Every springtime, the sun shines brightest in Rabbi Aron Teleshevsky’s professional life during the month between Purim and Passover.
On those days when he and his Chabad Youth team climb into the Gilberg Family Matzah Factory truck, they deliver happiness to more than 2800 Jewish children at more than 50 Greater Los Angeles locations.
This program originally was based in Westwood for about 30 years, and Rabbi Teleshevsky has been piloting the truck across the community for 12 years.
Not only do the students — ages 5 to 12 — learn the art of matzah making, they are entertained with a short play about the story of The Exodus.
The children are transported back to Egypt 3350 years ago. They are encouraged to use their imaginations and sound effects, pretending they are slaves to the Pharaoh.
Rabbi Teleshevsky is co-director of Chabad of Playa Del Rey with his wife Mushka, and they are the parents of eight still-young children.
In the rabbi’s own words:
“Enter Moshe chasing his sheep in nearby Midian. Participants get to watch an interaction of Moshe at the burning bush speaking to Hashem. They see Hashem charge Moshe with asking Pharaoh to ‘Let my people go!’
“Moshe gets the students involved. Shouts of ‘Let my people go!’ can be heard echoing in the hallways of many schools in Los Angeles.
“Pharaoh is brought up to the front wearing his Pharaoh costume. The children scream ‘Let my people go!’ over and over, and Pharaoh says ‘No! No! No!
“Meanwhile, water is turned into blood while frogs are jumping all over the place. Every time, the children are enamored by a replay of some of the plagues.
“When Pharaoh finally lets the Jewish people go, the students are whisked to the next part of the program where they have to rush to make their matzah.
“Wheat stalks are distributed. Kernels are separated and ground into fresh flour. We learn that the flour we use needs to be only kosher for Passover.
“Next, a ‘flour girl’ and a ‘water boy’ are called up from the crowd. They help pour the ingredients, and the 18-minute timer starts. We must finish this process within 18 minutes or the dough will begin to rise!
“The children are brought to brown paper covered tables sprinkled with flour, rolling pins and Hole Dockers where they roll out their matzahs nice and flat, put holes in them and bring them quickly to the waiting oven. Phew! We made it! the matzahs are baked crispy and yum for the kids to enjoy as a precursor to the incredible holiday of Passover.”
Rabbi Teleshevsky described the scene as a permanent memory: Covered in baking flour, the children walk away wearing their matzah aprons, hats and very big smiles.
