Passover what is freedom

Danny Rich, Senior Rabbi of Liberal Judaism, says: "What might Pesach — zeman cherutaynu: the season of our freedom — mean when the Haggadah demands: 'In every generation every person must see themselves as if they themselves were personally freed from Egyptian bondage'? The Children of Israel had escaped physical bondage but not the trauma it had caused.

It could be the birth of a child, a wedding day, or a moment of great accomplishment. When we experience such moments it is as if the world reveals itself to us in perfection.

We perceive these moments to be filled with grace, and we might feel that our lives were worth even one such experience. Dayenu lists the gracious acts of God that brought us out of Egypt. After mentioning each one, we exclaim Dayenu! We yearn to be free in order to choose and achieve meaningful lives. What do I do about the parts of the Haggadah that trouble me? Israeli ambassador rushed out of event at LSE as protesters swarm her car.

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Killer of French Holocaust survivor jailed for life. Will all this wailing over the wall end in tears for the ultra-Orthodox? According to texts, the Egyptian Pharaoh refused to liberate the children of Israel, despite requests from Moses and his brother, Aaron. The pharaoh was warned that his people and he would be punished if the pharaoh did not comply. Persistent and obstinate in his refusal, Pharaoh was subjected to 10 plagues, each of which was more devastating than the previous one.

These plagues included blood, frogs, bugs, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the demise of all firstborn males.

To be spared the penultimate devastation, Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb for a meal and to mark their doors with its blood.

Because Passover is so symbolic, Passover seders, which take place either on the first Friday or both the first and second Friday of Passover, feature many traditions.

It is customary to read the Haggadah at the seder table, but celebrants who cannot come together may share these important stories, blessings and songs via an online video chat. In addition, if Passover celebrants cannot make it to the store or find all of the ingredients for their seder plates, substitutions may need to be made. Traditionally, an egg, bitter herbs, a shank bone, parsley, haroset chopped mixed nuts, fruits and cinnamon , and lettuce are included.

Celebrants can even experiment with making unleavened bread at home if necessary. If horseradish for a bitter herb is unavailable, any item that can cause tears, such as ginger or raw lemon, may be substituted. American Civic Life. Higher Education. Racial Equity. Eboo Patel. Even as the story of liberation at the center of the seder reaches bac k in time, the wisdom that come s in its observance reflects the concerns of the Jewish People and society in the present.

To understand some of what might be heard at sermons across the country I asked three Rabbis, including Rabbi Brous , to tell me how they were thinking of Passover this year. We are asking ourselves who we have been, who we are, and who we want to be. Will we rise up on the wings of freedom and move towards liberation, will we address the inequities in our society? Rabbi Joshua Stanton serves at East End Temple in New York City and is also reflecting on how what freedom in the Passover story means for our current moment and the tension between our personal freedom and the freedom of society as a whole.

This year, we examine the notion of what Isaiah Berlin termed positive and negative freedom. Are we willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom to do whatever we want? Or must we give up some of the boundless possibilities of individual autonomy for the common good? While many of us have made heroic sacrifices and decisions, our society has also abandoned many people in their time of need.

For example, our society has failed essential workers, working them harder than ever without adequate supplies, training and compensation. For elders, especially those in care facilities, we have provided poorly staffed, unregulated environments, without structures of accountability to take common-sense steps to prevent more deaths.

And due to ongoing structural racism, Black, Latino and Indigenous people are at higher risk of illness and less likely to receive adequate care. Yet this one-year anniversary invites us to notice a dissonance between our aspirational values and our actions — and to resolve to do better.

Fortunately, our state Legislature is working to improve our social contract and address some of these issues. I want to particularly highlight three bills working through the Oregon Legislature.