Chabad of S.C. Celebrates Passover with San Juan Seniors

During the Jewish holidays of Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah the residents of the Silverado Senior Living facility in San Juan Capistrano are treated to a holiday program complete with music, traditional foods, and activities by members of Chabad of San Clemente. 

April 9 as a part of the Passover celebration a group led by along with this article’s author Mark Siet and his wife JJ, traveled to San Juan Capistrano to present their Passover holiday program to the Jewish residents there. 

Silverado provides care and support to those with Alzheimer’s disease or any other memory impairment, and their families.

Eight residents were in attendance as the Passover program began with Rebbetzin Slavin giving a synopsis of the Passover story. (Moses is born despite Pharaoh’s insistence on killing the first born of Israel. He leaves Egypt as a young man only to return later as the deliverer who frees the Hebrews from their years of slavery to the Egyptians. He brings them to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.)

Next the residents of the Silverado Senior Living facility participated in singing some traditional holiday and Jewish melodies including Dayenu ("It would have been enough") and Hinei Ma Tov ("Behold how good…"). The residents were smiling and clapping remarking how the songs brought back memories from when they were children. 

Yossi Slavin, 6, recited the traditional "four questions" in both Hebrew and English, much to the delight of the residents. The four questions, usually asked each Passover by the youngest child in the room, ask why we eat matzos, eat bitter herbs, why we dip these herbs twice and why we eat while reclining.

The answers all deal with remembering the Israelites' flight out of Egypt.

The highlight of the program, though, had to be the finger puppet show performed by Yossi; Zelda, 3; and Shua Slavin, 8. The residents thoroughly enjoyed this impromptu production.

Since no holiday is complete without the traditional foods, Rebbetzin Slavin proceeded to pass out morar (horseradish-bitter herb, gefilte fish and some special circular matzos called Shmurah Matzah).

As Rebbetzin Slavin explained, these are specially produced kosher Matzos that are watched over from the time the grain is harvested until their final baking into hard crackers.

The last part of the program was to help the residents make holiday cards.

It was a time to share music, Passover history, food, fun and to relive those traditions that define Jewish experience.

Both the residents of Silverado and Chabad of San Clemente enjoyed the holiday festivities and both look forward to their returning next when Rosh Hashanah comes in September.