The Charlotte Jewish News- April 2026- Page 2 Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
From the Editor’ s Desk: Telling the Story Again
Passover has a way of revealing itself through children.
In our home, the story of the Exodus currently belongs to my daughter Lucy. She approaches it with the seriousness of a seasoned historian and, at times, the observational and occasionally hysterical commentary of Larry David.
At our last two Seders, she proudly recounted how Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt, carefully marching through the 10 plagues one by one. There is great drama in her telling, though she is quick to point out that boils are her least favorite.
Recently, while scrolling through old videos on my phone, I came across a short clip from a playdate at a friend’ s house a couple of years ago. Lucy was enthusiastically explaining Passover while happily stuffing a cookie into her mouth. Her friend listened intently for a moment and then asked a simple question:“ Who did this happen to?” Lucy fell silent for a beat, then suddenly slammed her hands on the table and declared with great conviction,“ The Jews.”
At our Seder table, Lucy studies the pictures in the Haggadah closely. Then she stops to explain what is happening, with great seriousness and passion, to anyone willing to listen. She points out the charoset on the Seder plate, reminds everyone why we eat matzah during Passover, and earnestly walks her cousins, Teddy and Trey, through the story as she understands it. She is also intentional about reminding them of her dislike of maror.
And when the time comes, she is fiercely committed to locating the afikomen.
Watching a child claim ownership of these rituals is one of the quiet rewards of Passover.
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Published by Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
Editor Elizabeth Johnson
Sr. Communications Specalist Jessica Goldfarb
Social Media Manager Shelby Robinson
Director of Marketing Dylan Vander Velde
5007 Providence Road, Suite 101 Charlotte, NC 28226( 704) 944-6765 www. charlottejewishnews. org elizabeth. johnson @ jewishcharlotte. org
The Charlotte Jewish News strives to be the leading source for news and features of special interest to the local Jewish community, to highlight the voices and stories that reflect the diversity of Jewish life in Charlotte, and to communicate the mission, activities, and accomplishments of Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte and its partners.
The CJN does not assume responsibility for the quality of kashrut of any product or service advertised. Publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate, political party or position by this newspaper, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, or any of its employees. Articles submitted by individual agencies bearing their logo are reflective of the opinion of that agency.
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Each year we repeat them together, telling the story, asking questions, and gathering around the table. These moments are not simply acts of remembrance; they are how Jewish identity is carried forward.
In the Breyer family, Passover also unfolds in the kitchen.
My mother and I spend much of the day cooking together, moving between one recipe that has been part of our family for decades and others we simply enjoy making each year. The nonnegotiable dish is my father’ s mother’ s chicken liver pâté, which my mother prepares faithfully and which disappears almost as quickly as it reaches the table. As we move between cutting boards and mixing bowls, Lucy often wanders through the kitchen, watching closely and occasionally asking questions of her own.
The rest of the meal unfolds in a kind of choreography. Together we braise brisket with horseradish and shallots, and prepare a beet salad with toasted hazelnuts, dill and feta over lemon yogurt, a recipe I share in this month’ s The Recipe File. Sweet potatoes glazed with miso honey butter round out the table, along with a bitter salad of radicchio, endives, and arugula tossed with diced Granny Smith apples, fresh herbs, and toasted walnuts.
Dessert remains something of a mystery until the last moment. My mother, a phenomenal cook, has a particular talent for discovering recipes that spark her curiosity. If something looks promising enough, it quickly earns a place on her annual“ mustmake” list.
Across Charlotte and around the world, Jewish families will soon gather for Seders that look both familiar and entirely unique. Some will be large and bustling, others small and intimate. Yet each table shares the same purpose: to retell the story of liberation and ensure it continues to live in the voices around the table.
At ours, Lucy will almost certainly be holding her Haggadah with authority, methodically explaining the plagues, reminding
The Power of Words: Lehitraot
By Jessica Goldfarb
The Hebrew word lehitraot( להתראות) is commonly used when people part ways at the end of a conversation, a gathering, or a visit. Translated as“ until we see each other again,” it carries a meaning that goes beyond a simple goodbye.
Lehitraot comes from the Hebrew root ר-א-ה( resh – aleph – hey), meaning“ to see.” The word is built around the idea of encounter and recognition.
When someone says lehitraot, the moment of parting is not treated as an ending, but as a pause, with the understanding that those paths will cross again.
That quiet assumption reflects something deeply woven into Jewish life. Throughout history, Jewish communities have been shaped by movement and return.
From the earliest diasporas to the migrations of the modern era, Jewish families have carried their traditions, language, and communal ties from one place to another. We have said lehitraot across oceans and across generations, trusting that covenant and community outlast distance.
At Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, lehitraot is a philosophy. Federation helps ensure that when someone steps away – to college, to a new job, or to a different chapter – there is always a community waiting to welcome them back and a place where they are seen. everyone of her deep distaste for maror, and searching determinedly for the afikomen.
From my family to yours, I wish you a meaningful Passover.
Chag Pesach Sameach.
Elizabeth Johnson Editor, Charlotte Jewish News
Through education, philanthropy, and shared communal experiences, Federation strengthens the relationships that bind Jewish Charlotte together.
We do not simply attend events; we recognize faces. We do not simply give; we sustain relationships. We do not say goodbye; we commit to seeing each other again.
Because Jewish community is built on the belief that connection endures, lehitraot reminds us that every gathering is part of something larger, an ongoing story of people finding one another again and again.
In Jewish life, departing is rarely the end of the story. It is simply lehitraot, until we meet again.