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First-Ever Pesach Seder Hosted by Moscow’s Nikitskaya JCC"It was my first Pesach seder," admits 35-year-old Eugenia, who was introduced to the Passover traditions this year at the first seder organized by the JDC-supported Nikitskaya Jewish Community Center in Moscow. "I was impressed by the festive atmosphere," says the young woman. She was invited with her husband and child by a friend who regularly participates in the JCC activities. More than 100 people gathered to celebrate this landmark event at a local restaurant, specially prepared for the holiday. Among those in attendance were many families like Eugenia’s, who form part of Moscow’s emerging Jewish middle-class and learned about the seder from friends who participate in high quality programs such as art and music studios offered year-round at Nikitskaya. Reform Rabbi Shulman warmly introduced the guests to the significance of the Passover Haggadah and passionately described the laws and traditions of Pesach, while another leader artfully performed traditional Passover chants. Guests enjoyed a traditional, savory meal, as a number of well-known Russian actors and pop singers entertained them. "They found the afikoman quicker than I have ever seen it done," adds a surprised and delighted Rabbi Shulman. In another hall of the restaurant, 15 children ages 2 to 12 years old joined their teachers from the kid’s studios at Nikitskaya JCC and young Jewish leaders (madrichim) for their own Pesach adventure. The group acted out a modern-day journey to Egypt on a spaceship, during which they were hijacked by pirates headed by the Egyptian Pharaoh. "Kids had to go through all of the trials that the Jews had to go through," explains one of the organizers. "They were made slaves and took part in the building of the pyramids." Marik, age six, ran to his parents to ask how to say ‘Let my people go!’ in Hebrew. "There is a problem with the Pharaoh who doesn’t speak Russian and I need to talk to him," he explained, compellingly, to his parents. Within minutes all the bright-eyed children were crying to the Pharaoh, "Tesharer otanu! (Free us!) We don’t want to be slaves, we want to be free!" Together the youngsters defeated the Pharaoh, freed themselves from slavery, and managed to reach the Promised Land. "It was our first step toward bringing parents and teachers of the JCC’s children’s studios into real Jewish culture," offers Inessa, Director of Children’s Programs at Nikitskaya. In the Russian capital, where more than 70 years of Nazism and Communist rule combined to nearly destroy any vestige of Jewish life, the Jewish value of parents teaching the tradition to their children is virtually turned on its head. "When a child returns home from the JCC with the Jewish heritage that he has learned, sometimes he can’t share it with his parents because it isn’t familiar for them," Inna explains. This basic trend is among the factors that prompted the JCC to organize a family seder, inviting multiple generations to experience Jewish traditions together. One sure measure of the success of the event was the dozens of emails that flooded the JCC inbox following the seder. As one parent wrote, "We are so grateful for this celebration. It is our opportunity to discover such special traditions." April 2007 |
