It was a busy day last Tuesday in the Illinois capital when a rabbinic delegation was invited to spread awareness and inspiration in advance of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover, which began on Friday night and lasts until the night of Saturday, April 30.
The visit to Springfield was timed to coincide with the 11th of Nissan, the 114th anniversary of birth of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—widely acclaimed as the most influential rabbi of modern times.
The rabbis—Rabbi Meir S. Moscowitz and Rabbi Avrohom Kagan—representatives of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, visited both the Illinois House of Representatives and the State Senate. Each of the Houses issued special proclamations recognizing the Rebbe’s unique contributions to education and morality.
Afterwards, along with members of the Jewish caucus, they met privately with Mike Madigan, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. The wide-ranging meeting covered Passover-related issues and the significance of 11 Nissan.
Then they hopped over the aisle to meet with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who signed an official proclamation declaring 11 Nissan to be “Education and Sharing Day,” one day after President Barack Obama announced national recognition of “Education & Sharing Day, USA,” following a decades-long tradition that extends back to the administration of President Jimmy Carter.
The governor then joined the rabbis and key supporters for a model seder in the governor’s mansion, a practice he began last year.
In between all these stops and meetings, the rabbis distributed handmade shmurah matzah to the state’s Jewish legislators.
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