I N S I D E

THE REBBEIn honor of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s

birthday

IT’S TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!A step-by-step calendar and fascinatinginsights to guide us through Passover

GET IN ON THE ACTION!A pictorial of Chabad’s activities

Passover 5763 ! April 2003Volume Eight ! Number Four

Living Judaism is printed before all major holidays to serve as a medium of communication with the Jewish community.

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CHABAD OF GREATER SOMERSET COUNTY

d”sb

The 11th day of Nissan (this year corresponding to Sunday, April 13th, marks the (101st) anniversary of Rebbe’sbirthday. In memoriam and tribute, we share a Passover-relevant essay based on the Rebbe’s thoughts.

The Torah tells us that when Jacob moved his family to Egypt, where the Jewish people were to reside formore than two centuries, "he sent Judah ahead... to show the way." Our Sages explain that Judah's missionwas "to establish a house of learning from which would be disseminated the teachings of Torah." Jacobknew that Joseph, who was already in Egypt and serving as viceroy to Pharaoh, had retained hiscommitment to Torah. Joseph certainly had the authority and the means to establish the most magnificent

yeshiva in the empire. Why did Jacob desire that Judah,a penniless emigrant who barely knew the language, be the oneto establish the house of learning that was to serve the Jewish people in Egypt?

Jacob had twelve sons. Ten of them were led by Judah; then there was Joseph, whose differences with his brotherswere the cause of much pain and strife in Jacob's family.

The conflict between Joseph and his brothers ran deep. It was a conflict between two world-views, between twoapproaches to life as a Jew in a pagan world.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were shepherds, as were Joseph's brothers. They chose this vocation because they foundthe life of the shepherd - a life of seclusion, communion with nature, and distance from the tumult and vanities ofsociety - most conducive to their spiritual pursuits. Tending their sheep in the valleys and hills, they could forget themundane affairs of man, contemplate the majesty of the Creator, and serve Him with a clear mind and tranquil heart.

Joseph was the exception. He was a man of the world, a "fortuitous achiever" in business and politics. Sold intoslavery, he was soon manager of his master's affairs. Thrown into jail, he was soon a ranking member of the prisonadministration. He went on to become viceroy of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh in the most powerful nation on earth.

Yet none of this touched him. Slave, prisoner, ruler of millions, controller of an empire's wealth-it made nodifference: the same Joseph who had studied Torah at the feet of his father traversed the palaces and government halls ofEgypt. His spiritual and moral self derived from within and was totally unaffected by his society, environment, or theoccupation that claimed his involvement twenty-four hours a day.

The conflict between Joseph and his brothers was the conflict between a spiritual tradition and a new worldliness;between a community of shepherds and an entrepreneur. The brothers could not accept that a person can lead a worldlyexistence without becoming worldly; that a person can remain one with G-d while immersed in the affairs of the mostdepraved society on earth.

In this conflict, Joseph was to emerge the victor. The spiritual seclusion that characterized the first three generationsof Jewish history was destined to end; Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, where

the "smelting pit" of exile was to forge their descendants into the nation ofIsrael. As Joseph had foreseen in his dreams, his brother and his father bowedto him, prostrating their approach to his. Jacob had understood the significanceof these dreams all along, and had awaited their fulfillment; Joseph's brothers,who found it more difficult to accept that the era of the shepherd wasdrawing to a close, fought him for twenty-two bitter years, until they, too,

came to accept that the historical challenge of Israel was to be thechallenge of living a spiritual life in a material environment.

Nevertheless, it was Judah, not Joseph, who was chosen byJacob to establish the house of learning that was to serve as thesource of Torah knowledge for the Israelites in Egypt.The first three generations of Jewish life were not a "false start":

they were the foundation of all that was to follow. It was this foundationfrom which Joseph drew the strength to persevere in his faith and righteousnessin an alien environment; it was this foundation upon which the entire edifice ofJewish history was to be constructed.

The Jew lives in a material world, but his roots are planted in the soil ofunadulterated spirituality. In his daily life he must be a Joseph, but hiseducation must be provided by a Judah.

Adapted by Yanki Tauber

The Rebbe

2

Judy* and I havebeen friends forseveral yearsnow; herhusband, Jerry*,

is also a friend of mine.The couple shares manyinterests, but they partcompany when it comesto Judaism. Jerry isfascinated by Jewishtradition, Talmudicwisdom and the beautyof our heritage, whileJudy is decidedly coolto Jewish observances.She's always verypleasant, but sheconsistently shies awayfrom Jewish practices.

I ran into Judy recently. After a few moments ofconversation, Judy revealed that she had been brought upOrthodox. Noting my surprise (she wasn't a likely suspect!),Judy proceeded to tell me where she'd grown up and attendedschool in her early years.

After playing a bit of Jewish geography, I asked her howshe'd become so distanced from the Orthodoxy of her youth.She replied with one word: Hypocrisy.

Apparently, Judy's family had promoted Torah observance,claiming it to be a primary value. Yet, occasionally, when agiven Mitzvah 'got in the way', she'd find that specific Mitzvahrelegated to 'not-so-important' status. Little Judy couldn'tcomprehend how a Torah program for life could be [advocatedas] 'so important', yet negotiable when it didn't suit you. Shedecided that if one Mitzvah was disposable, then they all were.In her mind, Judaism couldn't really be that important. So littleJudy has grown and matured - into Judaically-disaffected,religiously-cynical, adult Judy.

