“All who are hungry—come and eat…” –Pesah Haggada

Is this famous phrase recite at the beginning of the seder the Everest of insincerity? What does it mean to invite people to eat with us once we have already sat down for a meal? Who hears the invitation at that point?

Fortunately in our congregation this is no mere lip service. I would like to take this opportunity to extend hakarat hatov, to acknowledge our synagogue youth, for recently getting together to prepare egg and tuna sandwiches to feed the hungry. For many it was the first time they ever made a sandwich and by the end they kept asking, “when can we do this again?”

I would also like to once again commend our community and in particular our dynamo parnas Julio Dahan, for showing tremendous commitment to alleviate our people’s physical hunger in Cuba. Ever since returning from our synagogue mission to Cuba, Julio has been working tirelessly to raise funds and has returned to the most remote areas of Cuba to help distribute much needed resources. Kol hakavod!

Another answer to the questions above: When we say “All who are hungry—come and eat”, we are speaking to the people right next to us at the seder and to ourselves. “Days are coming, says G!d, and I will send a hunger, but the hunger will not be for bread, nor the thirst for water, but to hear the words of G!d.” « Voici, les jours viennent, dit le Seigneur, l’Éternel, où j’enverrai la famine dans le pays, non pas la disette du pain et la soif de l’eau, mais la faim et la soif d’entendre les paroles de l’Éternel. » (Amos 8:11).

May our holy seders satiate us not only physically but also spiritually. May they satisfy the part within us that wants to hear the words of the Living G!d. B’te’avon! Bon apetit! Ta’amu ur’u ki Hashem hu tov. Taste and see that G!d is good.

Après le longue hiver qu’on a eu cette année, on a besoin d’un vrai Pesah. HAG SAMEAH!

Meira, Chana Ahouda, Noam Shemaya et Rabbin Schachar Orenstein