Why is this night different from all other nights?
Why is this Passover different from all other years?
Each year we come to the seder carrying all that is happening in our lives and in the life of our shared world.
This year many of us come to pesakh with quivering souls and troubled hearts. The violence, destruction and suffering we are witnessing and experiencing is so difficult to bear. It is understandable that at times we shut down, turn away or become lost in fear, rage and despair. It is understandable that in response to the devastation and pain our hearts harden.
As we know from the pesakh story and our own experiences, a hardened heart diminishes our capacity to feel connection or empathy and act with compassion and care.
This seder guide is designed to help us soften our hearts by sharing our pain and sadness. The aim is to bring us into connection and relationship, not through political agreements or discussions, but rather by sharing experiences of heart-break, sadness and despair.
We each come to pesakh with our own stories to tell. Our common ground, our place of connection this year can be our broken hearts. Even as our hearts might ache for different reasons, sharing our feelings with each other can open the way for connection.
I pray that witnessing each others pain and sadness will help us leave mitzriam, the narrow place of judgment, blame and fear and guide us toward healing, compassion and hope.
Download the Pesakh Guide here.