I really don't want to focus on Judy's individual story. Thatisn't to say her story isn't important; it is.

Judy's is the sad story of a disenchanted Jew, and it hurts. Iwish that this precious individual felt closer with her/ourheritage. I wish that little Judy had seen her parents for whatthey were: human beings with weaknesses, inclinations andimpulses. I wish that little Judy had clung to the beauty of herlessons, without succumbing to the disappointment engenderedby human inconsistency. But, important as Judy is, I still don'twant to focus on her; I want to move on to the big picture. Iwant to focus on the syndrome she accurately revealed in ourconversation. That's the truly tragic story.

You see, I believe that the Jewish community, cross-denominationally, has a problem. Scratch the surface, andyou'll unfortunately find many Judy's growing up under ourvery noses. I believe that a common, dysfunctional attitude islargely responsible.

Here’s the way I see it:Every day, I interact with people who aren't - at this point -

ready to live atraditional Jewishlifestyle. That's not theway they were raised,they can't just 'turn on adime', and there arebuilt-in realities to thelives they've carved outfor themselves.

Yet many of thesepeople come to classes,grow in Judaism andfeel increasinglyconnected. Even thoughthey're not fullyimplementing Torah’s‘program’, we share avision. They and I havediffering lifestyles, yetwe're basically looking

at the same ideal.We basically share the identical goal. We’re just at different

points on the journey’s continuum. This seems to work nicely - until it involves the kids. That's

where things become sticky.What do these wonderful people tell their kids? Do they

teach that the Torah program is important - even if theythemselves don’t fully live to Torah standards?

They ask: “How can I present Torah-life as an ideal, whenI'm not living it myself? Isn't that hypocritical?”

In response, I will maintain that our children should be ourover-riding concern in life. If I truly respect a specific lifestyle,how can I withhold that fact from my children? Shouldn't Ishow them the path to [what I consider] a meaningful life?What can be greater than steering my kid in the right direction?

But, they ask: “Is it possible to advocate something that Idon't (yet) personally practice? If yes, how do I deal with theconflict between my ideal and my reality? How will my kidsreact?”

This is a general problem for a large segment of the Jewishpopulation, who send their kids to Hebrew School to learn areligion that they themselves want little part of.

Generally, I see people deal with this dilemma in twodifferent manners.

One way is to say: "We really believe that Jewish tradition isimportant. But it's difficult to totally commit right now. TheTorah lifestyle is our goal, and we're doing our best. We'reconstantly making incremental progress toward that end."

The downside to this is that your kids know that you'rehuman. They know that you're not where you want to be. Theupside is that they clearly know where you want to be.

Another method is to reply: "Listen, this stuff isn't reallythat important. It would be nice. But we have to be reasonableand lead normal lives."

The downside to that answer is that you've gutted any respectyour children have for the Jewish goal. Your respect for Jewish

3

Reaching for Jewish ContinuityBalancing Ideals with Reality

By: Rabbi Mendy Herson

continued on page 6

The poor man was devastated. The Rebbe said, "My dear Chaim, tell us what you did lastnight."

As a preface, our dear Chaim was orphaned at a very young age and was miserably poor.He thus succumbed to the temptation of alcohol as a way to deal with his agony and stress.

The "problem" is that on Passover you can't drink whiskey. So Chaim had a tremendousidea: He'll stay up the whole night before Passover and drink an amount of whisky that willkeep him "high" for eight days straight, throughout the entire Passover holiday.

This Chaim did: When the night before Passover arrived he drank and drank, until theminute when you must stop eating Chamatz (leaven) on the morning before Passover. Whenthe clock struck twenty minutes after nine, he took his last "L'chayim" and he was out cold.

Seder night, his wife came to wake him up and said, "Chaim, it's really not fair. EveryJewish home has a Seder. We have little children, and we are the only ones who don't have a

Seder." Chaim gazed atthe Rebbe ofBarditchov andcontinued relating histale: "By then, did Iregret that I drank somuch the night before.

Did I regret it! I would have done anything not to be drunk. But I couldn't help it. So I said tomy wife: 'Please wake me up in an hour. I just can't get it together yet.'

My wife kept waking me, and finally she came to say, 'Chaim, in twenty minutes theSeder night is gone and the children are all sleeping. Shame on you!'

"Gevald! I was so devastated," Chaim told the Rebbe. "Here, my children are so preciousand I am such a lousy father. So, with my last strength I got out of bed and sat down at theSeder table. I said to my wife, 'Please, call our children.'

"As they sat down, I said to them, 'Please sit close to me, I have to talk to you. "I want you to know, children, that I am so sorry that I drank. I am so sorry that I am a

drunkard. If my drinking can make me not have a Seder with you, then it's not worth it." I saidto my children, 'I swear to you, that I'll never drink again in my life. But, right now, it's Sedernight, so let me just tell you the Pesach story in a nutshell.'"

Chaim said to the Rebbe, "You know, I was still drunk, and I barely know how to readHebrew. But, I tried my best. I said, 'Children, I want you to know that G-d created heavenand earth in seven days. Then Adam and Eve ate from the Tree and were thrown out ofParadise. Since then everything went down hill: There was a flood, there was a tower of Babel- that was as much as I knew. Then came Abraham. He began fixing the world again. Abrahamand Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel and Leah and their twelve holy sons. ThenPharaoh made slaves out of us, and tonight, G-d took us out from Egypt.

