March 30, 2004 Program

Our speaker today was Ronald M. Segal, Rabbi at Temple Sinai, successor to current Senior Rabbi, a graduate of Rice University and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. In sharing with us about the Passover and its meaning, Rabbi Segal noted the points below:

  1. The Passover is one of the most important and elaborate of the Jewish festivals, which is described in Chapter 12 of Exodus in the Christian Bible.
  2. The departure of the Israelite out of slavery in Egypt and traveling through the Red Sea and the desert into the Promise dLand is the event commemorated by the Passover Festival.
  3. God told Moses to prepare a special meal to be eaten in haste the evening before their escape from slavery, with a whole roasted lamb as the main dish. The blood from the lamb was use to mark the Israelites' house which the Death Angel would "pass over" and not kill their first-born male child. God told Moses that the Israelites were to repeat the meal each spring on the anniversary of their departure from Egypt.
  4. For 3,000 years now the Passover Festival has been celebrated annually over a seven-day period.
  5. In addition to song, prayer, meditation, and reading of Exodus, meals are served which include the use of food items with special meanings such as:
    1. Salty Water (tear of Jews shed over centuries of troubles and sorrows);
    2. Matza (40 years spent in the desert)
    3. Hard-boiled eggs (the preservation of Israel);
    4. Haroseth (chopped walnuts, apples, and wine mixed to symbolize the ordering to make bricks for the construction of monuments in Egypt); and
    5. Bitter Herbs (feeling the bitterness of slavery);
  6. Rabbi Segal encourages public participation in the celebration of the Passover experience.

Future Speaker

April 6th   The Latest Word from Earthlink
April 13th   Eric Tanenblatt and the G8 Summit at Sea Island

Visitors

We were delighted to be blessed with the presence of the "apple of the eye" of Bob and Connie: Grandson Evan.

Pin Violations

Our Compassionate Mel was very happy to hear from celebrants Jerry (Tech) and Sandy (Inman Park).

Kiwanis Education

Of the approximate 600,000 members of the Kiwanian family, more than half of them are young people and they all are service minded.

President Lantz's Quote

"The time is always right to do what is right."
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Recognition

President Lantz welcomed back Fred who had a little set back from his Sky Prince's cruise in South America. The President shared with us the wonderful time he had in Moscow. We were also asked by President Lantz to rally around Georgia Tech on April 3rd and the Inman Park Festival of Homes along with Dusty's liquid repast on his front porch.

Announcements

  1. BOARD MEETING AT 7:30 A.M. ON FRIDAY, APRIL 2.
  2. Rising Leaders' Award Luncheon will take place May 11, 2004.
  3. Connie is seeking our cooperation and participation with the Easter Picnic for Hillside Children at 11:30 a.m. on April 11th.
  4. The Kiwanis International Foundation's annual Skip-A-Meal fund raiser is slated for April 25 - May 1, raising money for the Kiwanis Children's Fund. Our Club is invited to participate.
  5. Kiwanis International Convention will take place in St. Louis, June 25 - 29, 2004.
  6. Our Georgia District Convention will be held at Jekyll Island, August 6 - 8, 2004.
  7. George and Dusty are looking at our Fall Kiwanis Travel to be a 16-day trip to India on October 5th and an 8 day trip to St. Petersburg on October 10th.


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