By Jay Blumenthal, F230605
February 2015
The CHAI-Chavurat Yehudim chapter was formed at the 2004 FMCA Family Reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly before the Jewish holiday of Passover. Since then, nine of the Jewish-oriented chapter’s rallies have centered on the celebration of Passover. These rallies have been held at full-hookup campgrounds all over the United States, including Lebanon, Tennessee; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Mesa, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Palm Desert and Indio, California. This year, our 10th Passover rally once again will be in Indio.
The chapter welcomes anyone to join. Some members are non-Jewish spouses of Jews. The primary goals are to meet socially as well as religiously at rallies and conventions, and to encourage members to make contacts and friendships by using the chapter roster to find others in their area or wherever they may be traveling. Chapter members also have worked to foster understanding and non-denominational and/or interfaith interaction among all groups in FMCA.
At area rallies and FMCA Family Reunions, the chapter has social hours (usually designed around food and drink) and short religious services on the Sabbath. A Family Reunion was even the setting for two of our adult members to become Bat Mitzvahs. The coming-of-age ceremony is usually for girls, but the two women had not been allowed to become Bat Mitzvahs when they were younger.
For the holiday of Sukkot, a fall harvest festival, we have held several rallies, and each time we erected a Sukkah (hut). Also, several groups in different parts of the country have gathered to celebrate Chanukah.
Typically, the Passover rally includes three nights and four days of camping, highlighted by a pizza party (our last meal of leavened food), and then two nights of a shortened traditional Passover Seder, which is the ceremonial service and meal celebrating the exodus from Egypt. Attendance at the Seder has ranged from eight to 30 people. Friends and family of participants often attend. In the daytime, rally-goers spend time kibitzing or going on day trips. It all ends with the men at the rally preparing a traditional matzah brei breakfast and cleaning up afterward.
Some people attend only part of the Passover rally, while most take advantage of the full facilities of the resort to relax and catch up with other attendees. We have had many non-Jews participate to learn more about the holiday. Staying additional days before or after the rally to see more of the area is an option.
All FMCA members are invited to join us for the Passover rally at Indian Waters RV Resort in Indio, California, from April 2-5, 2015. You need not be a member of the chapter to participate. For information about the rally or membership, contact Jay Blumenthal (membership/rally master) at d2rtr@aol.com or (714) 749-5701.