They made their way to the dining room with the help of walkers and wheelchairs and, in a few cases, on their own, powered by the memories of ritual and celebration that helped define their lives.
And then more than two dozen residents at the Brighton Gardens of Denver assisted-living facility, along with visiting children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, sat down Monday to a Passover Seder. It was a little early for the religious holiday that begins tonight at sundown and runs eight days, but it rekindled a sense of community that isn’t always easy to maintain in such surroundings.
“I just feel Jewish,” says a delighted Dorothy Berry, who will turn 101 in July. “My life has changed, being in a retirement home. It’s important to keep that connection to my faith.”
At table places set with foods symbolic of the Jews’ bondage and eventual flight from Egypt, Berry and the others offer the prayers – in Hebrew and English – sing the songs and revisit the story of Exodus, thanks to the Nursing Home Outreach of Jewish Family Service.
The group will conduct about 20 Seders at area nursing homes and assisted-living and mental health facilities – anywhere Jews may feel isolated or out of touch with religious practices.
“Some people get to these kinds of residences and forget where they’re coming from,” says Leland Huttner, the volunteer para-chaplain who conducts this Seder. “It’s something that doesn’t change. You remember who you are – part of the Jewish tradition.”
For some, even the Hebrew comes with easy familiarity as Huttner guides them through the Haggadah – the text that progresses through the breaking of the matzah and a recitation of the story of Moses. Each item on their plate – a hard-boiled egg, parsley, salt water, matzo, chicken substituting for lamb shank and an apple-walnut dish called haroset – holds a significant place in the story.
“What does the egg commemorate?” Huttner asks the gathering. “It reminds us that life goes on. Forget the cholesterol. Enjoy the egg.”
Huttner, who became a para-chaplain after retiring from his law practice in 1995, sprinkles his presentation with humor – including the annual quip about learning how Moses parted the Red Sea from watching Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments.”
He connects with the participants in an abbreviated version of the Seder that provides them the kind of fellowship that may be missing in their lives.
“Some are blessed that they have families in Denver, but some are phone calls away,” he says. “They’re lonesome for family, and Passover is a family thing. That’s what the tradition is all about. We try to make them feel that we care, that they’ve got a life to continue to live.”
Emma Morris, at 92 a gregarious whirlwind of activity who helped gather residents for the Brighton Gardens Seder, revels in the camaraderie and the fact that her grandson, Brian Morris, and his family drove from Dallas to be here for Passover.
Emma Morris explains that while she’s not very religious herself, she enjoys gathering people to celebrate the holiday.
“It makes me feel like I’m doing something in life again,” she says. “I like to do something to bring Jewish people together.”
“You like the mitzvahs – the good deeds,” her grandson adds.
Huttner finishes the Seder and reminds the residents of the twice-monthly Saturday services conducted at the facility. He leaves them with a final morsel from the Passover story.
“Remember, life goes on,” Huttner says. “You can’t think of the bitterness of the past. Think ahead. Go forward.”
Staff writer Kevin Simpson can be reached at 303-820-1739 or ksimpson@denverpost.com.
