Rabbi Robert Scheinberg's page

We're trying something new at the United Synagogue of Hoboken.  For the last few years, we have had a "Seder leaders' phone conference' shortly before Passover so that people who are leading a seder for the first time, or who want to get creative seder suggestions, can share and learn from others.  This year, we created a new web site with the materials being shared on the conference call; you can access it at http://sg.sg/hoboken_seder_conference_call.   Check it out!  We expect to post the audio recording of the conference call soon, featuring the USH educators team:  Preschool director Rachelle Grossman, Learning Center director Grace Gurman-Chan, together with me.

At our synagogue's congregational seders for the last few years, we have played the following game:  I have collected stories of unusual Pesach customs, and shared three such stories with the community:  two true stories, and one fictional story.  Participants then have to guess which two stories are true and which one is false.   (If you listen to Wait, wait, don't tell me, you get the idea, except that only one story is false.) Here are the stories from three years ago.  Do you know which one is false? (This first set of stories is relatively easy. I'll post a harder set of stories next week.) Story #1 You have probably heard of Elijah’s Cup – the custom of pouring a special cup of wine for Elijah at the seder, and then opening the door for Elijah to welcome him symbolically to every Pesach Seder. Well, there are some Jewish communities that take this idea of a symbolic guest to somewhat of an extreme. In the Jewish community of Djerba, an island o