Do you do it enough? Thanking God for Freedom

By Leemor Dotan KOACH Midwest Fieldworker

In February, KOACH celebrated another year with the 13th Annual Kallah at the University of Maryland in College Park. It was an amazing time, filled with spirituality, enthusiasm, friendships and plenty of rain. Our scholar in residence, Rabbi Debra Orenstein, focused on the topics of sexuality, rituals and observance in our Jewish lives. The discussions stretched across a wide spectrum and certainly spoke to everyone at the Kallah.

During one discussion, Orenstein asked students to think about the different rituals they practice as they celebrate hagim (holidays). Rituals can be unique to each family and/or person. One student expressed that Passover was her least favorite holiday because of the style in which her father used to lead the seder each year. Always the same thing…nothing so inspiring for her.

It made me think of my own experiences and the number of sedarim I have celebrated with and without my family. Did they really provide much significance for me? Did I walk away really feeling the meaning of freedom? When I was younger, I just wanted to get through the seder and eat already. I always looked forward to the egg and salt water because I knew we were almost done.

I sometimes dreaded going to certain family friends' homes, because of how long it would take to get through the Haggadah. (I didn't have much patience!) On a few occasions, my sister and I would have these absurd fits of laughter for no reason. Now that I look back, I think we were just bored watching everyone else look lost. No one seemed to really enjoy the story. The meaning was gone. The family had their parts and everyone was just going through the motions. I was starting to get frustrated.

However, years later, my Pesah experiences have certainly changed. I enjoy the holiday; I appreciate the meaningful seder so much more and truly love all the rituals we practice.

How did this change occur? First of all, I am not able to spend every hag with my family anymore. During college, it was easy to drive home for seder or high holidays, but since I have lived in Chicago, every year has been different for me. I'm often invited to friends' homes and rarely get to travel back home. Every time I go somewhere else, I pick up on a new Passover ritual and remember some of my own family's Passover claims to fame.

Depending on where I am going, the situation is not always ideal. Some sedarim have been too religious; others didn't have enough substance for me. Whether it's the different food, the Haggadah or the unique approaches to the seder, I find myself making the best out of the situation and realize how fortunate I am to have the freedom to celebrate Pesah in any part of the world, with friends and/or family and in any synagogue. This has been a great lesson for me and in fact, demonstrates the true meaning behind Pesah.

We commemorate this significant holiday with a story about freedom and it's something that we really need to remember every day: our freedom as a people. While you are retelling the story of Moses bringing the Jews to freedom at your seder this year, take a moment and reflect on your own freedoms and what you are thankful for.

They might not compare to stories of Jews thousands and thousands of years ago, but a freedom such as choosing your own university or the freedom to learn are a couple that we often overlook. The right to choose is one of the most disregarded freedoms we possess and it is one to which we need pay more attention. Our world is so uncertain these days; counting our blessings and acknowledging our fortunes can be a new ritual to implement into our Passover seder, as well as our daily lives.

Do you recognize your liberties enough? Try taking five minutes when you wake up (after the coffee) or perhaps a moment before you go to sleep, to remember all the freedoms you enjoy.

[Posted 3/27/03]