The Talmud writes that in the month of Nisan the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt and in the month of Nisan they will be redeemed in the future (Rosh Hashanah 11a). In Judaism, time is not just a measure of movement, but has unique textures. Nisan is a time of freedom and redemption, maybe because the first freedom from bondage was actualized in this time of the year, or perhaps the freedom of Pesach was actualized in Nisan because Nisan itself was inherently a time of freedom. Indeed, the Torah tells us that many centuries prior to the Exodus from Egypt when the angels and Avrohom came to visit Lot in Sodom, which according to Rash”i was during the time that would become Pesach, the Torah specifies that Lot, the night before he was redeemed from Sodom, baked matzas for the angles (Birashit 19:3).
For each of us in every era, Nisan is a time of freedom, redemption, and new beginnings. At this time of year it behoves us as individuals and as a community to reflect upon how this year can bring more freedom and more redemption, and how this month can be a new beginning.
In the Kesher Israel community it does feel like an exciting time of newness – with new community programs, new faces, and new celebrations. Recently several successful, new programs, were held to enhance the community’s unity, its mitzvot, and its Torah study. Last month, for the first time, the community held a series of weekly beit midrash and dinner programs. 70 people came together at each one to learn in chavruta and small classes and eat dinner together, which was generously sponsored by community members. Purim at Kesher hosted a record 500 people for its megillah readings, including one for young professionals attended by 200, obliging us to move it from the bayit to a nearby hotel.
It is vital that as the Kesher community grows we create ways for the members of the community to get to know each other. To this end, last Shabbat we had the first of a series of community building shabbat meals. Orthodox communities get to know each other and make connections over shabbat meals, and Kesher is a community with such varied ages and backgrounds that many individuals do not know each other. Additionally, the space in the Kesher building is too small to accomodate the entire community for a shabbat meal. To address this we holding a series of shabbat meals at a local hotel with the goal of bringing the community together, those who are regulars and those who are only periodic attendees, young and old, veterans and rookies.
The first community building event was a shabbat lunch this past shabbat held at a hotel a few blocks away. 200 people attended, the food was wonderful, the atmosphere lovely, and at desert half of each table moved to a different table to meet those they did not know and have a short discussion about Pesach. Due to generous funding from a sponsor we were able to charge only a small token amount so that as many Kerhserites as possible were able to attend. My hope is to hold several more throughout the year and in this way facilitate wider and deeper community cohesion and friendship at kesher.
Looking toward the near future this Friday night I will be facilitating the second annual Kesher Israel community seder at Char Bar, and of course our annual Shul dinner will be held on June 23rd honoring well deserving congregants who are pillars of our community and have worked tirelessly on behalf of the kehilah.
May this Pesach be a time of freedom and renewal for all of us!
Shabbat Shalom