CyberTorah

Passover Supplement for Ukrainian Refugees

Passover has alway been a celebration that has both the bitter and the sweet. We remember persecution and violence and the possibility of redemption. We hid the afikomen because we have to actively pursue freedom. We are partners with God in bringing light and hope into the world. I offer you these two additions for this years' Seder to help our ritual open our eyes to how we can bring light into the world.

Add a fourth matzah to the matzot. After “We Were Slaves” lift the fourth matzah and say:
We were slaves in Egypt, and wanderers in the desert. We Jews have been exiled and expelled from our homes over and over again. Tonight  we remember the suffering of the 4 million Ukrainian refugees displaced by Putin’s unconscionable attack. We bring to mind the millions in Europe, Israel, and the United States displaced by this unjust and unprovoked war. In lifting the matzah, we pledge to remember them and support them so they can eat bread and find a home.

After Dayenu, read:
We were slaves in Egypt, and wanderers in the desert and throughout the Earth. Today, we have homes and a state, the land of Israel. In 1945, being a displaced Jew meant you had nowhere to go and no one who would take you. Dayenu: Now we have a land of our own and a place that will always take Jewish refugees. Dayenu: People search for Jewish ancestors so that Israel will accept them. We are grateful to you, God, for the state of Israel and pray for its safety and security. Dayenu!!

Happy Passover to all!
Rabbi David Booth