Communitir
Passover seders aplenty
KYLE BERGER. PAT JOHNSON REPORTERS AND BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR
Synagogues and community organizations moved into high gear in the weeks leading up to Passover this year as they prepared to host himdreds of British Columbians at their community seders.
The seder, which was the largest of its Idnd for the congregation, was led by Rabbi Len Murofffrom Los Angeles, who was .hired to lead the congregation through the holiday services and seder. Muroffalso led Beth
David Skulsici, dressed as Moses, leads tlie Vancouver Peretz Institute's seder.
This year saw fewer women's seders, as compared to last year, but as some synagogues took a hiatus from hosting a Pesach dinner, others opened their doors for such an occasion for tlie firet time.
The Vancouver Peretz Institute organized a community third seder, whidi included a Holocaust remembrance ceremony, Sunday, April 23. About 200 people attended the event.
The humanistic Judaism group followed a unique Hag-gadah, which celebrated not just the traditional aspects of the seder, but specifically noted the struggle of women for equality and identified 10 modern }lagucs, including pollution, lunger, injustice and poverty.
The altered Haggadah owed much to its traditional forebears, but added some unique twists. When the door was opened for Elijah, the reader explained the meaning tliis way: "On the seder night, we open the door for Elijah the Prophet, whose coming is supposed to precede the coming of the Messiali, or a new Golden Age. In our secular view, the Messi.'Ji will come when all of us are prepared to join with others in creating a garden of plenty on earth, with equal justice, freedom and love for all."
The toast to Jerusalem was amended to reflect modem conditions as well: "Next year, a-Jerusalem of contentment and harmony, and a world at peace," said the participants.
At Beth Tikvah in Richmond, more than 60 people listened to the story of Passover May 20, while following a traditional Conservative service.
Tikvah's High Holy Day services last year.
Beth Tikvah has been without a permanent spiritual leader since Rabbi Martin Cohen moved to California last summer.
In a special focus'on the topic of freedom, the rabbi spoke of the 13 Iranian Jews who are on trial in Iran and asked everyone at t'le dinner to think of how fortunate they are to have the privileges oflercd by our society.
For the first time, Shaarey Tefi-lah joined in the community celebrations, holding its own seder on the first night of Passover, April 19.
Rabbi Ross Singer led the group of about 40 people through the readings and initiated interesting discussions of the text.
Singer had been wanting to hold a community seder so when Allen Posthuma and Jackie Day, both of whom attend services at tlie synagogue, offered to put one together, he agreed.
Although Day had had experience kasliering kitchens for Passover (she prepared the kitchen at Or Shalom last year), the project took a lot longer than cither of them expected.
"We tliouglit it would take just a couple, of hours because the kitchen was so clean, but...." Postliunia's voice trailed ofi'and ended witli a laugh. "But everything went according to plan."
Sufficient wine, a delicious meal catered by Debbie Fenson and interesting table-talk added to the enjoyment, as did the im-provisational theatre when 11 participants each took a role in the singing of "Chad Gadyah."
Many people agreed they'd be back next near. □
So, you wanna talk American?
Andy Krieger helps new and old Canadians to lose their ethnic accents.
ALEXKLINER SOCIAL COLUMNIST
Andy Krieger is anti-Canadian. Not really! Actually, he's anti Canadian actors portraying Americans in film and television with accents obviously Canadian. Hence, as the Union of British Columbia Performers actors' services rep., Andy offers classes in American dialects to Canadian actors. His classes, xmderstandably, are filled to capacity.
Requests from the general public for Andy's skills as a dialects teacher have led him to develop a "simple method" to assist new Canadians to be able to largely exchange their ethnic accents for those of North America. Most immigrants with English difficulties, explains Andy, have a great desire to overcome their language handicaps. So naturally, like witli his actors' classes, the new-Canadians' classes are full.
Currently, Andy's in the process of preparing a Web site for Internet access to his services. I'll be logging in, Andy. Always wanted a column without an accent.
