The Villages Jewish Community held a wonderful Community Passover Seder on April 9 at the Clubhouse, led by educator Chuck Dietz. Fifty people sang, chanted, and recited the ancient text (the Haggadah) which retells the story of the Exodus and the journey of the Jewish people from slavery to freedom so we can relive the experience of our ancestors. The Seder is a ritual meal that highlights the events of the Exodus through symbols such at the eating of Matzot (unleavened bread due to the haste in which the Jews departed Egypt lest Pharaoh might change his mind), and bitter herbs which symbolizes the bitterness of 430 years of backbreaking slavery. One of the highlights of the Seder is the asking of four questions by the youngest child in which the adults are required to answer to ensure that we don’t forget the story year after year and generation to generation so that we might feel as if we personally had been enslaved and then redeemed. The message of the Seder is a universal story for all people who are oppressed and struggling to attain the blessings of freedom.
