A Passover Time Machine on the Fifth Floor

By Hazzan Barbara Haimowitz

For five years, I worked as clergy in a nursing home in Riverdale, New York. Every Shabbat, in the afternoon, three nurses at the facility would bring everyone to my service in beds, wheelchairs, and with walkers. My “congregants” and I were an eclectic bunch. Freda knew every prayer by heart and sang along. Doris knew them too, but always read her romance novels during the service. And, every so often, Carmen would arrive in her electric wheelchair. She would maneuver herself next to the piano and say, “May I?” She did not wait for an answer, grabbed the microphone and started singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Everyone was ok with that and I followed suit on piano, after identifying her mezzo-soprano key.

I never knew what to expect on a Shabbat afternoon when opening the double doors to the entertainment room. Before I had taken my coat off and had unpacked my guitar, I was frequently presented with gifts of all kinds, most notably in the form of a newspaper clipping, a few Halls lozenges, or some knickknacks that somebody had earmarked for me.

My biggest congregational fans were Beebee and Ms. Evelyn. Beebee could not speak. She was trapped in her own body, but her mind was quick-silver and she read astrophysics books for pleasure. She had an immense sense of humor, which I discovered when tracing her fingers over her alphabet board, to construct the sentences she could not utter verbally.  Ms. Evelyn celebrated her 100th birthday in my last year at the nursing home. Her husband had been a Broadway theater producer. She would come to my service in her Shabbos best outfits, ready to be entertained.

Ah, these services. A little Yiddish, a little chair yoga, a little Torah, and, of course, a little Broadway and Glenn Miller.

Passover—the Highlight of the Year

But the highlight of the year was Passover. The entire fifth floor of the nursing home was transformed into a fancy restaurant, complete with chic wine goblets and crisp-white tablecloths. The festive meal invariably included brisket and Manischewitz macaroons.

Family members would come from far and wide to share the Seder with their loved one. My microphone cord was just long enough to visit every table and have my congregants say the blessings over the Hillel Sandwich or the next cup of wine. The entire fifth floor was covered in colorful silk flowers to herald the coming of Spring, even if there was still snow on the ground outside. Passover, Chag Ha'Aviv, the Festival of Spring.

Dancing and Singing

And so, I danced from table to table, singing the Ma Nishtana, telling anecdotes about the four sons, singing and playing my way through the Seder in the most colorful way, replete with jazz and Broadway interludes.

I recounted the story of the Exodus of Egypt in song and dance, talking about the belief in HaKadosh Baruch Hu (The Holy One, Blessed Be He) when the Israelites jumped into the Red Sea. The importance of Emunah (faith). I jumped into a make-believe Red Sea, singing parts of the Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea.

I loved transforming my congregants, an hour at a time, allowing them to step out of the mundane and daily routine and temporarily forget troubles, pains and concerns. Especially during Passover, the mood was light. The residents were joined by their families; I met their grandkids and sang duets at the piano with the youngest kids who came to visit. The flowers, the white tablecloths, everyone in their Shabbos best, on a weekday morning -- it was as festive as it gets.

Then I moved away from Riverdale. At the same time, a new nursing home Director came to manage the home. He did not know me and was not made aware of the Passover traditional Seder. Around February of the following year, the secretary of the synagogue where I was High Holy Day Cantor called me. A certain Mrs. X had asked for me, and if I could please contact her, so she could arrange for me to lead a Seder once more.

Only one year had passed by, a year in which I had not led the Seder. I was welcomed as a long-lost friend.

These Seders have been among my most joyous Passover experiences, to be with my nursing home "congregants" and their families on the fifth floor, creating a familiar feeling of Passover long ago, making them young, excited and ready to celebrate.

Chag Pesach Kasher v'Sameach.

Cantor Barbara Haimowitz is the interim Cantor at Congregation B'nai Jacob inWoodbridge, Connecticut for 2020/2021. She loves working with synagogue members of all ages, in Hebrew School and B'nai Mitzvah classes all the way through Senior programming.