We are gathered here tonight to tell the ancient story of Passover and the liberation of the Jewish people from Egypt. We tell this story not only to keep it alive and to remind future generations of our heritage, but to understand and reflect upon the oppression of slavery and the power of liberation. Our lives today look nothing like the lives of our ancestors in Egypt, but tonight, we should all take a moment and consider the ways that people around the world—both Jewish and non-Jewish—are oppressed. The story of Passover is not just one of liberation, it is an instructional guide to freedom. As we recount the story, let’s pay close attention to the ways that completely ordinary people fought against the immorality and cruelty of the Pharoah. From Egyptian midwives to lesser-known Hebrew siblings, a central theme in this story—our history as Jews—is the impulse to act in the name of justice. When we remember this story, we frame our memory in the actions of those in it.

And beyond a reflection of others far away and outside of our daily routines, we should consider the ways that we, ourselves, still need liberation. In what ways to do keep ourselves enslaved? Through the pursuit of money, power, and image, true freedom remains out of reach. This evening let’s reflect on the ways that we hold ourselves in bondage and consider ways that we can be freer.


haggadah Section: Introduction