Dear Friends,
Little did Judy and I know when we concluded last year’s seder with leshanah haba-ah birushalayim, “New Year in Jerusalem,” how much the Jewish world and life in Israel would have changed by the next Pesah. Indeed, we are spending Pesah 5784 in Yerushalayim, but not because of the arrival of the messianic redemption. Since October 7, we have been longing to see our children, breathe in the air of the Land of Israel, and stand in solidarity with her People. Pesah was the ideal time to do so. I am grateful to Rabbi Greene, Cantor Zim, Gordon Goldman, and the entire community for understanding this profound need. I will bring your tzedakah and good wishes to Israelis, who surely appreciate your support.
Pesah 5784 will be unlike any other Pesah in recent memory–we are able to gather without fear of virus, but still we are traumatized in different ways. This past Monday evening, my session at Pesah University introduced students to a wide variety of resources that can make this first post-October 7 Pesah reflective and meaningful for all participants. I’m including links to Seder supplements from a slew of worthy Jewish educators and organizations. You can use as many or as few that suit you, whether you are leading the seder or simply looking for something to think about in advance. I pray that next year we all can enjoy a higher degree of shalom, and that we might indeed live to witness redemption.
Shalom Hartman Institute’s Haggadah Supplement
Kveller’s 7 tips for Seder after October 7
Bringing the Hostages to your Seder
Multilingual resources from Masorti Olami
Seder historian Rabbi Josh Kulp’s family supplement
Shabbat Shalom, Hag Sameah, and Shalom al Yisrael,
Rabbi David Wise
Candle lighting: 7:21 PM
Torah Reading: Leviticus 14:1-15:33
Haftarah: Malachi 3:4-24
