Telling the Story: Jews across the San...

Telling the Story: Jews across the San Fernando Valley begin observing Passover this evening. The holiday recounts the Hebrews’ flight from slavery. The story is told during a ritual meal, attended by extended family and friends, with each person who is able reading a part of the tale. In this way, even the youngest child learns the story. At Kol Tikvah synagogue in Woodland Hills on Sunday, about 130 congregants took part in a mock Seder aimed at teaching the tradition.

Suffering Recalled: At another Seder on Sunday at Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village, Jews with mental and physical disabilities dipped eggs in saltwater and dotted their plates with drops of wine under the direction of the Moses Program, an outreach group. The rites recall the Hebrews’ suffering in ancient Egypt.

Creative Cooks: When there was no time for bread to rise during the Hebrews’ escape, making do led to the unleavened crackers known as matzo. Today, cooks such as Shirley Joseph, above, are still improvising to make meals during Passover that comply with the food restrictions of the holiday. “New Traditions: A Jewish Cookbook for the 21st Century,” was compiled by Joseph and other members of the Temple Judea Sisterhood in Tarzana.

A Seat at the Seder: The exodus theme has resonated with many oppressed people in many places over the course of history, among them the slaves in the American South. Kol Tikvah members have invited a group of Latino immigrant garment workers to the temple’s Seder table tomorrow, along with a Spanish interpreter.