special way to end the Seder.

I hope you enjoy our family face of “Who Knows One” at our Seder in 2019!
Speed Reading

PASSOVER HAGGADAH
“WHO KNOWS ONE”

Who knows one? I know one.
Who knows one? I know one?
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows two? I know two.
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows three? I know three.
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows four? I know four.
Four are the matriarchs; Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, on heaven and on earth.

Who knows five? I know five.
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows six? I know six.
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows seven? I know seven.
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eight? I know eight.
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows nine? I know nine.
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows ten? I know ten.
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eleven? I know eleven.
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows twelve? I know twelve.
Twelve are the tribes of Israel;
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen.
Thirteen are God’s attributes;
Twelve are the tribes of Israel;
Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream;
Ten are the commandments;
Nine are the months of childbirth;
Eight are the days before circumcision;
Seven are the days of the week;
Six are the sections of the Mishnah;
Five are the books of Torah;
Four are the matriarchs;
Three are the patriarchs;
Two are the tablets of the covenant;
One is our God, in heaven and on earth.

Ordinary to Extraordinary Lives: Rafi Eitan

Posted by

Israeli Spymaster Who Captured Nazi Leader Adolf Eichmann

Ricardo Klement was kidnapped in May 1960 just outside Buenos Aires. Rafi Eitan, a leader of Israel’s intelligence community, was in charge of the kidnapping. The team, posing as a group of men fixing a stalled car on the roadside, grabbed Klement as he exited his daily bus. It turns out Ricardo Klement was actually the infamous former SS officer, Adolf Eichmann, who served as a leader in the execution of Hitler’s “final solution.” The capture of Eichmann solidified Rafi Eitan’s legendary reputation as an Israeli spymaster.

At the same time, Israel learned that another infamous Nazi, Josef Mengele, was in Argentina. Mengele was notorious for conducting inhumane medical experiments in Auschwitz. Eitan refused to take Mengele for fear of compromising the Eichmann mission. Eichmann was taken back to Israel where he was tried and  executed. Eitan was present at his hanging.

Rafael Hantman was born November 23,1926 on the Eid Harod kibbutz in the British mandate of Palestine to Russian immigrants. He later changed his surname to Eitan. He joined the Haganah, the predecessor of the Israeli Army before he was a teenager, and was subsequently recruited to the elite branch, called the Palmach. After being wounded in the 1948 War of Independence, Eitan was  transferred to the intelligence unit, where his spying career began. It was during this time he earned a degree from the London School of Economics.

For decades he served as operations chief at Shin Bet, the Israeli version of the FBI. In 1965, he posed as an Israeli chemist visiting a nuclear fuel plant in Pennsylvania. After his visit, it was discovered that a large amount of enriched uranium was missing. Though never solved, the Americans thought the timing of Eitan’s visit was surely no coincidence.

Scandal plagued Eitan’s career while he was running the Bureau of Scientific Liaison. He recruited a U.S. Naval officer, Jonathan Pollard, to spy on the U.S. A co-worker reported Pollard was taking classified materials from the office of the Naval Intelligence Command (NIC). Pollard was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison. The scandal rocked relations between Israel and the U.S. Eitan lost his position and was reassigned as the chair of the Israel Chemical Industries where he worked until the late 1990s. In the mid-2000s, he entered the political arena and became head of the Pensioner’s Party.

Rafi Eitan died Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the age of 92.

 

Passover Menu Ideas – Menu 3

Posted by

Here are some suggestions for your Passover Seder menu!

 

Appetizer:
Stuffed Baby Artichokes
Stuffed Baby Artichokes

Entrees:
Freedom Lamb
Freedom Lamb

Golden Chicken Soup
Golden Chicken Soup

“Lucky” Matzo Balls
"Lucky" Matzo Balls

Sides:
Classic Ashkenazi Charoset
Classic Ashkenazi Charoset

Yemenite Charoset
Yemenite Charoset
To explore our other international charoset recipes, click here.

Desserts:
Rose Water Almond Cookies (Marochinos)
Rose Water Almond Cookies

Chocolate Matzo Mousse Cake
Chocolate Matzo Mousse Cake

Food for the soul:
Suitcase
When the children of Israel fled Egypt, they had to leave in the middle of the night, without much time to prepare. They couldn’t take many possessions and there were difficult choices about what to bring with them. If you had to leave home in the middle of the night, what would you bring with you?
Click here for a complete list of our Passover discussion questions.

