2 weeks Ago By Cat Ansar
In a longstanding local ritual signifying the commencement of Passover, Chief John Drake of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) and Rabbi Joshua Kullock from the West End Synagogue held a small ceremony this morning. This ceremony continued a 31-year tradition in which the Chief took on legal ownership of the Synagogue’s leavened products for the duration of the holiday. According to the ritual's rules, adherent Jewish families are not to maintain ownership of any leavened products made from grains during Passover.
This means such items are typically stowed away, out of use, until the holiday concludes on April 20. This symbolic transfer, well-established in the local community, involves Rabbi Kullock, granted power of attorney by his congregants to pass over their leavened foodstuffs to a non-Jewish custodian—Nashville's police chief. This year, the West End Synagogue expressed gratitude for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s ongoing support by donating to a local charity.
This gesture highlighted the synagogue's strong bond with the wider Nashville community and showed how acts of respect and understanding can help bring people together across cultural and religious lines..
