"Without our Traditions, our lives would be as shaky as ....as a Fiddler on the Roof"
-Fiddle on the Roof :Tradition" Lyrics
According to The Free Dictionary, Traditions are “the handing down from generation to generation of the same customs/beliefs, especially by word of mouth”. Our lives are based on many traditions wherever we go – work, shul, home, school. Traditionally, every year before Pesach, when I was a child, I would go to the fish market on Castor Ave. in Philadelphia with my mom. She had pre-ordered 25 pounds of carp, 7 pounds of whitefish, 7 pounds of mullet and 4 ½ pounds of pike, chopped, along with the roe, fish heads and skins in a separate bag. Traditionally, my brother and sister would run from the chore and smell, even though we lit tons of candles. My grandmother would stand over us in our kitchen as we chopped the combined fish in wooden bowls with a red hand chopper, finally adding matzah meal, onions, eggs and salt, pepper and garlic. She would taste it along the way for consistency and spice – my first sushi experience. Food processors were forbidden. The fish was made into patties and cooked in a special pot with a special green patterned plate in the bottom to avoid sticking. It cooked for hours. Even though the rest of my family ran, I treasured this tradition as the start of Pesach, the bonding of generations and the tradition of my family. One year, I wrote down the recipe for posterity which then morphed into a family cookbook where I watched everyone’s processes for their specific specialty – blintzes, latkes, potato chip chicken, prochus, kugel, chopped liver, etc.
Our shul, Congregation Sons of Israel, is celebrating 50 years in Cherry Hill - Our Yovel or Jubilee. In Israel, the year of Yovel, or Jubilee occurs after seven shmitah years. A shmitah year occurs every seven years and in Israel, farmland must lay fallow and debts are released. After seven cycles of seven years, in the fiftieth year, there is a full agricultural and economic remission, and in addition all land contracts and all indentured servants (and shul presidents) are released.
Having 50 years in Cherry Hill, we have many beautiful traditions; our beautiful Kol Hanearim Tallit and aliyah for all the children, the Simchat Torah Auction, Community Sukkah Hop, Shaloch Manot gifts, Birthdays in the Park, etc. Our yearly dinner has traditionally been our major fundraiser and a time to honor many people in our community and shul. There have been dinner dances in our waaaay past and Chazzan Concerts. This year we are honoring our shul and its past leaders. Please save the date of May 23 for a fun, delicious and special Jubilee GALA.
Shabbat Shalom
Donna Moskowitz
SOI President
president@soicherryhill.org