"My sweet children, now we are also in exile. And I want you to know, that the same G-dwho took us out from Egypt is still alive and soon he will liberate us from this exile too."

"I turned to G-d, and said: 'Father in heaven, thank you so much for taking us out ofEgypt. And I beg you, sweetest father, please take us out of our present exile very soon'!Rebbe, I'm so sorry. I couldn't say anything more because I was still drunk.

"I Took the Matzah, Maror and Charoses situated on the table and ate it. I filled four cupsof wine and drunk them one after another, I turned over and I fell asleep again."

The holy Rebbe of Barditchov was crying bitter tears. He said to his disciples, "Did youhear that? Did you hear that? I wish that one time in my life I could communicate with G-dlike Chaim did during his Seder."A women's story: As I concluded the story . A woman began weeping profusely.

"I grew up in a very assimilated home and know very little about Judaism. The onlyJudaic thing I remember is my grandmother telling me, that I have a special spiritualconnection. Why? "Because I am the tenth generation from the Rebbe of Barditchov."

Who is the Rebbe of Barditchov, my grandmother never knew. She just knew that he wassome great man who lived in Eastern Europe. And she insisted that I alwaysretain this peace of history in my memory.”

I wiped a tear from my eye and thanked G-d for brining me to Japan for Passover.

By Yosef Y. Jacobson

Japan: Passover of 1997 Icelebrated in Japan. Myfriend and I wereconducting publicPassover Seders for the

Jewish community living in theremote city of Kobe.Our first public Seder attractedclose to two hundred Jews, mostof them from very secularbackgrounds.

The energy was high. Themelodies, the discussions, thetraditions and the overall spiritduring the Seder were inspiring.

In the middle of the Seder, mymemory brought forth a movingChassidic tale about the holyRebbe of Barditchov. A Drunkard's Seder: OnePassover, following an upliftingSeder, the Rebbe sensed thatChaim-the-water-carrier's Sederwas superior to his. "This year,"he was informed from Heaven,"G-d's favorite Seder was that ofthe water-carrier of Barditchov."

The next day after services,the Rebbe's disciples went up toChaim and asked him to comesee the Rebbe. Chaim camebefore the Rebbe, and he began tocry bitterly. He said, "Rebbe, I'llnever do it again. I'm so sorry; Idon't know what came over me."

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A Soul in Japan and AWater-Carrier in Barditchov

People knock educational psychologists and theireuphemisms, but I often wonder if we wouldn't bebetter off borrowing some of their politicalcorrectness when dealing with Torah issues. The foursons, for example, might be better understood as the

Gifted Child, the Difficult Child, the Well-Balanced Child andthe Inquisitively Challenged Child. Those intolerant of "theDesecraters of the Holy Shabbat" might be more inclinedtowards meaningful dialogue if they modified their language to"the Sabbatically Challenged". I'm sure you can think of manyother applications yourself... the list goes on and on to "theChassidically Challenged," "the Authenticity Challenged," etc.

There are also some major aspects of the Exodus story thatcould be better understood if we would just use the rightterminology. Take the event of the splitting of the Red Sea,which occurred on the seventh day of Passover. It's easy to bederogatory about Pharaoh when you consider matterssuperficially. Here he sees a whole nation being led by a pillar offire over the sea floor on dry land between two pillars of waterthat stand as stone walls -- even Indiana Jones would havethought twice -- and like a madman rushes in with his entirearmy. And it wasn't like he hadn’t any precedent to learn from.

One might be tempted to describe Pharaoh in this situation asa little lacking up there, to be polite. But here is a case whereone of those PC terminologies comes in useful. You see, Pharaoh

was actually intellectually-capable. It’s justthat he was Monotheistically Challenged.

To be more specific, Pharaoh belongedto a subset of the monotheistically

challenged that have a fixationwith a perceived natural order("Ma'at" in Ancient Egyptian.

Similar to the Buddhist concept ofKharma. In modernese, "Physics").When a conflict arises between naturalorder and perceived reality (i.e. amiracle), the subject experiencesanxiety. Whereas this anxiety could beeasily resolved through theassumption of an Omnipotent Forcebehind and beyond nature, oursubject prefers to simply ignore

the obvious reality before hiseyes in favor of the

‘natural order’ that hehas previously integratedinto his personality.

This could result inextreme drowningunder the crashingwaves of the RedSea.

See, now that I'veprovided a moresympathetic viewof Pharaoh'spersonal

difficulties, he becomes so much easier to relate to. After all, wedo the same thing all the time. At least, I do. It's called "worry".

Worry is a state where we ignore the obvious reality in favorof a warped view of how we imagine the natural order to be. Weimagine our life as a struggle between our own competency andthe laws of physics, commerce and social acceptance. Personally,that would mean I have a lot to worry about.

The reality is that our daily life is full of miracles fromAbove. We have little control over where we end up and whatwe have to do there. Physics doesn't have much say, either. Wecan just do our best with what we are given and have confidencein the Director Of It All that He knows what He's doing.

But instead, we worry.Why do we worry? Because we don't perceive the miracles.

Why don't we perceive the miracles? Because we see this naturalorder going on all around us, and if there is a natural order, thenmiracles could not have happened, right? After all, don't miraclesmean that nature's laws are temporarily trashed, that lifebecomes totally weird, and G-d's voice is heard bellowing, "TzviFreeman, take note! This is a miracle!"?

Wrong. That's just Pharaoh all over again. Perhaps somewhatmore subtle, but Pharaoh nonetheless.

