In the conclusion of the seder, Jews traditionally gather together and recite the words “Next year in Jerusalem.” For many of us, these words reflect a Jewish belief deeply contradictory to our own. For all of us, these words present a challenge. Today, we must acknowledge that Jerusalem is a city deeply divided by Occupation. The Jerusalem experienced by most american Jews is unfathomably different than the Jerusalem experienced by Palestinians. When many of us hear “next year in Jerusalem” we must ask ourselves “what do we want Jerusalem to be like next year, and how can we work to make it that way?”

Still, there is something incredibly powerful in the tradition of saying “next year in Jerusalem.” These words come from a time and a tradition in which being in Jerusalem meant the coming of a different and better time: a time of peace. It is essential that we reclaim the tradition of Nirtzah, which is much older than Occupation. How incredibly beautiful it is for us to end our seders stating and believing that next year might be the year when there is global and communal peace. As organizers, we know the power of urgency; change happens when you convince people it is not only possible, but also close to happening. Every year for thousands of years, Jewish people all over the world end their seders remembering that a better world is possible. We celebrate our liberation from Egypt and then we declare that the best world is yet to come. Let us spend a moment visioning what a better, more peaceful world will look like. Let us really try to feel what it would be like to know that this world is less than a year away. Then, let us challenge ourselves to believe in our hearts and souls that building a more just world is possible and urgent. Let us say this year:

לְשָׁנָה הָבָּאָה בְּשָׁלוֹם וָצֶדֶק

L’shana Ha-baah b’shalom v'tzedek

Next year, in peace and justice 


haggadah Section: Nirtzah
Source: IfNotNow Philly