🪶 🪶 The Shadow of the Wing

A Passover Reflection for the Present Moment

Leader: On this night, we recall the "Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm" that led us out of Egypt. But we also remember that the Hebrew word for Passover, Pesach, is linked to the imagery of a bird hovering over its nest. In the book of Isaiah (31:5), it is written: “As birds hovering, so will the Lord of hosts protect Jerusalem; He will deliver it as He protecteth it, He will rescue it as He passeth over.”

Group Reading: Tonight, we think of our family in the Land of Israel—those who have had to hurl themselves into the dust of a ditch to avoid the fire of the sky. We pray that they feel not just the cold earth, but the warmth of a Divine Wing.

We pray for the safety and the liberation of the Iranian people, of the Lebanese people, and of Gazans, caught up in war. The waging of self defensive wars must balance force with diplomacy. People who are repressed, oppressed by their governments must be able to live in dignity and security. We pray for the cessation of violence everywhere. 

The Poem: The Nest in the Furrow

The Seder table is set with the salt of old tears, But tonight, the wine tastes like the iron of now. We speak of a hand that is mighty and outstretched, But we pray for the breast of the bird, The soft, downy underside of the Infinite To lower itself until it touches the dust.

In the desert of the soul, or a ditch by the road, The children are small, and the sky has grown teeth. They hurl their bodies into the curve of the earth, Pressed against the soil like unhatched dreams, While above them, the Mother-Wings spread— A vast, pulsing canopy of silver and spirit.

She does not fly away from the fire; She hovers. She is the shield that trembles but does not break, Placing Her heartbeat between the metal and the soft, Catching the jagged rain in Her feathers So the nest below might remain a sanctuary.

"Pass over," she whispers to the soaring death, Not as a command to a stranger’s door, But as a physical wall of love and bone. Tonight, we are all hatchlings in the furrow, Looking up through the dark to see the stars Blocked out by the gold-flecked wings of a God Who refuses to leave the ground Until the morning is safe.

A Blessing for the Second Cup: May the One who bore us on eagles' wings carry those in danger to a place of safety. May the "hovering" protection of this night extend to every shelter and every heart.

I am a member of several interconnecting women's circles, including NGO/CSW/NY , WOMEN RISING FOR PEACE,  and IWDC-2026

https://worldwomensummit.net/

The Global IWDC Alliance (International Women’s Day Conference 2021–2030 Initiative) successfully concluded its flagship global conference, IWDC-26 (Round-6), virtually from 25th to 29th March 2026, marking a significant milestone in advancing women’s economic empowerment and cross-sector global collaboration.

Global Participation and Scale

IWDC-26 brought together:

• Representation from 170 countries

• Engagement across 20+ strategic development sectors

• Delivery of 50+ virtual hours of structured programming

• Participation from 225 high-level speakers, including policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, and development practitioners

This level of participation reflects the growing recognition of IWDC as a globally aligned platform connecting local realities with international opportunities.

I was honored to record 3 of my monologues from Picking Up Stones shown on the final day of this conference.