Reflections on Passover

Well, with Passover behind me, I can finally breathe a bit, and settle back into writing.  I have been so fortunate to do some great events lately, but Passover was stellar, and I’m so excited to have had the honor to return to Broken Sound for the 2nd year in a row.

Once again, F&B Director Ed Cichelo & the staff at Broken Sound Country Club did an amazing job, and I’m so grateful to Ed for making me a part of this exciting event, and being so gracious to me and my family who joined me on both nights.  The Country Club is absolutely beautiful, and they do such a great job with the room.  First night, I think we were somewhere between 700-800, and it’s an amazing feat just to get food out of a kitchen and on tables, but I watch in amazement at the precise process and amazing training the staff has at making guests feel comfortable.  White gloves and precision placement of plates on a table are the highlight, until you taste the food!  Dinner includes a full half chicken, yummy brisket, 2 types of potato puree, fresh veggies, and that’s just the entree!  You’re really lucky if you can eat half the entree, because by the time it gets there, you’ve eaten whitefish salad, Matzo Ball soup, gefilte fish and salad, and all the matzoh you can eat!  YUM!  But what really makes this unbelievable is the price – Ed, you do an amazing job!

For the Seder, I try to make it as interesting, light hearted, interactive, and understandable for everyone.  I use a really fun Haggadah, and my highlight is the involvement I have with the kids.  Midway through the seder, I bring the kids up and we all sing The Four Questions together.  It is such a precious picture to see little 3 year old brother and sister holding hands together as we sing.  I tell everyone to get ready, because at the end of dinner, we will get back together to find the afikoman.  And sure enough, I have about 30 kids scurrying through a room of 700, searching for the afikoman.  It’s to die for!  Ed gives me a stack of $1 bills, so I can give EVERYONE a gift for searching – but I think it’s funny how the 30 grows to 45 when I’m handing out the dollars!  🙂

Regardless, Passover is about remembering our ancestors, being grateful for our freedom, religious, and personal, and looking forward to a season of renewal.  I kind of feel like we have 2 New Years in the Jewish faith, because I certainly feel renewed and eager to explore new ideas and change for the upcoming year during Passover.  This season, I am grateful for my professional freedom to express my faith and worship as I choose, to find G-d in unexpected places, and to continue my spiritual path of learning and growth.  I have great ideas to put into action for the coming year, and am looking at new ways to interact with people.

I pray that this season of spring, you find your own new ways of self expression, gratitude for what really matters, and breaking the bonds of your own personal slavery.  Freedom is amazing, truly.  What you do with it makes it even more so.

B’Shalom