Ordinary to Extraordinary Lives: Georges Loinger

Posted by

Playing catch over a border fence, posing as mourners and tricking German soldiers were all techniques Georges Loinger used to save at least 350 Jewish children during World War II. Joseph Urie Loinger was born to a Jewish family in Strasbourg, Germany on August 29, 1910. Later changing his first name to Georges, he became an important figure in Theodore Herzl’s Zionist movement as a teenager.

During his service in the French army, Loinger was taken prisoner in 1940 and transported to Stalag 7 in Bavaria, Germany. Fortunately for Loinger, he was not thought to be Jewish because of his blonde hair and blue eyes. His physical characteristics, along with his fluency in German, saved him from being persecuted as a Jew by the Germans. Loinger managed to escape the prisoner of war camp and return to France. There, he became part of the French resistance for a Jewish children’s aid society named Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE). Loinger explained that OSE had protected around 1,500 Jewish children whose parents were either dead or sent to concentration camps by hiding them in area homes. While the children were kept hidden, Loinger often worried about their mental and physical health and organized sporting competitions amongst the children to build their physical and spiritual strength.

A few years into the war, Loinger began organizing missions to bring the children to safety across the Swiss border. These missions included intricate ways of getting the children across the border including having them chase balls across the border during games of catch and dressing them as mourners and climbing gravediggers ladders at a cemetary border wall.

After the war, Loinger helped with the transportation of Holocaust survivors to British-controlled Palestine and wrote several books about his experiences during World War II. Georges Loinger lived a long and fulfilling life and died at age 108 in Paris, France on December 28, 2018.

 

A “Palace in Time”: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel on the Sabbath

Posted by

by Rabbi Or N. Rose

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I took the opportunity to re-read selections from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s book, The Sabbath. First published in 1951, this poetic gem has been read by countless spiritual seekers — Jewish and non-Jewish — throughout the world.

As I flipped through the pages, I was struck again by Heschel’s remarkable ability to cull from the vast storehouse of classical Jewish teachings and to present these gleanings to a diverse modern readership with elegance and force.

In Heschel’s mind, the greatest challenge facing the modern Western world is the loss of a sense for the sacred. He argues that in our attempts to master our physical surroundings through technological advancement, we have become desensitized to the grandeur and beauty of life, both in the natural world and in the faces of other people. In our rush to industrialize we have become so focused on gaining economic and political power that we have forgotten our ultimate purpose: to serve as co-creators with the Divine in the establishment of a just and compassionate world.

For Heschel, a refugee from Eastern Europe, the Holocaust is the most dramatic example of the shadow side of modernity. After all, it was Germany — arguably the great center of modern cultures — in which one of the most effective and devastating killing machines in human history was created.

But Heschel is also critical of popular American culture with its seemingly insatiable consumerist cravings, symbolized in his mind by the excesses of affluent suburban life in cities across the country.

In The Sabbath, Heschel attempts to offer a corrective to this imbalance. In so doing, he explores two basic, and intersecting, dimensions of human existence: space and time. Heschel argues that modern Western life is dominated by an obsession with space — with building, mastering, and conquering things of space. But life turns dim, says Heschel, “when the control of space, the acquisition of things in space, becomes our sole concern” (p.ix). He calls on us to reconsider our priorities and relax our attachment to “thinghood,” shifting our attention to the “thingless and insubstantial” reality of time.

It is in this context that Heschel introduces the importance of the Sabbath to modern life. For Shabbat offers us the opportunity to retreat temporarily from our work-a-day routine, from the world of space consciousness, and to enjoy the manifold gifts of creation provided for us by the Master of the Universe. Heschel describes the Sabbath as a “palace in time,” whose architecture is built through a combination of intentional abstentions (e.g., refraining from business dealings, long-distance travel) and acts of prayer, study, joyous meals and interaction with loved ones.

Most importantly, perhaps, Heschel explains that Shabbat not only offers us an opportunity for weekly spiritual communion, but it also has the potential to help shape the way we live the other six days of the week.

Will our time with friends and family make us more sensitive to the needs of other human beings? Will our time celebrating the grandeur and beauty of nature make us more sensitive to the needs of the earth? Will we be able to hold in our hearts and minds the realization that God is the supreme author of life and that we are called upon by the Divine to serve as co-creators of a just and compassionate world? In brief, can we carry with us something of the Sabbath consciousness through the rest of the week?

More than sixty years after Abraham Joshua Heschel published The Sabbath, and thousands of years after this great religious institution was first recorded in the Hebrew Bible, Shabbat remains both a spiritual oasis and a bold challenge to all of us who seek to live both productive and reflective lives.