Thinking Passover

the long version

The Passover story - ageless, wonderful, and edifying - not only recalls the history of the Jewish people, it gives deeper meaning to the reality of today's life. This heartwarming, wise book by Rabbi Ben Kamin, senior rabbi at The Temple-Tifereth Israel, a 145-year-old Reform congregation in Cleveland, Ohio, shows us how the celebration of Passover can become a time to reflect on Jewish values within the family and throughout the world. Rabbi Kamin begins by drawing a parallel between unleavened bread and the unleavened love of parents and children - love that is plain, nourishing, and sustaining in times of crisis. Then, moving through the Seder with reflections on modern day concerns, he ponders the "why" of the Holocaust and other contemporary ills. Organized thematically and dealing with subjects ranging from hunger to education to community sharing, it is a book filled with real-life stories and a wealth of warm recollections. Thinking Passover listens to the songs and the texts of the holidays, notes the family reunions and the life-cycle issues that accompany them, and provides a study of what Passover can offer a contemporary family, and what it can mean for them.