Adult Education Blog

There's a moment at the start of the Seder when we hold up the matzah and declare, "This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry enter and eat." In his commentary to the Haggadah, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asks whether it is actual hospitality to offer the hungry the taste of suffering. The matzah, he says, represents two things: it is the food of slaves, and it is the bread the Israelites ate as they left Egypt for freedom. What transforms the bread of oppression into the bread of freedom, says Rabbi Sacks, is the willingness to share it with others. One who fears tomorrow does not offer their bread to others. But a willingness to divide one's food with a stranger means that one is capable of fellowship and faith, the two things from which hope is born.

Passover is a holiday of symbols and metaphors and hope. And though none of us are in the circumstances we would wish for right now, we can still cultivate that hope not just in ourselves but in others. We are here for you, and we hope you will let us know if you need anything, even if it's just someone to talk to. Reach out to us if we can help, and reach out to those who will be lifted up by hearing from you. May we all taste the bread of freedom this holiday.