Newsletter Chodesh Nisan 5778
In this Newsletter
Note from the President
News
A Word from the Rabbi
Holiday Notes
Closing Words
Note from the President
Nissan is the first of the Jewish months. Oddly it isn't when the New Year is, but it is the month when the Jewish people became a nation as we went forth, freed from Egypt. Passover is particularly poignant, impactful, for Jews who are in prison and those who work with Jewish prisoners. Each year we are commanded to recognize how G-d takes us out from bondage, and at that time we have to think about the nature of bondage.
Those of you reading this message may be busy with cleaning and preparing for Passover and feeling the challenge of the deep inspection of ones house, and, perhaps, oneself. For those in prison the process is a different one. Rabbi Blaut shared with me some of the information he provided for the newsletter for the prisoners for how they can prepare and I thought I would share some of those instructions.
Here are the instructions on B'dikas Chametz
Note to those incarcerated: The only way you can do B’dikas Chametz while incarcerated is after cleaning your cell and any other area that you might have food, is doing a through search of the areas (obviously, you can’t use the candle, feather, etc).
Obviously, the only way you can destroy your chametz is by throwing it away by the required time.
And for their Seder:
Due to the certain time restraints that you will have, it is better to complete the seder and then if you have time discuss with others or if not learn/study the Exodus on your own.
These reminders of the challenges of being Jewish behind bars are worth pondering as we think about what it means to be in bondage and what it means to be free.
Wishing you a joyful and meaningful Seder,
Golda-Rochel Rosencrantz
JPSI President
News
This past month we had a volunteer go to Monroe Correctional Complex to read Megillah. We were also able to provide hamentashen for the prisoners, with the help of Ms. Belinda Stewart, Correction Program Administrator,
In conjunction with the Chabad House Minyan we had a Megillah reading and festive meal for families and returnees to the community.
We began a newsletter for the inmates. The first issue was mailed out along with complimentary copies of Jewish Action magazine and a sale of Chometz form.
We have had a number of specific needs that we addressed this month as well:
We had a special request for a large print siddur, which we are sending out.
We assisted a federal prisoner by providing proper clothing for their trial.
We are helping furnish an apartment for a returnee coming out of prison.
This month we will be having community Seders both nights and we will be sending Seder in a Box to inmates. If you would like to partner with us by supporting these please click the donate button below.
A word from the Rabbi
Who is Free & Who is a Prisoner?
In just a couple of weeks, most of us will be sitting down together at a joyous Yom Tov (holiday) table. Shortly after Kiddush (The blessing over wine) we will be making the following declaration: “…השתא עדבי לשנה הבאה בני חורין…” (“…Now [we are] slaves, next year [may we] be free…”
Isn’t this ironic? Those of us on this side of prison walls make a statement that we are slaves (or not free people). Those who are incarcerated speak of freedom. More on this in a minute.
The next part of the Seder is the famous Ma Nistana. If you look carefully – this is not the 4 questions. There is only 1 question. Can you find it? Why (some translate it as how) has this night changed from all nights? This is followed by 4 statements. These statements are really 4 observations which support the actual question: Other nights – eat chametz and matza; tonight only matza; other nights – eat other vegetables; tonight [only] bitter; other nights – [not required to] dip even one time; tonight twice; and other nights – sit upright or lean; tonight lean. To summarize: matza and maror, dipping and leaning. Two symbols of slavery and two symbols of freedom. What are we tonight – slaves or free people!? The truth is that every other day/night of the year, we exhibit behaviors merging the behavior of slaves and free people. Tonight, we are required to do so.
Those who are incarcerated can be free and those of us not incarcerated can be slaves. Those behind bars may be physically incarcerated, but spiritually, can be free (especially with our support). Those of us not behind bars might be physically free, but spiritually we are slaves to all kinds of things: our desires, money, sports, jobs, etc. A goal of the Seder night is to realize what we are enslaved to and to free ourselves to serve HaShem, just as the Jews who were enslaved in Egypt became free to serve HaShem. As Rav Elazar Fleckeles (1754-1826) put it: “At present we might have all civil rights, but spiritually we are slaves – in bondage to wrong ideas or, as has been suggested, serving HaShem only out of fear and awe (like a servant) rather than out of love (like a child)”.
I welcome your feedback.
Wishing everyone a Chag Samay’ach v’Kasher.
Rabbi Blaut
JPSI
206 929-1912 (direct line)
rabbi@jpsi.org (direct email)
Holiday Notes
Pesach/Passover
The month of Nissan has the holiday of Passover - which always occurs in the spring. It is this specific timing that was used to determine if we would have a leap year in the Jewish calendar or not. Passover celebrates the exodus from Egypt. If you are in Israel it is celebrated for 7 days, and for those of us outside of Israel, in the diaspora, it is 8 days. During this time we are commanded to own no leavened foods, and to eat matzah. The first night (or two in the diaspora) there is a Seder where we recall leaving Egypt while following the prescribed order, or seder, which is defined in the haggadah. Learn more here or here.
Closing words
We at JPSI would like to wish you all a Freilichen (Joyus) and Kosher Passover, for those that observe the holiday. We encourage all of you to think on the nature of freedom and imprisonment. May you gain insights that help you find greater inner freedom this year. And as we say in the Seder: L'Shanna Haba'a b'Yerushalaim.
If you enjoyed this newsletter and know someone else who would enjoy it, please share it with them by clicking here.