Monotheism means that the natural order is not an absoluteset of rules to either play by or break by. Believing there is OneInfinite Force behind all things means acknowledging that Hecan be found doing His thing anywhere -- by the rules or not bythe rules. Nothing stops Him from getting His way -- nosupervising committee, no appeal board, no shareholders, nomother-in-law. Not even the Natural Order.

The prognosis? According to the prophets, we eventuallygrow out of this. Like we read in the haftorah for the last day ofPassover: "As the days when you left Egypt, so I will make yousee miracles." (Isaiah 10:32)

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (the "TzemachTzedek," 1745-1826) explained, "As the days when you pointedat the Red Sea splitting and said, 'This is my G-d doing this!' sothen, in those times, I will let you see the even more wondrousmiracles that are happening in your daily life."

We can open our minds and try to start now.

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5

The Pharaoh SyndromeBy: Tzvi Freeman

Rabbi Mendy HersonExecutive Director

Rabbi Yossi LazaroffProgram Director

Mrs. Malkie HersonHebrew School/Preschool Director

Mrs. Manya LazaroffYouth Zone Director

practice is obviously hollow - what can you expect from them? Remember, thisreply doesn't only negate the specific Mitzvah being ignored, it undermines theentire program. I honestly can't see any long-term upside to this method.

How do these methods play out over time? Allow me to share my experience:I was raised in a Chassidic home in New Jersey and attended local Orthodox

Day Schools (eventually transferring to Brooklyn for study). During my NJ schoolyears, I had quite a few classmates who came from not-exactly-observanthomes. What were these kids doing in an Orthodox Day School?

The answer is simple. They had parents who didn't themselvesimplement a Torah lifestyle, yet felt it important to provide the opportunityto their children. Bravo! I fully respect these parents for exposing their

children to a lifestyle they valued (although they didn't exactly practice). Theywanted better for their children.

But it doesn't end there. Since I'm living in New Jersey again, I occasionally run into former classmates

from my early years. Some have adopted a Torah-true Jewish lifestyle. Some haveliterally rejected everything, spurning the Jewish values we studied together.

In my discussions with these old friends, we've tried to unravel the mystery ofhow we - who sat side by side in 5th grade studying the same texts - could haveended up with such vastly-differing Judaic experiences. Some of us find Judaismto be rich and beautiful, yet others will have no part of it. Why the huge disparity?

I find that one word that keeps cropping up in our conversations: 'Hypocrisy'.My non-observant classmates usually use that word when talking about theirparents. I know that’s no excuse; I know they’re responsible for their own actions.I don't want to be simplistic or simple-minded. But I think that there's somethingto be learned here. Even if it’s not an excuse, it may something of a cause.

Children can't handle hypocrisy; they're too pure. Adults are more jaded, andthey understand that life isn't black and white. But children reject inconsistency.

What I've learned from my classmates is the damage that can be inflicted whenparents are cavalier with values that their children are learning.

In my classmates, I can see an unmistakable difference between those whoseparents who took the "I'm trying as hard as I can - look at the progress we'remaking" attitude, and those whose parents took (either verbally or by their actions)the "Chill out, you can't take this stuff that seriously" attitude. It's undeniable.

I happened to go to an Orthodox Day School, and so I've been referring to myfriends who did the same. But believe me, it applies to all of us - Orthodox or not.This idea is relevant to our transmission of Jewish values - period.

If a parent conveys the unspoken message that Hebrew School is important, thechild will hear it. If the child senses that his/ parents don't really care, then whyshould he?

We’ve got maintain the sanctity of the vision, the importance of the goal. Whenwe left Egypt on Passover, we were on our way to receive a program for life: theTorah. That program still stands, and speaks to us in 2003. No matter ourstruggles, no matter our specific situations, we dare not chip away at that fact.

I've written the above with a specific goal in mind; I hope to inspire parents ofyoung children. I want them to think twice about the messages that they send theirkids.

My point in brief: If you want your child to respect the ‘program’, then don'tundermine it.

By no means does this article mean to cry over ‘spilled milk’, with parents ofgrown children. I know people who are wracked with guilt over the Jewish-estrangement of their adult kids. It's sad to see, and I don’t like the blame-game.

I have no doubt that these parents meant well in working with a difficultsituation. Feeling guilty won't solve anything. Guilt is paralyzing, while vibrantaction is necessary.

See what you can do about the grandchildren. Inspire your children to do justone more thing. Help out with your local Jewish community. We just all need tosend out the right vibes: Judaism is alive and relevant!6

continued from page 3BALANCING IDEALS...

Recipes from Kosher.com

POT ROAST

4-5 lb Brisket 2 cups mixed dried fruit 1-1/2 cups water or stock 2 medium onions, sliced 1 cup medium dry white wine salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in heavy pot; add onions& let cook over medium heat. Addwine, other liquid & dried fruit. Bring tosimmer. Add salt & pepper to taste.Simmer covered for 2-1/2 hours oruntil tender. Remove roast from pot toslicing board; skim fat from gravy;slice meat. Arrange on platter & topwith fruited gravy.

VEGETABLE KUGEL

3 stalks celery, sliced 4 carrots, sliced 3 medium potatoes, sliced 2 onions, sliced 2 red peppers, sliced in 1" pieces forsauteed version; halved and seededfor roasted version 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced 4 eggs 1 tsp . salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. olive oil: for sauteed version

Saute onion in olive oil, saute rest ofvegetables. (Optional: Roast thevegetables instead, by placingvegetables on cookie sheet, sprayingwith olive oil. Broil 7 minutes on eachside, until browned and soft.

