Residents at The Legacy Preston Hollow senior living community recently enjoyed a traditional Seder with their families and staff on the first night of Passover. Nearly 100 people were in attendance as everyone came together for this important holiday that is central to the Jewish faith.  Passover is a celebration of freedom which unifies Jewish residents and their families with each other and their ancestors.  

“This holiday is full of wonderful traditions, and it is a special time to honor our heritage with our residents and their families,” said Bruce Feldman, longtime supporter of The Legacy Senior Communities, Inc. who led the Seder. “The Passover Seder is about taking time to remember the most momentous parts of history as the Israelites fled from Egypt, and it allows us to experience the story through our senses with this symbolic experience together.”

The service opened with the candle lighting and was followed by traditional prayers, songs and the four questions. The reading of the Haggadah was done by several of The Legacy Preston Hollow community members and staff including board member Linda Garner as well as COO/CFO for The Legacy Senior Communities, Inc., Brian Barnes and President and CEO Michael Ellentuck with his wife Linda. In addition, the activities director for The Legacy Preston Hollow, Lolita Mason, led her moving rendition of the gospel hymn, “Go Down Moses.”

Each part of the traditional Seder meal symbolized a valuable piece of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The actual story was retold during the Seder, and symbolic food items were included on the Seder plate to reinforce certain aspects of the story. The karpas (green vegetable) represented the green flourishing vegetation of new life in spring, the saltwater symbolized the tears the Jewish people shed while they were slaves in Egypt, the matzah reminded participants of the haste of the departure from Egypt.

“We take pride in providing an extraordinary Passover Seder for our residents and guests at The Legacy Preston Hollow,” said Michael Ellentuck. “This holiday is extremely important, and our staff spends a great deal of time ensuring that the experience is meaningful for our residents and guests.  We hope everyone who attended enjoyed the celebration as we all created special memories together.”

For more information about The Legacy Preston Hollow, please call 214-363-5100 or visit www.thelegacyPH.org.