As I do every year in the days leading up to Pesach, I’ve been reviewing my recipes, prepping ingredients, cooking up a storm, and delegating various side dishes to eager helpers. While I’m usually an adventurous cook who relishes trying new foods and bold flavor combinations, Pesach is the time when I find solace in the tried-and-true dishes of my childhood. I carefully retrieve my mother’s handwritten brisket recipe, now forever immortalized as a cherished digital file, and set to work. I quintuple the ingredients and multiply the sauce tenfold to feed our crew. As the brisket slowly roasts, its aroma transports me back to an idealized past, suffused with comfort and contentment. My matzah ball soup is another nod to tradition, though I’ve added a twist by preparing both vegetarian and classic schmaltz-laden versions. This year, I’m even experimenting with a few matzah balls infused with spicy Momofuku chili crunch – a daring endeavor!
Amidst the joyous feasting and celebratory atmosphere of Pesach, it’s easy to overlook the harrowing nature of the Exodus narrative. The story begins with the Israelites languishing in the depths of slavery, their spirits broken but their yearning for freedom undiminished. The Haggadah, our guidebook for the Seder, chronicles their perilous journey through hunger, fear, and uncertainty as they sought a path to liberation. With each taste of salt water, bitter herbs, and matzah – the bread of affliction – we engage our senses to internalize the memories of hardship and oppression. The journey to freedom is marked by death, darkness, and formidable challenges.
Yet the Passover story transcends any single moment in history; it is a timeless and ongoing quest for meaning, redemption, and the eternal longing for home. Along the way, we encounter daunting obstacles that make us question whether we have the strength to persevere. As Jimmy Cliff reminds us, there are many rivers to cross.
In these trying times for the Jewish people, we find ourselves grappling with immense sorrow and trepidation. The unrelenting conflict in Gaza weighs heavily on our collective conscience, and the loss of innocent Palestinian lives is a source of profound grief. We are haunted by the plight of hostages held in unspeakable cruelty, and the incursion of Iranian missiles and drones into Israeli airspace. The spectre of rising antisemitism looms large, as college campuses become hotbeds of hostility, where support for Palestinian rights often devolves into threats against Jewish students, the burning of Israeli flags, and acts of vandalism. The world seems to grow ever darker and more ominous, even as unspeakable atrocities unfold in Sudan, China, Russia, Myanmar, and India. Amidst it all, Israel remains a focal point of animus from all sides.
The reasons for this are complex and multifaceted, a topic I intend to explore further in future writings. For now, I simply wish to acknowledge the profound challenges of being a Jew in today’s world, of being subjected to venomous hatred and opprobrium from Tehran to Tel Aviv to New York City. Passover serves as a poignant reminder that our journey is far from over. Our resilience as a people, forged in the crucible of adversity, is more essential than ever. Our capacity for compassion and empathy will light the way forward as we navigate an uncertain future. We have crossed countless rivers, and there are undoubtedly more to come.
As we conclude our Seder with the age-old affirmation, “Next year in Jerusalem,” we recognize that even as we celebrate being together and sharing in the beauty of tradition, our search for peace, hope, and understanding continues. The Exodus is an ongoing story, and while we may indeed find ourselves in Jerusalem next year, for now, we must keep walking.
the Stern Gang extends our warmest wishes to the entire TBA Team for a sweet and meaningful Pesach.