From the President

Shalom Chaveirim,

It has been two months since I have written you. March was so full of activity that I just couldn't find time to jot down a few thoughts. I guess I'll have to make up for lost words this month. No, just joking! In the spirit of liberation that we recently celebrated during Passover, I shall try to spare you that torture.

Speaking of Passover, I must say that this holiday continues to be the most meaningful of all holidays to me. You may recall that in December I expressed concern about Hanukkah. Well, if that holiday is the most confusing one for me, this one is the simplest and easiest for me to wrap my mind around, understand, observe, and appreciate.

That said, let me start with a riddle: Did you know that Passover is celebrated between the dates of the 15th and 22nd of Nisan (in the diaspora), which is the first month of the Jewish calendar? While we celebrate the new year during the high holy days, some seven months after Passover, the Torah actually identifies Nisan, and specifically Passover, as the beginning of the Jewish year. The Talmud argues back and forth whether the world was created in Nisan during the time of Passover or Tishri during the time of the Days of Awe. The Talmud settled the disagreements by saying both arguments are correct. Nisan is the new year for kings (for calculating length of reigns) as well as months, while Tishri will be the time we count years and celebrate the creation of the world. To further confuse this riddle, these are only two of four new years we celebrate in the annual Jewish holiday cycle. The other two are the 15th of Shevat, which is the new year for trees, and the 1st of Elul, which is the new year for animals, both for calculating tithes to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Let me leave these riddles to share with you why this holiday is so beautiful to me. While on its face, we celebrate the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, the holiday is so much deeper than that. Author Michael Strassfeld tells us that "Passover reminds us annually that no matter how terrible our situation, we must not lose hope." He goes on to say that, "Rebirth and hope are the watchwords" of Passover.

This Passover, I took off the week from work and CBS in order to personally feel the Passover promise of rebirth and hope. You know what? It worked! While we searched the house for chametz, Marlene cleaned the kitchen cabinets, and we gave food away, I thought deeply of something else Strassfeld wrote. "The removal of all chametz is a metaphor for an inner process of purging and freeing ourselves of impurity -- the chametz that lies within each one of us." I tried to take a personal inventory of my actions, behaviors, and occasional inactions and misbehaviors. I mentally sorted through what I have done right and what I have done wrong, so as to redirect my efforts to be more effective as a person, a father, a husband, a business operator, and as your president.

On a more practical level, I enjoyed attending our service for the firstborn, followed by a meaningful Torah discussion, led by Rabbi Gordon. I enjoyed all three of the Seders I attended this year, including our wonderful community seder that had record attendance. After twenty years, I even look forward to the gefilte fish...as long as there is plenty of maror. (Hey, did you notice how weak the store-bought horseradish was this year?)

Anyway, I love sitting around the seder table with so many friends and family to recite the story and follow the order of the seder that Jews have followed for some 3000 years now. Of course, Marlene's matzah ball soup, a delicacy she learned so well from her mother, Geri, is probably the highlight of the meal for me. Sipping the soup, eating a "Hillel sandwich," drinking a nice glass of kosher for Passover wine, talking, laughing, singing, and sharing with your family and friends is so heart warming and soul enriching. What a wonderful and warm holiday!

Just as Strassfeld suggested, as I returned to my business duties and CBS duties two days ago, I feel a sense of reawakening that was brought about by the overwhelming meaning of the traditions we follow, observe, and celebrate during what I believe to be the greatest of all Jewish holidays.

I can only hope that each of you had as meaningful and liberating a holiday as I shared this year with my wonderful family, friends, and many of you. Each year, at the end of the seder, we all say, "Next year in Jerusalem!" Well, if that is not possible, I'd like to suggest to each of you to join me in saying, "Next year in our CBS social hall!"

I pray that each of you were able to find some sense of rebirth, hope, and joy from your Passover celebrations as well.