Report by Br Gilbert Joseph LEB
We ended up having another lovely Bnei Miriam Havurah Passover Seder this year. We knew it would be a bitter sweet time for us with our first Passover in ten years without Br Stephen Joseph with us. We thought we would have a smaller one this year with about 20 people rather than the 30 or so of other years. But then trying to cut down the invites we still seemed to have around 30 or so due to come.
Father
John Joseph and I last Monday went to pick up our Passover order from
the Rabbi at the pop-up shop. However, our poor Rabbi and his wife had
been having a real trials of Abraham experience with getting the
Passover supplies. We left home at 3pm we arrived at the pop-up shot
location at the Scout Hall and no one was there and it was locked. Fr
John Joseph then checked his mobile phone text messages and at 3.30
while we were on the road travelling a message had come that there were
more problems and that the shop wouldn't be open until 6.30. So we then
drove around for 2 hours and had a bite to eat and prayed the Evening Office together. However, when we got back there it turned out that part of our order was missing. So we returned home without those items.
We then drove back home and were happy that at least we had got the matzah and
12 bottles of King David wine and our horse raddish. Father JJ then got
a message about our missing goods and it was organised for him to go on
the Friday to Hobart to pick up the missing items from the visiting
Rabbi who was going to lead the Seder in Hobart for the Jewish
community. He was bringing them down from Launceston where our Rabbi
lives.
Fr
JJ arrived on the Friday in Hobart but the Rabbi gave him the wrong
address so he wasted hours trying to find the spot before finally at
3.00 pm, with shabbas drawing closer, got the items from the visiting
Rabbi's wife. So glad I had stayed home this time!
A
number of people pulled out at the last minute so Hashem took care of
it all and we ended up with a group of about 20 of us after all
including the children. But I couldn't help feeling a little
disappointed that some of our regulars weren't there.
This
year we didn't
have any new guests and everyone that attended had been to at least one
Passover with us before. No I tell a lie - in fact there were two new
guests - they were the new babies - Jessica and Michael's son and my
new goddaughter who is the daughter of Amy and Ryan who is Tania's son.
Tania our Hebrew Catholic Matriarch opened with
the lighting of the Pesach candles. She does not appear in any of these
photos as she was the one that took them. She has attended every one of
our Seders since 2016 except for one and she hosted one of them at her
place one year. We are so thankful for the blessing she and her extended
family has been in supporting us.
As
usual we use the the orthodox Jewish Family Haggadah and follow it
totally in English with occasional Hebrew. This is the one used by the
Orthodox Jewish community in Tasmania. I provide some relevant
commentary demonstrating those things which are of significance for us
as Hebrew Catholics. Three of the men at the Seder are not Catholics -
yet!
At
the beginning of the Seder I explain the briefly the steps of the Seder
and we chant through twice the names of the steps in Hebrew. I also
explain the figure of the Divine Man in which I set out the Seder plate
in accord with a Sephardi tradition.
It
was great to have four of the children taking the roles of the four
sons and also answering the question - why is this night different to
all other nights. And even one of the little boys gave the answer about
reclining with me saying it first and getting him to repeat after me as
he can't read yet.
One
of the girls found the Afikoman and successfully haggled with her
father for 20 dollars. the kids always enjoy going to see if Elijah is
at the front door as well as singing the songs.
Fr JJ did an amazing job and cooked all the food while I made the charoset. There is so much more I probably should tell but I am too tired to be bothered. Next year in Jerusalem!!!!
The boys just chilling. What a great idea!!!!