Two dozen Russian residents attended a bilingual pre-Passover seder at Crown Center on Monday, April 7. The annual Russian resident seder has been a tradition at the senior living facility for more than 10 years. Florence Schachter, who served as master of ceremonies, explained why the Russian Jewish residents look forward to the event.
“It’s really celebrating their resilience and their strength,” Schachter said. “Many of them went through so much, so they get it.”
Nearly one-third of Crown Center residents are Russian. They are all from the former Soviet Union, so they identify largely as Russian, as opposed to either Russian or Ukrainian. The facility provides a Russian translator once a week and a monthly Russian resident meeting.
Nikki Goldstein, former executive director of Crown Center, who was on hand to help with the seder, said, “And they really went through an exodus—they were not free.”
Schachter said many of the Russian residents didn’t have an opportunity to celebrate Passover when they lived in Russia.
“This also gives them an opportunity to talk about it, because they don’t usually bring it up,” she said. “But this setting is comfortable for them and they’re very proud of their Jewish identity.”
With the assistance of translator Zhanna Bershteyn, Schachter and Goldstein explained the symbolism of the seder plate, matzah and other Passover traditions. Wine was also served for the Kiddush blessing. The only thing missing, Goldstein noted, was Slivovitz vodka. One Russian participant said that while vodka isn’t necessarily a traditional Passover drink, it is common in Russian celebrations, and it is kosher.
All Photos By Bill Motchan.
