By David Morris, Case Manager, Ometz Youth Team

The highlight of Passover for most members of the Jewish community is the Seder. Part of what makes this holiday such a special occasion is the family traditions that are celebrated and passed down each year. Traditions offer numerous benefits to our families and communities, including but not limited to helping us stay connected to our cultural and religious heritage, offering learning experiences that might not otherwise occur, providing a source of identity, teaching values, and creating lasting memories.

The effective use of traditions and rituals are one way of strengthening our families and communities to create an environment where personal well-being is enhanced. However, this is not the case for all, as many individuals in the Jewish community do not have family or friends to share these important holidays with.

On April 19, 2016 the Ometz Youth Team provided a ‘Passover Experience’ for our youth clients. The goal was simple: to create a new tradition that would establish lasting bonds and build a sense of belonging among our Jewish youth. Along with our partners Shanie Ora Dotan and Alon Dotan of the Israel Engagement Initiative at Federation CJA, we were able to successfully provide a fun night, with good food, and meaningful conversation. Why Pesach, why do we celebrate? Why Seder, what is the idea behind the Seder? What is the story, what happened? What can we learn from this experience? These are just some of the essential questions that we explored and tried to answer together throughout the evening, as a community.

This Passover experience reminds me of how important family and the communities that we create around us are to our health and happiness. Ultimately, events and programs, such as this, that increase social support benefit all of us who live in this community. We are all connected, we all share a similar heritage, and if everyone is moving forward together, then success will take care of itself.

We are looking forward to many more exciting events and programs coming soon for our youth clients and to welcoming new participants who wish to discover the warmth and belonging of our community.

For more information about Ometz services for children and youth, visit www.ometz.ca