The month of March and the holiday of Purim mark one year since the world as we know it shut down. Many of us can remember the last large gathering we attended before we entered this period of social distancing and isolation. So much has happened in a year, and it is hard to believe that we are now approaching our second virtual Passover seder.
On Passover, we relive the story of our Exodus from Mitzrayim (Egypt). The word mitzrayim means “narrow place.” Slavery confined us to a narrow place, with limits on our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves. The Passover story is one of liberation from the things that hold us back.
In some sense, we have inhabited that narrow space this past year. We have been confined to our own homes and immediate families, and the strain on our physical and emotional selves is palpable. This past year has been one of profound loss - loss of loved ones, jobs, security, and closeness - and even when things return to “normal,” they will never be the same. However, we can find hope in knowing that this narrow existence is not forever. We are marching along the path to freedom as more people continue to receive the vaccine and we all do our part to end this plague. The return to gatherings, hugs, and togetherness is coming.
For most of us, we will escape Mitzrayim when the pandemic ends. But for many others, the reality of oppression will continue. On May 25th, the world stood still for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as we watched the senseless murder of George Floyd. His death sparked a series of nationwide protests and a re-commitment to fighting racism in this country. The youth of TBT presented the board with a letter detailing how we as a
Jewish community might better combat injustice in our own community.
Too quickly, we have already forgotten the events of this past summer. For 400 years we were slaves in Egypt, and the Torah tells us many times not to forgot that part of our history. The act of remembering requires action, and it is our responsibility as Jews to make sure that the same fate does not befall others. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has continued to work tirelessly in the face of racial injustice. Co-founder Patrisse Cullors describes BLM as, “an imaginative freedom portal…. It allows us to dream our biggest dreams not just for Black people in this country but Black people around the world.”
What if we had never left Egypt? What would our dreams of freedom look like? When you talk about freedom at your seder this year, you can joke about freedom from masks and freedom from those with whom you are quarantined. But do not forget to also continue to fight against injustice in our own country and alongside those who face oppression and discrimination daily. Only then will we escape the narrow place and experience true freedom together.
Cantor Jennifer Boyle