As Jews in South Jersey and worldwide do without chametz to celebrate Passover, the plight of modern refugees is on the minds of many Passover, after all, is the ultimate refugee holiday. Every year we retell the ancient story of our flight from oppression, reciting the words “Arami Oved Avi,” sometimes translated as “My father …
Read More
They lit candles, praying that those suffering around the world find light in the darkness. Dipping karpas into salt water, they saw the tears of all who suffer injustice. Abdul Jalal Hashimi then watched the congregants of Temple Beth-El in Richmond break the matzah, the bread of affliction, symbolizing the deep brokenness in the world …
Read More
Next week, between 150 and 200 people will gather for a Passover seder at Temple Beth-El in Richmond, Va. When the traditional Passover question is posed — “Why is this night different from all other nights?” — there’s a new answer. Guests at the Seder, co-sponsored by the refugee aid agency ReEstablish Richmond, will include …
Read More
During the breaking of the matzah at the beginning of the seders next week, Jews and non-Jews at the table will be able to read a text about “refugees across the globe [who] experience the consequences of having their lives ruptured.” And in the section of one Haggadah that describes the Exodus from ancient Egypt, the …
Read More
Every year at Passover, Jews around the world revisit the foundational story of their ancient ancestors’ journey as refugees to the promised land. With a modern-day refugee crisis sweeping the globe, the holiday has taken on new significance for some of those observing it. Passover, which falls between April 10-18 this year, is a Jewish …
Read More