Dear Families,
This is it — Passover begins whether we are ready or not! It is the ultimate Dayenu — it would have been enough if…
- …if we bought everything kosher for Passover at the store.
- …if we cleaned every inch of our house (and our car) to get rid of the chametz.
- …if we got ready with our Haggadah and added new and different readings.
- …if we were ready to keep Passover for the entire week.
- …if we downloaded the app and were ready to count the omer.
- …if ..if…if…
What is enough? This is the endless question of our life and, especially right before a major holiday, we feel that we can never do enough — but remember, we are enough!
Whether you are having two Sedarim with a multitude of guests or just yourself with a few friends on Zoom, keep the big picture and choose which details to embrace. Rabbi Benjamin Blech wrote “The 5 Most Important Things to Know About Passover” sharing the greatest contributions to the world in these five words/ideas: memory, optimism, faith, family and responsibility. No matter how long or short your Seder may be, remember to touch on these five things. In fact, give the assignment out to five guests — what makes this concept such an important contribution to the world from the lessons of Passover?
As the J’s Jewish educator, I have told the Passover story in myriad ways so many times these past few weeks that I wonder how to get excited about it again when I sit down with my family. It is the five words above that drive me, and I hope you, to continue the rituals and stories again and again last year, this year, future years — it never gets old because each year we are new again! So, here in a short article, I am challenging you to always keep it new and exciting! Have a wonderful, memorable, growing, learning, happy Passover!
Laura Seymour is Camp director emeritus and Jewish Experiential Learning director at the Aaron Family JCC.