Add eggs, salt and pepper. Mix. Bakein greased pan for 1 hour at 350°

RECIPESfor Passover

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Passover this year ison April 16 - 24, 2003

For more on Passover, visit Passover.net - where you'llfind everything from a comprehensive, user-friendly,guide to Passover observances, to profound insightsfrom the wellsprings of Chassidic wisdom.

The Fifth ChildAs different as they may be, the "four sons" of the haggadahhave one thing in common: whether involved, challenging, ineptor indifferent, they are all present at the seder table. They are allrelating, albeit in vastly differing ways, to our annual reliving ofthe Exodus and to our birth as a nation. The line ofcommunication is open.

Today, however, in our era of spiritual displacement, there existsa fifth child: the Jew who is absent from the seder table. He asksno questions, poses no challenges, displays no interest. For heknows nothing of the seder, nothing of the significance of theExodus, nothing of the revelation at Sinai at which we assumed

our mission and role as Jews.To these children of G-d we must devoteourselves long before the first night of Passover.We must not forget a single Jewish child; we

must invest all our energies and resources tobringing every last "fifth son" to the seder-

table of Jewish life.

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ERUV TAVSHILIN By Jewish law, we are permitted on Yom Tov to prepare only foods necessary for that same day. This year, however, Shabbat immediately

follows the first two days of the Yom Tov, yet the Shabbat meals must, as always, be prepared before the Shabbat. Halacha (Jewish law)prescribes a special ritual - an Eruv Tavshillin - which allows us to prepare the Shabbat meals on Friday. The Eruv Tavshillin ceremony,performed before sundown on Wednesday, April 14th, renders this permissible.

Take matzah prepared for Shabbat as well as a highly regarded cooked food, such as meat or fish, and hand it over to another person. Theone who makes the Eruv, says: “I hereby grant a share in this Eruv to anyone who wishes to participate in it and to depend upon it.”

The one to whom the bread & food was handed raises them, and then returns them to the one making the Eruv who recites the following: “Baruch Atah Ado-noi Elo-hay-nu Melech Ha-olom Asher Kidishanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Mitzvat Eruv.” “Through this it shall be permissible for us to bake, to cook, to put away (a dish to preserve its heat), to kindle a light, and to prepare and doon the Festival, all that is necessary for the Shabbat - for us and for all Jews who dwell in this city.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 15EVENING Search for Chometz - 8:15pm (blessing 1)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16MORNING Eat Chometz until 9:30amMORNING Burn Chometz before 10:30pm (blessing 2)AFTERNOON Make an Eruv Tavshillin (see below)EVENING Light candles at 7:23pm (blessings 3, 4)EVENING First Seder

THURSDAY, APRIL 17EVENING Light candles after 8:27pm* (blessing 3, 4)EVENING Second Seder

FRIDAY, APRIL 18EVENING Light Shabbat candles at 7:25pm** (blessing 5)

SHABBAT, APRIL 19EVENING Shabbat ends at 8:29pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 22EVENING Light candles at 7:29pm (blessing 3)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23EVENING Light candles after 8:33pm* (blessing 3)

THURSDAY, APRIL 24EVENING Passover ends at 8:34pm

FRIDAY, APRIL 25EVENING Light Shabbat candles at 7:32pm** (blessing 5)

SHABBAT, APRIL 26EVENING Shabbat ends at 8:36pm

* light from a pre-existing flame - do not light before time indicated**Do not light after sunset

16

20 21 22

NISSAN 11 NISSAN 12 NISSAN 13

NISSAN 18 NISSAN 20

CCLLEEAANNIINNGG YYOOUURR HHOOMMEEAny leavened bread, or its by-

products, are forbidden on Passover;

they are considered chametz. Clear

your home: vacuum, empty pockets,

even pet foods. And you’ll use a

separate set of dishes for Passover.

Stock up on kosher-for-Passover

foods!

13 14 15SSEELLLLIINNGG TTHHEE CCHHAAMMEETTZZBecause it is prohibited for a Jew -but not for a non-Jew - to eat or evenown chametz during Passover, lockand seal your chametz closet andsell its contents to a non-Jew bysimply filling out the ‘mechiratchametz’ form below, and give it toyour rabbi.

SSEEAARRCCHH FFOORR CCHHAAMMEETTZZ

Make a formal search for chometz

after nightfall. It is customary to

distribute 10 small, individually

wrapped pieces of chametz

throughout the home before the

search. We use a candle, a spoon (as

a shovel), and a paper bag to collect

the chametz. (blessing 1)

TTUUEESSDDAAYYMMOONNDDAAYYSSUUNNDDAAYY

SSEECCOONNDD SSEETT OOFF FFEESSTTIIVVAALL DDAAYYSS

Light the Passover candles (blessing 3).

CCHHOOLL HHAAMMOOEEDDIntermediate days of Passover. In between the first two and the last two days of Passover. Our activities are less restricted,

but not our diets. It’s still Matzah sandwich time - and you can keep the wine (a cup a day) flowing too. It’s a Holiday!

