A Passover message: pursuing liberty through the ages

   In a few days, Jewish families all over the world will gather together for the Passover Seder.  This ritual meal, including matzah and bitter herbs, recounts the deliverance of our ancestors from slavery in ancient Egypt. According to the Bible, God struck the Egyptians with ten afflictions before Pharoah would agree to let the Israelites leave. After the final blow, the death of the first born of the Egyptians, the Israelites were sent away to begin their journey to the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The story of the Exodus from Egypt, although the unique story of the Jewish people, has become a universal narrative of liberation. 
    Many of the founders of the American colonies saw themselves as the ancient Israelites crossing the sea to the promised land. In fact, Benjamin Franklin proposed that image as the seal of the United States! America was founded on the promise of freedom from oppression and the liberty to pursue happiness. Many African Americans adopted the vision and message of the Exodus from Egypt in their struggle for liberation and freedom. The Biblical story has energized and motivated the pursuit of liberty over large parts of the world. Over the course of human history, the ideals of the Exodus have brought liberation and freedom to more corners of the globe every decade. But, the Passover Seder not only recounts the past, it also points to the future.  The Seder ends with the hope for the full and complete liberation of all humanity.
    This is the message of Passover that all Americans, whatever their religious convictions, can embrace. Until all humanity is truly free, none of us can fully enjoy the blessings of freedom. In what forms do we still experience slavery or bondage today? In many parts of the world people are still treated as property, an idea that we utterly reject.Although there are international conventions against human slavery and human trafficking, the practice continues. And there are other and more subtle forms of bondage that exist even in developed nations. Illiteracy, hunger, homelessness, addiction and abuse are all forms of bondage that prevent people from pursuing freedom and happiness. More recently, economic dislocation resulting in unemployment or underemployment prevents people from realizing their hopes and dreams for themselves and their families. 
    Those Americans who are privileged to enjoy the blessings of liberty and freedom, and who have been able to attain the means to pursue happiness, have an obligation to spread these blessings to our neighbors and to people all over the world. May this land of liberty and freedom continue to shine as a beacon of hope for all mankind. A happy, joyous holiday season to all.