Weekly E-Mail News
Congregation Beth Shalom
Location: 308 South B Street
Mailing address: c/o 200 West Washington
Fairfield, Iowa 52556
e-mail: bethshalomfairfield@gmail.com
website: http://bethshalomfairfield.com
Shabbat Evening Services Friday, March 12 (Adar 26)
Shabbat Services at Beth Shalom start at 8:00 p.m., Friday, March 12.
Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for Fairfield
Shabbat (candle lighting) begins at 5:53 p.m. Friday, March 12; Shabbat ends (Havdallah begins) Saturday, 6:53 p.m. in Fairfield.
Passover
Passover begins at sundown on Monday, March 29, 2010. We hope you will join us for the community Seder as we celebrate freedom and Spring.
A separate email with sign up info will be emailed to you.
Information can also be found at: http://bethshalomfairfield.com/passover/.
Shmurah Matzah is in!
Shmurah means watched, and it is an apt description of this matzah, the ingredients of which (the flour and water) are watched from the moment of harvesting and drawing.
The day chosen for the harvesting of the wheat is a clear, dry day. The moment it is harvested, the wheat is inspected to ensure that there is absolutely no moisture. From then, careful watch is kept upon the grains as they are transported to the mill. The mill is meticulously inspected by Rabbis and supervision professionals to ensure that every piece of equipment is absolutely clean and dry. After the wheat is milled, the flour is again guarded in its transport to the bakery. Thus, from the moment of harvesting through the actual baking of the matzah, the flour is carefully watched to ensure against any contact with water.
The water, too, is carefully guarded to prevent any contact with wheat or other grain. It is drawn the night before the baking, and kept pure until the moment it is mixed with the flour to bake the shmurah matzah.
Also in the bakery itself, shmurah matzot are under strict supervision to avoid any possibility of leavening during the baking process. This intensive process and careful guarding gives the shmurah matzah an added infusion of faith and sanctity — in fact, as the matzah is being made, all those involved constantly repeat “l’shem matzot mitzvah” — “We are doing this for the sake of the mitzvah of matzah.”
Shmurah matzot are round, kneaded and shaped by hand, and are similar to the matzot that were baked by the Children of Israel as they left Egypt. It is thus fitting to use Shmurah Matzah on each of the two Seder nights for the matzot of the Seder plate.
To get Shmurah Matzah:
Bob Rabinoff, of Fairfield writes: “As usual I will be making my annual trip to Des Moines to pick up Pesach supplies and shmurah matzah. If you would like to order shmurah matzah please let me know by email at: rar113@columbia.edu or rabinoff@lisco.com before March 14. The shmurah matzah comes in 1 pound boxes and costs $20/box.”
This is the easiest and lowest priced situation that the Beth Shalom Newsletter found.
The other alternative is to click to order your own shmurah matzah.
from: http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1851/jewish/Shmurah-Matzah.htm