BURNNINNGG TTHE CCHAAMETZZ

Take all chometz that wa

search, and any chomet

to a non-Jew, and burn

FIRST SEDERThe Passover Seder isn

together; it is an exerci

human spirit. Each of i

significance designed

meaningful, spiritual e

Passover candles (ble

THE SSEVENTH DDARemember thatthe splitting of tToday’s the 3313Now our liberatioclear. Light the Pcandles (blessing

1 2 3 4 5Baruch Atah Ado-noi Elo-

hainu Melech Ha-OlamAsher Kidi-shanu b’Mitz-votav v’Tzi-vanu Al Bi-ur

Chametz.

All leaven and anythingleavened which is in mypossession, which I have

neither seen nor removed,and about which I am

unaware, shall beconsidered naught andownerless as the dust of

the earth.

All leaven andanything leavened

which is in mypossession, whether Ihave seen it or not,

whether I observed itor not, whether I haveremoved it or not, shallbe considered naughtand ownerless as the

dust of the earth.

Baruch Atah Ado-noiElo-hainu Melech Ha-

Olam Asher Kidi-shanu b’Mitz-votav

v’Tzi-vanu Li-hadlikNer Shel Yom Tov.

Baruch Atah Ado-noiElo-hainu Melech Ha-Olam She-he-chi-yanuv’Ki-yi-manu v’Hi-gi-yanu Lizman Hazeh.

Baruch Atah Ado-noiElo-hainu Melech Ha-

Olam Asher Kidi-shanuB’mitzvotav v’Tzivanu

Lihadlik Ner ShelShabbat.

9

I (We) ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................hereby authorize Rabbi Mendy Herson to dispose of all Chometz that may be in my (our) possession, wherever it may be - at home, at the place ofbusiness, or elsewhere - in accordance with the requirements of Jewish law as incorporated in the special contract for the sale of Chometz.

Residence Address .............................................................................................................................................................. Apt. No. ............................

City ...................................................................................................... State..................................................................... Zip .....................................

Business Address ................................................................................................................................................................ Apt. No. ............................

City ...................................................................................................... State..................................................................... Zip .....................................

Signature(s) ............................................................................................................................................................... Date..............................................

H OO LL II DD AA YY LL II TT UU RR GG YY

NISSAN 15

NISSAN 22

PPAASSSSOOVVEERR’’SS OOVVEERR!!Light the Shabbat candles(blessing 5).

TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY

26

NISSAN 16 NISSAN 17

NISSAN 23 NISSAN 24

SSHHAABBBBAATT SSHHAALLOOMM!!

SSHHAABBBBAATT SSHHAALLOOMM!!

SSHHAABBBBAATT

BILL

OOF

SSALE

NISSAN 14

NISSAN 21

EESSDDAAYY

A S S O V E R !

Mail or bring form to: Rabbi Mendy Herson Chabad of Greater Somerset County • 3048 Valley Road • Basking Ridge, NJ 07920Sale of Chametz form must be received no later than April 10, 2003

19as found during the

tz which will not be sold

it (recite paragraph 2).

n’t just a family get

ise in liberation of the

its rituals has great

to make the Seder a truly

experience. Light the

essing 3, 4).

FRIDAYY

1822NNDD DDAAYY OOFF PPAASSSSOOVVEERR

Queen Esther’s party, where she enlisted

King Achashveirosh’s help in quashing

Haman’s evil plan, took place on this day.

Yes, it’s a different holiday - we just had

to mention it. At sundown, the Shabbat

candles are lit (blessing 5).

17FFIIRRSSTT DDAAYY OOFF PPAASSSSOOVVEERRAnniversary of the actual Exodus fromEgypt - 3312 years ago.SSEECCOONNDD SSEEDDEERRInner liberation and self-actualizationaren’t that easy to achieve - you need areview. Here goes a second Seder. Lightthe Passover candles (blessing 3, 4).

24THE EEIGGHTH DDAAY

This day is the final day of Passover. Our

feeling of freedom is at its zenith. The day

is dedicated to our imminent and Final

Redemption.

YIZZKOORYizkor memorial services are recited during

services. Nightfall marks the official

conclusion of Passover. Wait an hour to give

the rabbi a chance to buy back chametz.

AYt incident withthe Reed Sea?3th anniversary.on is in the

Passoverg 3).

25

“Inspiring our students with asense of Jewish identity.” With thatas our goal, we structure ourclasses in a way that provides thestudents with the opportunity toconnect with the subject matterusing all their senses.

For iinfo oorregistrationfor ooursummer oorour yyearlongprogram,please ccallMalkieHerson 9908-604-88844.Private ttoursavailable.

10

UPCOMING EVENT:

Sunday, April 6Design your own MatzahCover and Deliver treats to alocal Senior Center.

Thanks to Marian Slepian forproviding supplies, hard workand expertise in our glass-artdemo (the kids were amazedby the process and the kiln).

Thanks to Arthur Glaser fortime, supplies and skill inletting us experience theentire film developingprocess.

Do you have a particulartalent or hobby which you’dbe kind enough to share withour Youth Group? Pleasecontact Manya Lazaroff atManya@theYouthZone.org

To learn about KingSolomon’s Temple (the onewhich had Jerusalem’s Kotel’as a retaining wall), thestudents artistically ‘re-created’ the vessels (1).Parents attended (2), andwere given a ‘tour’ by their

children (3). They also heard the famous riddles ofQueen of Sheba - which she had posed toSolomon. After, everyone celebrated with a Temple-shaped cake (4).

