Matzah and jam — and a valuable lesson

We got the call April 4, 1993: A baby had been born in Portland, Maine. With no notice, we flew back East to adopt our daughter, Naomi Amalia Weiss.

That’s how my husband, Paul, our then-3-year-old son, Jeremy, and I found ourselves with a newborn baby in a cramped hotel room 3,000 miles away from home in the middle of Passover — eating matzah and jam morning, noon and night.

We attended the local synagogue on Shabbat. The congregation was welcoming; the rabbi said Shehecheyanu celebrating our new daughter.

The next day, we received a call from Carol and Stuart Gilbert, a couple we had met at synagogue. We gratefully accepted their dinner invitation. And what a dinner it was! — a multi-course, kosher-for-Passover feast that included chicken soup, gefilte fish and brisket. They held the baby; we talked together for hours. We spent one very special evening with this generous couple who opened their home to us.

Over the years, we have tried to pass this kindness along, inviting others to join us for Shabbat, Passover and Sukkot. Hachnasat orchim, the welcoming of guests, is a value we try to instill in our children, having learned its power first-hand.

“Not home for the holiday” stories recount memorable Jewish holiday experiences away from home. If you’ve got one, please send it to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or mail it to j., 225 Bush St., Suite 1480, San Francisco, CA 94104.

Allison Kent Weiss lives in Oakland.