To Harlow Synagogue this evening, for a second night communal Passover dinner with eighty others. Vanda and I were invited as a guest of Cllrs Josh & Muriel Jolles and we all had a delightful night. Exactly 3,000 years ago, the Jews were escaping slavery in Egypt, and Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), is a time when Jewish people come together and have a dinner 'a seder night', to remember what happened so long ago. Before eating, Rabbi Irit Shillor, recounted the tales of the Jews in Egypt in both ancient Hebrew and English. We all ate Crackers called Matzahs, which is basically bread in which the yeast has not been allowed to rise. The reason for this is that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn't have time to bake proper bread, so it was unleavened.
After the stories and the prayers, we all got down to the essential part of the evening, which was of course the food! Everyone had brought a special dish (Vanda & I, a giant cheddar). Muriel Jolles had made some state of the art poached salmon and vegetables, so we all feasted a plenty. Our cheddar was so big that we sent it around all the tables, and I was delighted that at least half was eaten by everyone present.
After the food was finished, we all sang about biblical stories in Egypt, based on modern tunes of famous songs. It was such great fun - especially to see Vanda singing heartily!
We came home feeling so contented and lucky that we had been able to participate in such an important, but happy occasion.
P.S. The pictures show everyone at the table, Vanda, myself and Rabbi Irit and the Jolles. There is also a picture of Ruth Brooks (one of the organisers at the synagogue), and her young daughter Hannah. I took a picture of them both because many of you will know that she, and some fellow Harlow residents from Milwards, are soon to do a sponsored walk up Ben Nevis in Scotland, to raise money for Breast Cancer. After the 2001 election, I visited Ben Nevis but stayed firmly at the bottom of the mountain. It truly is a place of outstanding beauty -but a mammoth feat to climb.
Robert, glad that you joined our community for our Seder Service. I do appreciate your offer to assist our fundraising for the Epping Breast Cancer Unit and, as requested, here is some information about myself, my reason for my involvement and a little about my colleagues, climbing with me!
ReplyDeleteI was diagnosed with Breast cancer, ten years ago, this week, April 1999! My father had only been buried, weeks before, in the February and I now needed to tell my mother, as she was to come and help look after my children...TRIPLETS, two boys and a girl, only four years old at the time!
I had four operations, Chemotherapy (lost my hair) and Radiotherapy and was told I was in remission in the November.
I work in Milwards Primary School and Nursery, Parringdon Road. When myself and two colleagues, Sarah Carless and Gill Jewell asked our Headteacher, Angela Callaway, for a day, unpaid leave to join the other 32 climbers, she said we were not allowed to go...without her! We then rallied four others in our school, Sue Frazer, Gill Blackmore, Kate Kirkwood and Nikki Pucill. Eight of us from Milwards school, in different jobs, our Headteacher, our SENCO, a Teacher, a Cook, our Learning Mentor and three Learning Support Assistants! FIVE of our eight Milwards "Pink Ladies" have had a form of CANCER, myself and Gill Blackmore were treated at Epping by Ashraf patel and his amazing team.
So, that's, in a nutshell, our story...What can you do to help? ANYTHING within your power to publicise and assist in raising money, is what it's all about! You tell me...What you will do to help!
looking forward to hearing back, maybe before you come to the Synagogue in fancy dress for PURIM!
Ruth Brooks