1

3

2

4

Well into it’s second year, the Chabad Women’s Circle is‘snowballing’ - growing into a vibrant tool for tapping the power

and joy of Jewish Femininity. For more info, contact Donna Butler at Donray5@aol.com or

Barbara Todtenkopf at amjj4@optonline.net.

CHALLAH BAKING30 women + 50 pounds of flour + 40 eggs + oil + yeast + sugar =

A fun evening of CHALLAH BAKING!!

Shabbaton! On Friday night, February 21, we celebrated another great Shabbaton at the synagogue. With 50

adults in attendance, during the course of our Shabbat meal, Ken Olshansky explored the inherent strength of words. Simultaneously, 24 children had a great

time with their counselors - eating the Shabbat meal, playing games, listening to stories, etc. Food for the soul and body, family and friends - Shabbat as it

was meant to be! Next Shabbaton: Friday, May 9

11

PURIM: PERSIAN NIGHT OF BEAUTY Tuesday, March 4

jewelry show manicures facials and make-overs massages

Our exclusive ‘15-Steps to Inner

Freedom’ Seder Program?

1 Seder Plate

2 Chances to eat bitter herbs

3 Hand-baked Shmurah Matzah

4 Cups of wine?

BARB

ECU

E!

Enjoy good food and great company in the great outdoors!

L A G B ’ O M E R

annualauthentic TEXAN

family bar-b-q!

CHILDREN’STRIKE-A-THON

*bring your trike

CChhaabbaadd’’ss IInntteerraaccttiivvee SSeeddeerr

SHMURA MATZAH $11 a pound

To purchase, please call: 908-604-8844

Hillsborough - 874-0444Union County - 790-0008

Hunterdon County - 623-7000

Tuesday, May 20 at 5:00pm

DATE:Wednesday,April 16 TIME:8:00pmPLACE:Chabad Center COST: $36 - Adult$18 - Child

For reservations,please call RabbiYossi Lazaroff at 908-482-4355

Space is limited.

W hat do you get when you mix

Are you looking forsomething fun, spirited andenlightening to do on Friday

night? Then join us for a

SHABBATON!May 9th, 7:30pm

Simultaneous Children’sProgram

Tour the Rabbinical College of America -Chabad’s Headquarters in NJ and home to two

Higher Schools of Jewish Study. Meet someforeign students studying at the College. Visit the

community ritualarium (Mikvah).

Brunch and Lunch included.Suggested Donation $36

Bus will leave from the Chabad Jewish Center at 9:30am sharp

Mjoin us on a special TRIP TO ORRISTOWN

Sunday, May 18

It’s bbeen aa rrough

winter ffor ooutdoor

construction, bbut wwe’re

rolling aagain! TThe

building sshell hhas

taken sshape, aand

we’re sstill aaiming ffor aa

Fall ‘‘03 ccompletion

date. CCome bby aand

take aa llook!

building update

C H A B A DJ E W I S HC E N T E R

WE’RE HERE! And we’d love to meet

you...We’re here to meet un-met needs;

we’re committed to strengthening Jewish

identity and awareness. Please let us

know if there’s anything we can do for

you. Call Rabbi Eli and Rochel Kornfeld

at 908-623-7000

RabbiEKornfeld@aol.com

chabadh u n t e r d o n c o u n t y

We took off on March 1, witha fascinating lecture by Dr.

Lawrence Schiffman on‘Jews, Islam and the Land

of Israel’ at Clinton’s‘Holiday Inn Select’.

13

mendham jewish.forum

The Mendham Jewish communityis coalescing! On Thursday,February 9th, 35 people gatheredto hear Australian mystic Laibl Wolfdescribe ‘Mind Yoga’. For more information regardingfuture events, please call EstherArian at 973.543.0207.

12:30–2:00pm

on Tuesdays

PURIM: March 11

PASSOVER: April 8

LAG B'OMER: May 13

SHAVUOT: June 3

chabadg r e a t e r h i l l s b o r o u g h

MONTHLY FRIDAY NIGHTSERVICES & KIDDUSH

Join us once a month on Friday evenings fortraditional services in a warm atmosphere,where every Jew is welcome, regardless ofbackground, knowledge or level ofobservance.

Sing or hum along to beautiful Shabbat tunesand experience the joy of Shabbat with us!Kiddush following the services!Simultaneous children's program!

Chabad Jewish Center of Greater Hillsborough450 Amwell Rd., Suite P

Service times: 6:30p.m.

ADULT EDUCATIONCLASSES

THE MYSTICAL DIMENSION OFPASSOVER March 27 - Mystical MatzahApril 3 - The Exodus in 15 MovementsApril 10 - Redemption Then and Now May 1- Kabalistic insights to the counting of

the Omer May 8 - Ethics of our FathersMay 15 - Ethics of our FathersMay 22 - Ethics of our FathersMay 29 - The Torah and its profundity

Thursdays at 7:30pmat the Chabad Jewish Center

JEWISH WOMEN'S GROUP

We were off to a great start celebrating Tubi'Shvat with a taste of Israel!

At our second meeting, we explored the roleof women in Judaism and discovered theunique strength of Queen Esther within us.

Monday, April 7 at 7:30pm: DON'T PASS-OVER THIS PASSOVER SEDER PREP!

Discuss insightful Seder tidbits and learn sometips and tricks for setting a beautiful Sedertable using different accessories.

