Lawrence Lately

Passover helps us connect to our past

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There is a difference between knowing the past and feeling it. Every moment, each as real and tangible as any other, has its chance to stand under the spotlight; but then it joins the collection of its predecessors that, together, form the world we know today.
How is it then, that the history we learn about in textbooks, feels so distant, so removed from our everyday lives that it appears fictitious? There are many ways to remember (mnemonics, flashcards, etc.), but the most effective ways are those that an individual can connect to on a more meaningful level. Stories, rituals, or holidays, for example, can bring to life to these flickering moments, that, in reality, are not as distant as their dates imply.
Pearl Harbor and the Holocaust took place over 70 years ago, and the Vietnam War ended four decades ago. Already the younger generations have very little understanding of these events, because most do not feel personally affected by them. It is just another chapter to take a test on, another set of names and dates to cram into their heads. If it is difficult to relate to events that occurred less than a century ago, connecting to something that happened about 3,000 years ago should be impossible. The celebration of Passover defies this inference.
Passover is a Jewish holiday that celebrates both the hardships and miracles of when the Jews left Egypt, where they had been kept as slaves, and their endeavor to a find place where they could form a nation of their own and live freely. The holiday begins with a Seder, a feast ornate with symbols and traditional rituals that are meant to serve as stepping stones between the two time periods. During Passover, matzo, a cracker-like, unleavened bread, is eaten instead of the usual blessed challah bread. This represents the Jews’ haste once given permission to leave Egypt, because the dough they brought with them did not get a chance to rise.
There is a ritual in which a finger is dipped into a cup of wine after each of the 10 plagues — which are believed to have fallen upon Egypt by God — are introduced. This is meant to show that the destruction and suffering of the Egyptians are not be rejoiced but regretted, despite the fact that these plagues were helpful in persuading the Pharaoh to allow the Jews to leave Egypt.
In addition to those rituals, children, who are first beginning to learn about this monumental crossroad in Jewish history, are encouraged to ask questions to help picture what it would be like as a slave, and then after much strife to finally walk on a path towards freedom.
Events in our personal lives can also help us empathize with people who breathe solely in religious texts, stories and textbooks. Although we may not know what it feels like to be a slave, be persecuted, or fight in a war, Passover is a time when we can connect to our collective past.