Passover is a holiday at which we ask four famous questions. While I am excited to hear my own little ones ask those questions, I have four questions of my own as we head into the festival of freedom.
1. With so much bad news in the world, is it "kosher" to rejoice at our seders this year?
Like the generations of Jews who came before us throughout our tumultuous history, we Jews are resilient, always managing somehow to turn our pain into something uplifting, productive, and beautiful. Being Jewish is an exercise in nimbleness, requiring us to glide between sorrow and joy, dark and light. At the seder, we simultaneously taste the bitter and the sweet of the Jewish experience as we commemorate our rebirth from slavery to freedom, from tears to joy. Even with all the tsuris the Jews have gone through in the last couple years--or maybe precisely because of what we've gone through--we've got to carve out space for the joy of being Jewish. We can grieve, but we still give ourselves permission to engage in the joyous rituals and celebrations that are baked into the Jewish calendar.
2. Why is the oldest form of hatred still alive and kicking?
This year, the ever-present plague of antisemitism looms over us, along with frogs, hail, locusts, and pestilence. But what's new? "In every generation," we read in the
Haggadah
, they "rise up against us to destroy us." Haman tried. Hitler tried. And Hamas is still trying. Throughout 4,000 years of history, our people have been plagued by darkness. But throughout those same thousands of years, we always find a way to kindle the light. On every holiday, including Passover, we light candles. Somehow, through so much peril, persecution, and darkness--the Jewish people have rebounded, and are still shining.
3. What's one thing we can do to make this Passover a happier one for our friends and neighbors?
Between the still lingering effects of the pandemic, October 7, the loneliness epidemic, the political division, and even the high price of eggs, one thing we can agree on is that the going has been rough. Now the good news: One of the wonderful things about being Jewish is being a part of
klal yisrael=
-a peoplehood--and that we never go it alone. We're part of a community; we're meant to pray together, to grieve together, and to celebrate together, too. The seders are an ideal time to extend an invitation to others in the community who may not have a place to go. We're commanded to ask "all who are hungry to come and eat." In a time of so much anguish for our people, this year is as important as ever to break out the folding chairs and make room for everyone who is hungering for Jewish sustenance and community.
4. How do we pass on to the next generation less of the "oy" and more of the "joy" that comes with being Jewish?
There are few things that give me more joy than watching my young daughters "do Jewish." At our seder this year, I can't wait for my girls to slurp their matzah ball soup, delight in their afikomen search, and spill matzah crumbs and grape juice on their seder dresses. Lucky for me, my girls are still too young to be warned of the dangers that comes with being Jewish. No doubt, one day soon they will catch on to the fact that not everybody loves the Jews. Meanwhile, I'm focused less on teaching them to push against the tide of Jewish hatred, and more on pulling them toward the joys of living Jewishly. We have to ground the next generation in a solid and beautiful foundation of Jewish pride before they can understand what they're protecting.
If our holidays teach us anything, it's that tough times shall pass. For every "Egypt," there is an Exodus. One generation's hardship becomes the next generation's holiday.
From our family to yours---have a happy Passover!
