The message of Passover: “Freedom is won not on the battlefield but in the classroom and the home. Teach
your children the history of freedom if you want them never to lose it.
—Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks
Cecile and I hosted a very simple and intimate gathering for the first night of Passover that happened to fall on Good Friday this year. Our son Jason and his partner Alex attended, our daughter Michelle, our son-in-law Kyle and our precious granddaughter Lyla, who is 4 1/2 months old. And, I can’t forget Jason’s dog Daisy (our beloved grand dog) who made herself comfortable in Lyla’s portable bed on the living room sofa (photo). I have to say, Lyla added such a warm glow to the evening. Developmentally, she is now more observant of her surroundings, is cooing and smiling when engaged, is mesmerized by the bright colors of her picture books and toys, can hold her head up and she is grasping our fingers with more intensity. She is too sweet for words.
Cecile prepared filet of salmon, oven baked brisket, grilled asparagus, hearts of palm salad, charoset, a sweet paste of fruits and nuts, symbolizing the mortar the Hebrew slaves used to build the Egyptian pyramids. It is spread on Matzo, unleavened flatbread or crackers. For dessert, we had flowerless chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and various flavors of ice cream. Alex brought some kosher red wine called Decoy and Michelle and Kyle brought a beautiful orchid plant.
Though I was raised Catholic, I feel particularly blessed to be married to my beloved wife, Cecile who was raised in a Jewish household and shared some of her fondest memories of celebrating the Jewish holidays with her extended family in the great city of Chicago. Our son Jason and Michelle had their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, at the age of 13 and I have learned a great deal about the Jewish faith, participated in Interfaith dialogue, sang in the choir at Congregation Shir Hadash, a Reform Temple which has many interfaith couples as members, and led some meditation and healing services preceding the Friday night Shabbat (Sabbath) services back in the day.
The Passover Story and why it resonates so much with Jews and many non-Jews alike:
The festival commemorates the Exodus of the Jews and Moses, their reluctant leader from Egypt, a key step in the formation of the Jewish people. It is an invitation for Jews to relive the liberation from slavery as if they had actually been in Egypt, to teach the narrative to the next generation, and to claim the history of their people as part of their own identities. it has become increasingly more popular over the years to invite neighbors, co-workers, and families of interfaith couples. Even the White House has held a seder since 2008. Unlike many communal religious rituals that take place in a synagogue, it takes place around the dinner table. The Passover story in Exodus particularly resonates for many non-Jews as well who find themselves being oppressed. African-Americans who suffered greatly during the Civil Rights movement and whose ancestors were slaves use Exodus as a metaphor for their struggles and expression for their own liberation. Passover affirms the great truth of our day, that liberty is the right of every human being all over the world.
Happy Passover to our Jewish family and friends! May your home be a place of happiness and health; contentment, generosity, and hope; creativity and loving kindness.
