Today - April 19, 2020 - also marks the 77th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Which, Abq Jew firmly believes (see From Mordechai to Mordechai) marks the beginning of modern Jewish history.
High Muddy Waters: As we approach the Seventh Day of Passover, we Jews remember the bravery of Nachshon ben Aminadav.
Nachshon ben Aminadav David Brook
While everyone who has seen The Ten Commandments knows that Moses and his staff (including The Holy One, Blessed Be He) parted the waters of the Red Sea - we Jews also remember Nachshon, who was the first to step in when the Egyptians were chasing us.
And Nachshon didn't just stick a toe in. He continued walking until the water was up to his neck. Then and only then did the Red Sea part, allowing us Children of Israel to cross on dry land.
Nachshon’s name has become synonymous with courage and the will to do the right thing, even when it’s not popular.
Inspired by Nachshon, King David wrote in Psalms,
“I have sunk in muddy depths, and there is no place to stand; I have come into the deep water, and the current has swept me away . . . Let not the current of water sweep me away, nor the deep swallow me, and let the well not close its mouth over me."
A Song for the Seventh Day of Passover
Which of course (of course!) brings us to this blog post's musical selection! Appropriately titled Up to My Neck in High Muddy Water. Original version by - The Greenbriar Boys! With John Herald, Frank Wakefield, and - Bob Yellin.
For those of us keeping score, Wikipedia tells us:
In 1959, guitarist/vocalist John Herald formed The Greenbriar Boys, along with Bob Yellin (banjo) and Eric Weissberg (fiddle, mandolin, banjo). Weissberg was soon replaced by Paul Prestopino, who, in turn was later replaced by Ralph Rinzler (mandolin) to form their most successful combination.
This album was also the source for a subsequent Stone Poneys single, "Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water," with author credit to [mandolinist/vocalist Frank] Wakefield [who replaced Ralph Rinzler], Herald, and Yellin.
Abq Jew must point out (he must! he must!) that the aforementioned multi-instrumentalist Paul Prestopino has more musical yichus (Chad Mitchell Trio, PP&M) and far better chops than just about anybody still out there.
And yet, Paul Prestopino (currently a founding member of the Magnolia Street String Band, et al) has no Wikipedia page! Someday, Abq Jew hopes, this omission will be corrected!
In spite of everything - what would Passover be without videos? Abq Jew here thoughtfully provides seven (7) of the newest - made especially for 5780's Days of Matzah (aka Pesach). And one more (maftir), just for luck.
OK ... some of them were just made for "this season" - but they can help cheer us as we approach our holiday.
Want to see Abq Jew's three (3) classics? They're here too! 1. A family from Kent who shared a video of their living room performance of a lockdown-themed adaptation of a Les Misérables song have become a sensation online. Ben and Danielle Marsh and their four children changed the lyrics of One Day More to reflect common complaints during the Covid-19 lockdown. They say the video, which has gone viral, was intended to give friends and family a laugh during this stressful time.
2. The Sound of a Pandemic! Don't worry, Maria and the Von Trapplings know how to deal with it! The song is not intended to be taken seriously - I made it to humour myself and am quite blown away at the following it's got over such a short time. No, wine is not a cure for the virus. Neither is whinging or blobbing (real words.) No, they're not good at social distancing in the video - it was released in 1965. Stay safe and in your bubbles - greetings from New Zealand.
3. The Fab Four have "come together" to remind us that CLEAN HANDS SAVE LIVES! To learn when and how to wash your hands, click here.
4. More Beatles - Yesterday (Lockdown A Capella Version)
5. Stayin' Inside - Corona Virus Bee Gees Parody. Stay inside and wash your hands! Hope everybody is staying safe, and staying inside!
6. When life hands you lemons ... what do you do? Well, the obvious answer is: Record, shoot, mix and edit a full cover for the Friends Theme Song with new and funny lyrics that matches the current situation! So everyone, let's all make some lemonade!
8. Now for something completely different: Vin Scully calls Kirk Gibson's full at-bat that finishes with a legendary walk-off homer during Game 1 (October 15) of the 1988 World Series. Ah yes, Abq Jew remembers it well.
Good things can happen, even in the darkest of times.
We just have to wait for the right pitch.
As promised - Abq Jew here thoughtfully provides three (3) of the classics. You're welcome!
3.The Passover Prank. Best. Passover. Prank. Video. Ever. For parents who (especially) miss their kids on Pesach. Who know that Skype and Zoom are never enough.
As the Seders approach, Abq Jew must remind us all (he must! he must!) that Good News, Salvation and Comfort are just one (1) Pesach visitor away.
?אחד מי יודע
Tonight Could Be The Night!
At our Pesach seders
we Jews have been opening our doors to Elijah for thousands of years.
We still believe that Elijah the Prophet will return tonight
and announce the Coming of the Messiah.
When that happens, our first question will be:
Did Elijah remember to send out a press release?
If he did — you may learn the Good News in a few days or weeks.
But you can always hear about Salvation and Comfort at
AbqJew.net&AbqJew.com
Your guide to Jewish life in Albuquerque and beyond
Will Be Different: In the old days - last year, and every year before that most of us can remember - Passover was a time to gather with friends and family, to celebrate our Holiday of Freedom. That's the way it always used to be.
This year, Pesach will be different.
But, as Rabbi Sue Fendrick tells us:
Sue Fendrick is a writer, editor, rabbi, spiritual director
and humorist who lives and works in the Boston area.
You Are Allowed to Have a Shvach Seder
You do not need to set up a multi-media, multi-layered presentation on Zoom. You do not need to cook 17 dishes that remind you of all the family members you are not gathering with. You do not need to do all the cool things that people are suggesting for small seders.
You do not need to go out on your mirpeset/porch at 11 pm and sing Chag Gadya with your neighbors. You do not need to compile an “in these times”-themed haggadah or seder supplement.
You are living through an international pandemic. For all of the support you have, for all of the jokes people are making, for all of the new Torah that is being learned...you are experiencing a collective trauma as an individual, within the daled amot/delimited space of your own home and your own life.
You may be managing others’ experience of that trauma. You are dealing with challenges you have never faced before. You may feel scared, angry, depressed, or lost.
If you want to and can do any of the above for a maximalist seder night, great. But if you don’t want to and/or can’t, it is totally fine to cook a modest meal, throw together a seder plate at the last minute, get up to make salt water when it’s time for karpas because you forgot to do it before, make decisions on the fly about how much to talk about each step of the seder and what to read and not to read.
Light the candles. Bless the wine/grape juice and the holiday. Eat the symbols. Be together. Talk about some things. Read some things. Be energized, or be tired. Do things you never did before because “what an opportunity to have an intimate seder”, or do the minimum. Go to sleep knowing you have fulfilled your obligation.
You do not need to make up for the seder you are not having, or the seder you wish you could have.
Do this year’s seder(s) however that works for you this year. Do your best to keep yourself and your family healthy. Connect to the themes of Passover—getting out of narrow places, celebrating life, gratitude, remembering our obligations to each other and to all others.
Dayeinu. That is more than enough.
Rabbi Susan P. Fendrick, copyright 2020,
permission to share granted liberally with attribution
To give himself - and you, his loyal readers - hope that yes, this too shall pass, Abq Jew returns to 2016's The Walk of Life Project. Which posited, and then proved, that
