Like many Jews around the world, these past few nights I’ve been up late preparing for Passover. We make a big JGSI Seder here in Los Angeles, in addition to the dozens of Passover Seders we organize for grad students on campuses across North America, so it’s a very busy time of year.
One of my teenage daughters has been up late beside me at the dining table, pouring hours of hard work into making her very own Haggadah. Watching her from a distance makes me feel a) old, because I now have a kid who goes to bed later than me; and b) immensely proud of how much she cares about Passover and being Jewish.
I never did anything like writing my own Haggadah when I was a kid. My only responsibilities on Passover were making sure to get the Ma Nishtana lyrics right and betting on whether my Uncle Sam would stay awake until Dayenu that year. How times have changed! These days, I’m responsible for not just my own family’s Passover experience, but for making sure that thousands of grad students around the country who rely on JGSI get a Passover experience too.
When kids are young they have a natural curiosity about tradition, and the Seder is designed to awaken that curiosity. Our ultimate goal isn't the juiciest brisket, but that our kids walk away inspired to be Jewish. But as we get older, we tend to forget that it’s equally important – if not more important – to inspire ourselves through our beautiful traditions. For Judaism to be meaningful, each of us adults needs to figuratively write our very own “Haggadah,” to connect our people’s past with our personal present, and think about how to pass that to the future.
I’m inspired knowing that at JGSI we are doing the best we can to awaken real curiosity about our Jewish heritage within the next generation of Jewish leaders.
As we come together Wednesday evening to celebrate this special holiday of Passover, we remember the story of the Jewish nation’s liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, and retell the story yet again. This year, let’s make it our own.
Wishing you a joyful and meaningful Passover, filled with love, laughter, and blessings. Chag Sameach!
