Saturday, December 06, 2008
Grateful for Small Miracles -- FLASHBACK Passover 2008
I witnessed a small miracle recently and I'm excited to write about it.
Passover in our family has been a major tradition for as long as I can remember. that's nearly 50 years. The first night was always at the Schwartz's, and it was BIG. It was not uncommon for us to have 30 or more guests -- family, friends, neighbors, friends of friends.
There probably wasn't a Schwartz friend in the world who hasn't at one time experienced a Schwartz seder. I remember as far back as Jr. high school I was inviting friends to experience the Jewish tradition of the Passover seder.
Dad was the master of ceremonies and he relished in the honor. It was his show. He loved every minute of every seder. From his "throne" he would lead us through the order of the Haggadah, the ceremonial book that tells the story of Passover. He would call upon each person to participate at whatever level they were able, in whatever language they chose. Hebrew, English, Yiddish, it didn't matter.
A number of years ago, probably ten, the venue switched to my sister and brother-in-law's home because it became too much for mom to manage, and my parents don't have the space in their apartment.
So the venue changed but the tradition continued, and dad happily presided for a few more years. And then one year, a couple after dad was diagnosed, the call went out to me. Would I be willing to take on the responsibility of MC of the Schwartz-Leslie family seder. Of course, how could I say no?
It's been five or six years since I took over and I always sit next to Michel at the head of the table, with mom on his other side. He welcomed me at first, probably believing it was a quite a mitzvah to pass the honor on to your son. But as the years pass, he sits patiently singing along those songs that he recognizes, and just listening and watching all the rest.
I know he enjoys it because I know it reminds him of his childhood when he probably sat next to my zaydeh and followed along for three hours, which would be typical of an orthodox seder. Ours has been consistently abridged through the years to a point now where it is no longer than an hour. Then we eat.
One of the Schwartz traditions, dating back to when my sister Lynda was in Hebrew school as a child, is a beautiful duet that dad and she did at a particular time in the seder. Every year we would be blessed with the lovely voices of Lynda and Michel singing "Malachiel Hayom," which means...[to be completed]
It is an enchanting melody that Lynda learned in school and brought home to sing with dad, and they sang it every year since to a silent and mesmerized audience. Both my sister and dad have wonderful voices. It's a verse and response song that Lynda starts off in soprano and Michel follows in tenor. It's the musical highlight of the seder.
When Lynda couldn't make it home from college one year, we played it on tape for everyone to enjoy.
This year the time came for the duet and we were all not sure if dad would participate. We were quite sure he would either not recall his part, or not desire to perform. In any case, we were not expecting much.
Much to the surprise of everyone there, not only did dad participate and follow Lynda's lead, but he performed with adeptness and grace. His voice and tone were quite good, and he barely missed a beat. The memory of many years served him well, and we were charmed. It was a small miracle, but a very meaningful one to those who love my dad.
Passover in our family has been a major tradition for as long as I can remember. that's nearly 50 years. The first night was always at the Schwartz's, and it was BIG. It was not uncommon for us to have 30 or more guests -- family, friends, neighbors, friends of friends.
There probably wasn't a Schwartz friend in the world who hasn't at one time experienced a Schwartz seder. I remember as far back as Jr. high school I was inviting friends to experience the Jewish tradition of the Passover seder.
Dad was the master of ceremonies and he relished in the honor. It was his show. He loved every minute of every seder. From his "throne" he would lead us through the order of the Haggadah, the ceremonial book that tells the story of Passover. He would call upon each person to participate at whatever level they were able, in whatever language they chose. Hebrew, English, Yiddish, it didn't matter.
A number of years ago, probably ten, the venue switched to my sister and brother-in-law's home because it became too much for mom to manage, and my parents don't have the space in their apartment.
So the venue changed but the tradition continued, and dad happily presided for a few more years. And then one year, a couple after dad was diagnosed, the call went out to me. Would I be willing to take on the responsibility of MC of the Schwartz-Leslie family seder. Of course, how could I say no?
It's been five or six years since I took over and I always sit next to Michel at the head of the table, with mom on his other side. He welcomed me at first, probably believing it was a quite a mitzvah to pass the honor on to your son. But as the years pass, he sits patiently singing along those songs that he recognizes, and just listening and watching all the rest.
I know he enjoys it because I know it reminds him of his childhood when he probably sat next to my zaydeh and followed along for three hours, which would be typical of an orthodox seder. Ours has been consistently abridged through the years to a point now where it is no longer than an hour. Then we eat.
One of the Schwartz traditions, dating back to when my sister Lynda was in Hebrew school as a child, is a beautiful duet that dad and she did at a particular time in the seder. Every year we would be blessed with the lovely voices of Lynda and Michel singing "Malachiel Hayom," which means...[to be completed]
It is an enchanting melody that Lynda learned in school and brought home to sing with dad, and they sang it every year since to a silent and mesmerized audience. Both my sister and dad have wonderful voices. It's a verse and response song that Lynda starts off in soprano and Michel follows in tenor. It's the musical highlight of the seder.
When Lynda couldn't make it home from college one year, we played it on tape for everyone to enjoy.
This year the time came for the duet and we were all not sure if dad would participate. We were quite sure he would either not recall his part, or not desire to perform. In any case, we were not expecting much.
Much to the surprise of everyone there, not only did dad participate and follow Lynda's lead, but he performed with adeptness and grace. His voice and tone were quite good, and he barely missed a beat. The memory of many years served him well, and we were charmed. It was a small miracle, but a very meaningful one to those who love my dad.
Labels: Alzheimer's, memories, passover, seder, singing, traditions