★★★
Shiron Singers director Elizabeth Wolak says she's "celebrating 18 years of inspiring music." She's talking about her Mother's Day Chai concert at Temple Sholom Simday, May 14, 2:30 p.m. Elizabeth tells me it'll be an afternoon of Hebrew, Yiddish and Broadway music... "a wonderful way to warm a mother's heart." Even better than praising her chicken soup, Fd say. Concert details, 875-9890.
The recent Double Mitzvah Negev Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel honoring Joe and Rosalie Segal was indeed an elegant affair. Except, perhaps, for the strange fellow with a telescoping fork circulating among the tables. He could actually extend the length of his fork.
Lou Eisman was so startled by tlie sudden appearance of the invasive utensil spearing at his dessert from afar that he dipped his cranberry compote with creme anglaise all over his Armani suit for wliidi he's still making payments.
★★★
Golf! The "funny foursome" aptly describes my family's in-
■  Andy Krieger
eptness at the game. We're even lousy at miniature golf... Elaine, my two sons and I. Now, The Foursome (not the "funny foursome") comes to the Stanley Theatre May 4 to June 24 ... a comedy about a golfing foursome starring Jackson Davies. It's an hilarious hit, I hear, by Canada's prolific and popular playwright Norm Foster. It's fun theatre, they say, even for non-golfers. That's my family! Details, 687-1644.
★★★
Wendy Stuart's a busy musical lady these daj-s. She's teaching and adjudicating at the new Whistler Music Festival where she's conducting an 800-voice choir which sings her arrangement of "Sim Shalom."
Sunday, May 7, at the Water-fixjnt Tlieatre, Wendy's Tum Balalaika Klezmer Ensemble gives a performance of Borscht and Babaghanoush - Music of tlie Diaspora, produced by the Vancouver Sun.
And this summer, Wendy's the musical director for a Theatre Under The Stars production of South Pacific, not to mention being involved witli Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. As I said... busy musical lady!
Now at Jerusalem's Israel Museum until Oct. 21, Cradle of Christianity is "a rare exhibit" of archeolo^cal artifacts and objects linked to early Christianity (first, and fourth to seventh centuries). Interfaitli watchers hail the ex-liibit as heralding "a new era in Jewish-Christian relations."
One Cradle curator says the
exhibit "is not about the whole history of Christianity," but is "about traces of Christianity in the country."
Accompanied by a fine four-piece combo and assisted by jazz songstress and pianist Pip Stan-away, Beth Israel Cantor Steve Levin took a sellout audience on a tuneful journey through the '20s, '30s and '403. Indeed a pleasant mode of time travel.
Should mention. Levin's new CD, a rendering of Aminadav Aloni's Aleinu Leshabeyach — a Jazz Service. It pays tribute to Aloni's music and memory and the close friendsliip between the cantor/composer and Levin. CD details, 731-4161.
' Another thing about the CD. Cantor Levin, assisted by some ' ofhis choir members, will sing excerpts of it at Beth Tikvah's Israeli street festival this Sunday, April 30.
The tango's terrific. My favorite Latin dance. Sensual! Steamy! Personally, I'm not sensual or steamy. (You may not have noticed tliat) So I don't tango. I watch.
Forever Tango comes to the Vogue Theatre May 3 to 14 with an 11-piece orcliestra and seven Argentinean couples. TheyTl tango. I'll watch. But I'm still working on my sensual and steamy. Wl\o knows? Some day....
Tango details, 331-7900.
★★★
Shifra Lerer is a star in today's Yiddish theatre. Her exercise video, Shvitz! My Yiddishc Workout, now makes her, I guess, a Jewish Jane Fonda. Tlie music track for the Shvitz video? Wliat else... klezmer melodies!
And speaking of klezmer ... within Germany, there now exist more than 40 klezmer bands. Now, who'd have thought, 50 years ago, that an um-pah-pali and a deedle-deedle-dee might ever again be um-pahed and dee-died in the same breaUi, in a city like Berlin? □
Alex Kliner has a varied background in theatre, education and community service.
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