Spring is finally here! After a mild winter, it certainly seems like it has taken a while to really feel like spring. But the timing is perfect since it coincides with Passover, also known as Chag Ha'aviv, the holiday of spring. At the second seder, we begin counting the omer for seven weeks in anticipation of Shavuot and the receiving of the Torah. To me, both of these holidays have truly shaped us as a people. We were enslaved together, set free as a whole, and then experienced revelation as a nation. Each and every one of us still is obligated to remember that G-d set us free from our oppressors and then chose us to receive his laws and lead us to the Promised Land. We are commanded to remember and to carry on these traditions. Of course, since the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BCE, the Jewish People no longer lives in one place or travels together as a single unit. While this is only one of the many reasons why there are differences among our people today, it still places a much greater burden on each individual. For those of you who joined us at our annual gala on April 3rd, we saw Tiffany Shlain's documentary, "The Tribe" and heard her explanation of this modern day dilemma. While younger generations may have a different vision of their future, I believe that the bottom line is that we must each take responsibility for keeping the Jewish community as strong and united as possible. That is our goal as a Federation.

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