MAROR: Reflections of a Jew of Color

We eat maror to remember bitterness of oppression in the criminal justice system  

We eat maror to remember bitterness of  oppression of tyrannical executive order

We eat maror to remember systemic oppression 

Of the immigrant, the sick, the powerless, and the poor,

I eat maror to remember being spat upon

Judio! your Grandma’s a Jew

I eat maror to remember 

Shame on you,  Conversos

I eat maror to remember bitterness 

In sweet sanctuary of worship

Where the only people who looked like me 

Were hired to clean up our debris

I eat maror to remember 

That which unites us 

While speakers with august degrees

Tell me how I should feel 

Discourse with civility 

Sarabande

Pas waltz around

In three, two, one

About face

Face to face

I eat maror to remember how bittersweet it is to see people of color 

Llike me in here 

And I do not, do not for one moment doubt that they are Jewish 

if they’re in here 

Haven’t we all come to worship in this house so fine

Broken we walked in here

You have no idea how

Broken and needing 

When we come in here  

Broken and needing to pray

I eat maror to remember how bitter

Sweet it is to see people of color 

In here  where I raised my children

We are care

Giving for our parents

We are baby

Sitting with your children 

We are women and men without whom this city will go poof!

But we’re invisible except when we’re called to clean up the debris

I eat maror to remember bitterness 

that ruined my taste

That ate up my teeth

When I was told

Something’s not quite right

You don’t have the background

You don’t have the Yichus

Move over 

this is only 

for Jews


 


haggadah Section: Maror