Observing Passover in Manatee

In a matter of minutes, Rabbi Mendy Bukiet hurriedly transformed a quiet back room of the River Club at Lakewood Ranch into a temporary place of worship for the first night of Passover.

As Bukiet, of Chabad of Bradenton, poured potatoes and carrots into a cup – one of several dishes consumed during a meal called a seder – he said Passover serves as a reminder to not forget the past. But just as important, it begs to pay attention to today.

Passover, commemorating the flight of the Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II, is said to be a spectacle to excite the curiosity of children.

But Bukiet’s message ensures the celebration encompasses everyone.

“While we are not slaves physically anymore, we can still be slaves mentally or spiritually and not live life to its fullest,” Bukiet said. “This is to live life to its fullest.”

Steve Shapiro, one of about 75 guests of the first Passover at the River Club, said the seder brings back memories from when he was 5 years old.

“You always have someone who tells a story (during Passover),” he said. “So you associate the food and the smells with fond childhood memories.”

Shapiro remembers his uncle had a playful trick to keep him awake during the seder. As a 5-year-old, Shapiro said his uncle would tell him to watch out for Prophet Elijah, for whom everyone sets aside a glass of wine during the first two nights of Passover.

So Shapiro would always keep his eyes glued to the cup of wine designated for the prophet.

After a few hours, Shapiro said, the wine would dissipate in the hot room.

But that’s not what he believed as a little boy.

Under their noses, the Prophet Elijah snuck in, or so Shapiro believed, and sipped the wine and vanished without a trace.

“It was like Santa Claus,” he said, “he learned it from Elijah!”

While the clever ploy kept Shapiro awake, it also instilled faith.

For others, the Passover is a spiritual, social gathering.

Anita Fukunaka grew up in New York celebrating Passover with her family, but for the past 34 years, she’s celebrated it in south Florida with her husband.

“Aside from the rituals, it’s about just being together,” Fukunaka said. “It’s been really nice to come together with other Jewish people, especially on Passover.”

Bukiet understands the strength of both the Jewish faith and the Jewish people.

He said because they’ve continued to survive through the Exodus, the Romans, the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust, Passover commemorates both slavery and freedom.

“We relive this concept,” Bukiet said. “We know God will always be there for us and save us.”