Susan B Judaica Lesson 3/24
Hello Vav Squad!
As promised last week, this week we are diving into Passover. I totally understand if you’re thinking, “Really? This year? Slavery is so 1300 BCE! We’ve got enough modern problems to deal with.”
I get it. But there’s something to be said for holidays. They’re kind of a lifeline to the past – not just to the story at the heart of a holiday but to the story of all of our ancestors who’ve celebrated the story since. Including your grandparents, your parents and you, your own self. Sometimes we get caught up in worrying about dealing with relatives, unusual food, or being trapped in the Ma Nishtanah spotlight. And it’s only if and when we’re denied the opportunity to celebrate a holiday, for whatever reason, that we may realize that our present is just a little duller, that it might have been fun to see those relatives, to share something you’ve learned this year, or even just to have a break in your everyday routine. So why not step up and help bring your family into a positive space this year? One day you’ll look back on today’s challenges and be proud that you made it through as an individual and as a family. Let’s make Passover 2020 a lifeline to the future.
Watch this Passover Recap:
Fun Fact
How many times do you think Moses is mentioned in the original Hagaddah – the Hagaddah everyone used before the mid-20th century?
NONE! The star of the Hagaddah is God. The Hagaddah concludes the story by saying, “In every generation a person is obligated to see him or herself as having personally come out of Egyptian bondage.” One interpretation of this is that each one of us must do our best not to live like slaves to people or things of no lasting value and to make our own society a more just one. We can’t simply wait for one strong individual to save us; we each have to act in a manner that brings out the best in us all.
Remember the Ladies!
While Moses has the starring human role in this story, women are crucial! The midwives refused to obey Pharaoh’s order to drown the baby Hebrews. Miriam, Moses’s older sister, guarded baby Moses-in-a-basket as he floated down the Nile, then arranged for her mother to be his nanny. Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses and kept him alive. Miriam remained Moses’s chief cheerleader during the Exodus and beyond.
Consider:
Remember all those childless matriarchs in בראשית? Some think the Torah is saying that Pharaoh’s daughter – also childless – played an equally important role in the history of the Jewish people. What do you think?
The Exodus and Negro Spirituals
Like the ancient Hebrews, African-Americans dreamt of freedom during their years of slavery. These dreams have remained as songs - Negro (yes, the word “Negro” is
correct here) spirituals. These songs employ the words and themes of the Exodus story. Here’s one of the most famous spirituals, Let My People Go.
Our people’s connection with African-American freedom and rights has gone way beyond songs. American Jews played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th Century. As we’ve discussed, seeking justice – צדק – is a fundamental Jewish value.
The Exodus: An EPIC story
Watch the Red Sea split – awesome!
Wasn’t that great? Want more from that 1956 blockbuster, The Ten Commandments? Here’s the Exodus highlight reel.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Ask all your relatives – grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles – and any family friends that might usually attend a Seder with you – for their strongest Passover memories. Write them down and send them to me: susan.bourla@gmail.com.
Of course, keep these memories! You can weave them into your family’s Seder.
Next week, we’ll examine the greatest Show-and-Tell Story Ever Told – the Seder.
Until then, please complete the assignment. And feel free to do last week’s, too!
Stay strong and keep smiling, Vav Squad!
Susan