THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 14, 1995 TAG: 9504130181
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JAMES FRASCA, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
A touch of Yugolsavia will be part of Rabbi Israel Zoberman's Passover this year.
Zoberman, of Beth Chaverim synagogue in Virginia Beach, visited strife-torn Yugoslavia this winter. When it was time for him to leave, the Jewish community of Belgrade presented him with a Haggadah, the Hebrew book read during Passover.
The Haggadah's message of hope contains excerpts from the Book of Exodus and is intended as inspiration to congregation members. Read during the ceremonial Seder dinner on the first two nights of Passover, the book contains all that is associated with Passover, including the exodus from Egypt by the Israelites and comments by rabbis who were contemporaries of Jesus.
The renowned Sarajevo Haggadah, produced in the Middle Ages, is considered a masterpiece of literary and artistic quality, comparable to a Gutenberg Bible. The Haggadah presented to Zoberman during his visit is a unique volume also, containing the Hebrew text alongside a Serbo-Croatian translation.
``It is a reminder that we all share common roots of enslavement and deliverance,'' said Zoberman. ``And it also points to a bright future for the entire human family. The force of the Haggadah becomes so much stronger when we are faced with uncertainty. It tells us that tyranny can be overcome, that we are destined to be free.''
From the start, Zoberman said, his trip gave him renewed hope and brought him face to face with his past.
The plane to Yugoslavia had barely left the ground in February when he found himself engaged in conversation with the man seated next to him, Rabbi Morris Fishman of Chicago. Fishman told Zoberman of his experiences at a displaced persons camp in Frankfurt following World War II. He mentioned to Zoberman that he had served there as a chaplain immediately after the war, from 1947 to 1949.
``I told him that I was there at that time,'' Zoberman said. ``I was a displaced person, only a small child really. It was no ordinary experience. It gave us both hope. There I was, a refugee myself, and we were bringing hope to new refugees.''
Zoberman arrived in what remains of Yugoslavia with a renewed sense of kinship for the 3,000 Jews now living there, a community which once numbered 82,000. During World War II, the Holocaust claimed the lives of 67,000 Yugoslavian Jews. The remaining Jewish community has become fragmented, and economic hardships resulting from current economic embargos further threaten their survival.
``I took the opportunity to return what was given to my family at one time,'' Zoberman said. ``We needed support and hope and now we were called on to reach out to those facing the unknown.''
The Haggadah which Zoberman brought back contains a verse in ancient Aramaic, the language many believe was spoken by Jesus. It is an invitation for the hungry to eat, and a reminder of the hope that springs eternal in the human heart.
``Let all who are hungry come and eat
Let all who are in want
Share the hope of Passover
. . . now we are all still in bonds
Next year may all be free.'' MEMO: PASSOVER SERVICES
[For a list of the services, see microfilm for this date.]
[For a related story, see page 10 of the BEACON for this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JAMES FRASCA
Rabbi Israel Zoberman of Congregation Beth Chaverim displays the
Haggadah presented to him by the Jewish community of Belgrade. It
contains a unique mix of Hebrew text alongside a Serbo-Croatian
translation.
KEYWORDS: HOLIDAY PASSOVER by CNB