Passover Reflection
by Syd Solomons (Soc)
"Manishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol haleyloth?
Why is this night different from all other nights?"
See additional Passover article on page 12.
Left: Syd Solomons, August, 1994. Husband of Beatrice Bottler. Syd and Bea have two children, Stephen and Cheryl Solomons Cappe. Grandchildren Jeffrey, Sonia and [redacted].
Year after year this ageless question is asked, not only by the youngest but even unto the oldest member of the family. We gaze upon the Seder table with awe - and with reverence. The flickering flames of the candles proudly shed their light on the gleaming silver beckers set at each plate, on the exquisitely embroidered satin matzah cover, the beautiful Seder plate with its Hebrew letters, the special cup for Eliyahu Hanovi - all heirlooms, passed on from father to son and from mother to daughter. And with these material symbols our fathers and mothers give into our keeping the family traditions which bind one generation to the other - which keep Judaism alive and flourishing.
Yet there is something more on the Seder table - a centrepiece of flowers - of yellow jonquils perhaps, and purple iris. For Pesach is celebrated not only to commemorate our freedom from bondage of ancient years, but it is also one of the Shalosh Regolim, our first spring festival, and with its flowers and greenery, it heralds in new life, new hope.
And so we see on one table a blending of the old and the new - of the ancient traditions of past generations with the hopes and aspirations of each new generation.
Passover is more than a lesson rich in symbolism; it provides a unique method of identification with faith and eternity of the Jewish people. It is the holiday that gives stress to our role as guardians of our young for they have a special part in its celebration. It is a holiday that attempts, in a most picturesque way, to convey to its celebrants the joy, beauty and feeling of our heritage of which it is a part.
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