The Valley Chronicle - Clergy Corner Passover: A story of deliverance

[caption id="attachment_17685" align="alignright" width="295"] Howard Feigenbaum
Howard Feigenbaum is Temple Beth Am’s Vice President.[/caption] ■ By Howard Feigenbaum / Contributed The children of Israel were slaves unto Pharaoh in the land of Egypt for 430 years. Exodus tells us about God’s power in delivering the Israelites from bondage, in guiding the people to live moral lives, and in the granting of a promised land. God instructed the Israelites to celebrate Passover every year on the anniversary of their Exodus: at the full moon of the first month of spring. Reciting the story of Passover promotes understanding of the miraculous event. Moses instructed the Israelites to recount the story so that the “law of the Lord shall be in your mouth.” (Exodus 13:3-10) Educating the children is an important part of the Passover Seder, for the retelling of the Passover story will, one day, fall to them. So it has been from one generation to the next, for thousands of years, that Jews have celebrated Passover. In the modern era, the tradition keeps alive the obligations accepted by the original witnesses, binding their descendants to God’s law. Remembrance brings continuity of faith in God and the importance of observing His Commandments. On Friday, April 19, at 7 p.m. Temple Beth Am in San Jacinto will have a community Passover celebration. The story of Passover will be retold during a meal incorporating symbolic foods. The public is invited to join and tickets are $20. To attend the Seder, call (951) 445-0502 or email templebethamsanjacinto@yahoo.com. The Temple website is www.templebethamsj.org. Howard Feigenbaum is Temple Beth Am’s Vice President. He is the author of the action/adventure/romance trilogy, Benny Goldfarb, Private “I.”