Retelling the story for the 3,330th time
This Friday night, Jews around the world will be sitting around the table retelling the story of the birth of our nation. This year marks exactly 3,330 years from the first Exodus out of Egypt.
We’ve heard the story once, we’ve heard the story twice, we’ve heard it many times, yet we continue to tell the story to ourselves, to our family and most importantly, to the next generation.
For millennia, we’ve been telling and retelling the same story, yet it doesn’t get old for us because every year we have another insight, another detail and lesson to be inspired by.
The story is not only about our past, but about our future. It’s the story of our people. A people envied yet persecuted. Revered while despised. Loved while loathed. We always come back to the story of our birth, a miraculous story where we went from the depths of depravity to the heights of holiness, charged with a mission to change the world one mitzvah at a time.
We tell our children, we tell the children around us, we share the story with our friends, we listen to the stories of our elders, and we listen to ourselves relate the stories. But we don’t just talk and share stories; the Seder is full of tangible action, most notably, eating matzah. If we want our children to connect, we have to give them something tangible to relate to.
This year my wife, Devorah, and I are fortunate to be able to relate the story not only to our children but also to the next generation. Five months ago, we were blessed to become proud grandparents to Sheina, a lovely girl born to our daughter, Mussi. As my mother, bless her heart, is flying in from Brooklyn to join our Seder, I will be fortunate to have four generations sitting together and, God willing, sharing the Passover experience.
While she’s a brilliant little baby, I’m not sure how much of the Seder my granddaughter will understand, yet I’m sure her soul will be in tune at her first Passover Seder. I also hope to sneak her a little matzah while her parents aren’t watching. Shhhh …
Passover also is a good time to reflect on those individuals in our life who have told the story well enough to inspire us. Those who have taken the time and energy to engage us and move us to live the story of the Jewish people.
For me, growing up in Brooklyn, this one person who stands out above all is the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson of blessed memory.
The Rebbe believed in us children. He believed that education could made a difference so long as the educator cared about the student. More than wisdom and teachings, the Rebbe cared about us. Even while fielding problems and helping thousands of people around the world, the Rebbe never lost sight of the individual. We always felt that we were the center of his universe.
He motivated and encouraged us to take on the world with loving kindness. He made the miracles of old come alive with miracles of his own. And he did it all with love. Not surprisingly, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the Rebbe’s birthday, four days before Passover, as Education Day USA, and every year since then, the presidents have continued to proclaim this day. I’m honored that new Mayor Alan Webber has joined government leaders around the country in proclaiming this Tuesday, March 27, as Education and Sharing Day Santa Fe. Thank you, Alan, you are a mentch!
This Passover, let’s take the time to care and share the story of our miraculous existence with at least one more person. They don’t have to be our own child. They don’t have to be a child. As long as it comes from the heart, it will enter the heart.
I hope you will join us for our family, community Seder this Friday, March 30, at the Jewish Center downtown. Visit SantaFeJCC.com/Seder to reserve your seat. May we all have a kosher and happy Passover!