Earth Day and Passover

April 22 begins the Jewish holiday of Passover. It commemorates the Hebrews liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the first born of the Israelites: when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of Exodus. In Israel

Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Jewish people make an unleavened bread called matzoh at this time.

A MATZO BALL RECIPE

By Sally Wiener Grotha (1998)

Start with smaltz Lots of smaltz For love and humor that sparkles of life

Add the binding The sense of family Meals eaten and laughed Knowing

you belong Then mix it up, but gently, Oh, so gently That it not be

hardened By your touch And finally share With joy and thought

Questioning and questing That every day be a lesson.

April 22 is Earth Day. On the first day of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, one of its founders, wrote in the April 1980 issue of the EPA Journal, “It was on that day that Americans made it clear that they understood and were deeply concerned over the deterioration of our environment and the mindless dissipation of our resources.” Former POTUS 45 going to trial in NYC today says repeatedly, “Drill, Drill, Drill.”

EARTH DAYS BEFORE WE WERE BORN

By Joey Connolly (2013)

I did not see all the thoughtless events that lead up to the moment

where we are but using everyday basic common sense we don’t

need to look back very far Maybe one hundred years before our

parents were born We began serious pollution of the water and sky

as further and further from the earth we were torn. Very few of us

stopped to pause and wonder why …

I did not hear of all the tragic manmade events that slowly

diminished the quality of our life Yet entire countries continue on in

a most dense manner on a daily basis Little disturbed by daily strife

There is however light in the darkness and clean water in the bay

As some folks live Earth Day helping our Earth every day.

Joey aka “Pepe Batbon” Connolly is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is the Poet Laureate of Tinian and enjoys stargazing.