At the Home of Mrs. Yael Shvetz, 3 Manor Dr., Hillsborough

14

for children ages 2½ - 3½

For more information and to register your child please call Miriam Krinsky at (908) 431-1137 or E-mail: Miriam@MyJewishCenter.org

HOLIDAY EXPLORERS PLAYGROUP - a monthly Jewish

Holiday Awareness Program for local

preschoolers - provides a warm atmosphere that

nurtures Jewish identity and pride.

We ‘learn through play’ in a hands-on, exciting

environment, incorporating a range of multi-

sensory activities, encouraging children to explore

their Jewish heritage, in their own unique way.

JEWISH

450 Amwell Rd. Suite P ! Hillsborough ! Phone: 874-0444 ! MyJewishCenter.org

Rabbi Shmaya and Miriam Krinsky

After a great Chanukah at‘Summerville Assisted Living atHillsborough’, we’re preparing for ajoyous Purim - hamantashen, megillahreading and traditional food packages.

LIFECYCLESSERIES

Thursday, May8th - G-d’s Wayof Saying “YouMatter”

Thursday, May15th – Bris andBar Mitzvah –What Are TheyAll About?

Thursday, May 22nd - Marriage – A DeeperLook At The Divine Union

Thursday, May 29th - Passing On – Is ThereAn After-Life?

Call for information.Seating is limited.Reservation appreciated but not required. Refreshments will be served.

LUNCH ‘N LEARN

When: Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 29 Time: 12:30pm to 1:15pm.Where: The Evidence Store/TRIALwatch Courtroom, 1755 Morris Avenue, (at Rt. 22)Union

LUNCH ‘N LEARN provides an educational opportunity for business people on the go.Classes take place in a business setting during lunch hour and meals are provided. For45 minutes, the mundane work place becomes a center for Jewish learning andinspiration.

LUNCH ‘N LEARN is a series of discussions on various Judaic topics. The April sessionwill be a unique and exciting four part series on the development and relevance ofJewish law.

Classes are independent of each other. Cost is $5 per class and includes lunch RSVP required

Model Matzah BakeryCome Bake Your Own Matzah!

An Event for the Entire Family...

Experience the ancient art of Matzah baking!Each child receives a genuine hand-baked Matzah.

[ Holiday Arts & Crafts[ Video Presentation

Berkeley Heights Community Center - 29 Park Avenue - Berkeley HeightsSunday, April 13th, 2003 [ 9:30am and 11:00am

Admission: $4For more information or reservations, contact us at: 908.790.0008 or rabbi@ChabadUC.com

JCC of Scotch Plains - 1391 Martine Ave. Scotch PlainsSunday April 6th, 10am-5pm [ Thursday, April 10th, 5:00pm-7:30pm

Admission: $4 For more information, contact Tina Jacobs at 908-889-8800 x218

15

Rabbi Avrohm Blesofsky ! 908.790.0008 ! rabbi@ChabadUC.com

UPCOMINGEVENTS

Lag B’omer Picnic

Tuesday, May 20th at 5:00pm

Adult Education

Non Profit OrgU.S. Postage

PAID Basking Ridge, NJ

Permit No. 12

CHABAD JEWISH CENTER ATBASKING RIDGE

3048 VALLEY ROAD BASKING RIDGE, N.J. 07920

(908) 604-8844

chabad@chabadcentral.org www.ChabadCentral.org

AN AFFILIATE OF THE RABBINICAL COLLEGE OF AMERICA

CHABAD OF GREATER SOMERSET COUNTY

W W W . C H A B A D C E N T R A L . O R G / P A S S O V E R

U Upcoming Events

POSTMASTER:Dated Material

Deliver by March 31

YOUTH! Our next YOUTHzone meeting is Sunday,April 6. We will be making Matzah Covers withlocal seniors. May 4 is Archery. Visit us atwww.theyouthzone.org for more information.

! Hebrew School registration is now open forthe 2003-04 year.

! Register Now! Preschool SummerProgram “Oh, What A Wonderful World!” It isopen for children 18 months to 4 years. Visit usonline at www.ChabadPreschool.com

ADULT! We have an extensive array of Adult ed.courses - See details inside.! Our Annual Founders’ Dinner is Sunday,March 30, at the Grand Summit Hotel.! On Sunday May 18th, join us for a special Tripto Morristown’s Rabbinical College of Americaand Mikvah. RSVP.

WOMEN! Our next Women’s Circle program is April 1 -Certified Personal Trainer - Ms. Lefkowitz,C.P.TMay 6 - Book Review of the Ladies Auxiliary byTova Mirvis

FAMILY! On April 16th, at 8:00pm there will be a PublicSeder! at the Chabad Jewish Center in BaskingRidge. Reservations only!

! A Shabbaton is planned for May 9th at 7:30(following services) at the Chabad Jewish Center.

! On May 20th, at 5:00pm there will be aAuthentic TEXAN Lag B’Omer Bar-b-q! atthe Chabad Jewish Center in Basking Ridge.

HILLSBOROUGH! Monthly Friday Night Service • Adult EducationClasses • Jewish Women’s Group • HolidayExplorers Playgroup • See page 14

HUNTERDON COUNTY! Welcomes Rabbi Eli & Rachel Kornfeld

See page 13

MENDHAM! April 13 Matzah Bakery for Families 3:30pm atthe Garabrand Center • May 7 Disccusion groupat 7:30pm call Esther Arian at 973.543.0207

UNION COUNTY! Model Matzah Bakery • Adult Education • Lunch‘n Learn • Lag B’omer Picnic • See page 15