We have reached the conclusion of our seder. Our bellies are full, we have had way too much juice, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”

This phrase has many interpretations. For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with Klal Yisrael, the whole of the Jewish community. Many simply yearn for peace in troubled parts of the world.

Though it comes at the end of the seder, this moment also marks a beginning. We are beginning the next season with a renewed awareness of the freedoms we enjoy and the obstacles we must still confront. We are looking forward to the time that we gather together again. Having retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled our own journeys to liberation, and reflected on the struggles we still face for freedom, we are ready to embark on a year that we hope will bring positive change in our community and in the world at large.

May we realize that we cannot have freedom for ourselves unless we are willing to give it to others. Through our daily deeds may each of us, in our own way, help to liberate all who live in fear and darkness. May the light of freedom penetrate all corners of the world and lift the darkness of tyranny until tyranny is no more, so that all people may be free. We go forth with new visions of what is possible – for us, for our communities, and for all those with whom we share the earth.

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim!

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!


haggadah Section: Nirtzah