| Dear SJCC Community, Passover is the story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt. As the story has been retold annually for over 3,000 years, Moses went to Pharoah and pled for Pharoah to release the Israelites from slavery. After many requests and 10 plagues of affliction, Pharaoh relented. The Israelites packed and fled quickly, with no time for bread to rise. The Red Sea parted and they were free. After 40 years in the desert, memories of enslavement began to fade and the Ten Commandments and Judaism came to be. That’s the [highly abridged] story, and yet, so much flows from that. This story has been retold by Jews globally every year as Jews everywhere eat similar food, sing similar songs and repeat similar rituals. These threads of connection are enduring, defining, sometimes a bit quirky and often filled with lore and laughter. Millions of people every year, through the peaks and deepest caverns of life, have done it. The consistency is simply impressive and unique in its endurance. Like so many things in Judaism, and most belief systems, the themes of Passover are also enduring: bondage, in so many forms, fear, power hierarchy, hope, courage, faith, trials and fortune, exceeding strength, community and perseverance—it’s all in there. It was then and it remains in our daily lives and in examples around the world. One more keen element of Passover is the reminder that we are all descendants of this peoplehood. The memory of these experiences lives in each of us. While it may be part of the intergenerational trauma that is widely observed, it’s also the wisdom, compassion and empathy that reminds each of us of our equal humanity. We have been enslaved and free, seen times of drought and abundance and made good and bad choices. Ideally, our ability to relate to others and our humility inspire us to contribute to a better world each day. A deep part of my Judaism is my belief that we should each leave the world better than we found it. We have been given this opportunity through moments like the exodus from Egypt, and it’s ours to protect and champion forever. Happy Passover and may it be one of love, laughter and lore.  Amy Amy Lavin SJCC CEO |
Past Messages
2025 Rosh Hashanah
2025 Thanksgiving
2025 Passover
2024-25 New Year’s
2024 Hanukkah
2024 Thanksgiving
2024 Rosh Hashanah
2024 Passover
2023-24 New Year’s/ 75th
2023 Hanukkah
2023 Thanksgiving
2023 Passover
2023 10/7
