On Passover we open our door and invite,
“All who are hungry, all who are in need”
To join us in the celebration of Pesah
We know that we cannot joyfully remember
Our liberation from slavery if others are not free.
An open door is an invitation for the oppressed to join us
But it is also a challenge to go out
And see the suffering of others as Moses did
It is a call to answer modern day Pharaohs
Who oppress and afflict others.
This Passover as we retell the story
Of our slavery and freedom,
As we taste the bitterness of oppression,
And savor the sweetness of liberation
Let us commit ourselves to the people of Ukraine.
Though we lived in their land as strangers
For hundreds of years, they were our neighbors.
In their land, our culture flourished and grew
Their towns and cities became homes
To Hasidic dynasties and Yeshivot.
We cannot turn away in anger
We cannot remain silent to injustice
We cannot be indifferent to suffering.
That is not our way! Let us proclaim
That we stand with the oppressed
That our doors and hearts are open
To all who are in need!
Author
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Mark is a retired rabbi, having served congregations in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and New York. He now lives in Seattle Washington
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