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LOCAL Wednesday 24 april 2019

Synagogue Beth Israel Aruba hosts wonderful Seder Dinner

ORANJESTAD — Passover, also ing. Beth Israel Synagogue is an
called Pesach, is a major, bibli- independent congregation with a
cally derived Jewish holiday. Jews liberal style similar to Reform Juda-
celebrate Passover as a com- ism or Conservative Judaism. The
memoration of their liberation by Jewish Community of Aruba (Isra-
God from slavery in ancient Egypt elitische Gemeente) shares, since
and their freedom as a nation un- 1962, Beth Israel Synagogue as
der the leadership of Moses. Beth their place of worship, and cares
Israel Synagogue is the synagogue for their small cemetery on Petro-
of the Aruban Jewish community nia St., as well as for the old one,
hosting a Seder Dinner last Friday. ety. Unfortunately it was confirmed ball soup, roast chicken, potato nearby. The community received
Aruba Today felt honored to be in- by some guests from the United kugel (somewhat like a casserole) official recognition by the Dutch
vited. States that to their experience anti- and tzimmes, a stew of carrots and Kingdom on Dec. 1st., 1956, and
Semitism is growing. prunes, sometimes including po- Beth Israel Synagogue was inaugu-
The Seder Dinner experience was The dinner started with the Seder tatoes or sweet potatoes were on rated on Nov. 4, 1962 (Cheshvan 8,
for the entire family and that was plate. There are at least five foods the menu. 5723.)
obvious as families with and with- that go on it: shank bone (zeroa), Rabbi Daniel Kripper has been the The community consists mostly of
out children joined in for the tradi- egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), Rabbi of Beth Israel Aruba since the Jewish immigrants that arrived in
tional gourmet dinner, inspirational vegetable (karpas) and a sweet year 2013. He was born in Buenos Aruba from different parts of the
songs and stories. Rabbi Daniel paste called haroset. Gefilte fish Aires, Argentina. His passions are world in the early 20’s, and made
Kripper did a tremendous job wel- (poached fish dumplings), matzo education, Israel and Jewish Heal- it their home. After 1924, a large
coming the guests like a father and group of Eastern European Jews,
leading the ritual involving a retell- mostly from Poland, settled here,
ing of the story of the liberation of together with Jews from Holland
the Israelites from slavery in ancient and Sephardic families from the
Egypt. This story is in the Book of Ex- previously Dutch colony of Surinam
odus (Shemot) in The Hebrew Bible. (South America.)q
During the ceremony he invited
children to sing for the audience Beth Israel Synagogue
and the Rabbi also interacted with A. Laclé Blvd. #2
the present community discussing Oranjestad, Aruba
the role of anti-Semitism in our soci- Tel. (297) 582-3272