This is the bread of
poverty and persecution
that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt
Let all who are hungry,
come and eat
Let all who are in
need, come and share the Passover meal
This year we are still
here – Next year, in the land of Israel
This year we are still
slaves – Next year, free people
-Passover Haggadah
Each spring, these words are read at our Passover table! The rabbis long ago determined the
significance of these words. Not only is
this the first major reading of the seder, but it was written in Aramaic, the
language most Jews understood when the Haggadah was first compiled. The rabbis wanted everyone who sat at the
Passover table, young and old, to understand our Jewish obligation to help
those who are hungry AND those who are in need.
That is why many Jews open their front doors at this point in the seder,
welcoming all who don’t have a place to go for the Passover meal.
This year, our annual Mitzvah Day falls much earlier in our
Temple calendar. Normally we gather to
do mitzvot and acts of loving kindness well after Passover. However, because of our quirky Jewish
calendar, we’ll join together with Temple Beth Sholom a few weeks prior to the
holiday. That makes this year’s Mitzvah
Day extra special! Our theme this year is
“Share your bread with the Hungry” words written by the Prophet Isaiah. Just as Passover approaches, we will have the
opportunity to gather as a community and help feed the hungry and provide
comfort to all who are in need.
In connection with the upcoming Passover holiday, many of our
projects this year will revolve around the issues of hunger and poverty. We’ll join together to make and deliver meals
to those in need; our youngest kids will decorate cookies to be delivered to
the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN); our teens will be making hundreds of
sandwiches for hungry New Yorkers; and our Brotherhood will oversee the packing
of Passover meals for Jews in the Lower East Side.
This year, we’ll also have the opportunity not just to do
mitzvot, but to learn about the challenges many face. David Napell from Mazon: A Jewish Response to
Hunger and Christine Going from Island Harvest will join us to share their
thoughts about Food Insecurity in Long Island and approaches we can take to
help hungry Long Islanders.
As we begin our preparations for the Passover holiday, I
invite you to join us on Sunday, April 10th from 9am – 1pm at Temple
Sinai for Mitzvah Day! Join us to learn,
to do acts of loving kindness, and to meet your fellow congregants. Mitzvah Day is always a highlight of the
year. May we open our home to all who
are hungry and all who are in need.
