Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

At our Congregation Kol Ami Passover seder, we discussed a theme for the holiday expressed by the Talmudic sage Shmuel. Shmuel talks about our freedom from enslavement as being one of spiritual freedom. It is, in a sense, freeing ourselves from onerous idol worship, however we define idol worship in this year 5782/2022.  

In the context of our Pesach observance, we talk about everyone being in servitude to something or someone. By freeing ourselves from slavery in Egypt, we were then free to make the choice for ourselves to be in servitude to G-d. This is not about some sort of blind faith. Rather, it is the ability to be committed to something bigger than any one of us — to see ourselves living lives of purpose and meaning, for the greater good of the whole (whether that whole be a synagogue community, a neighborhood, a city, a country or our world).

Being in-person gave us a sense of the greater whole. As rabbi, I was beaming to simply witness the joy of our community coming together, not just to celebrate Pesach but also to celebrate the joy of being part of a caring community. As I mentioned at the seder, our sense of family at Kol Ami — our “Kol Ami family” — is a vital part of who we are as a synagogue community.

After a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, to be back together makes this a most meaningful Passover for me. As Pesach is my favorite holiday, this is saying a lot. I give my thanks and appreciation to those who put in so much work so we could have this experience.  To Ray, Wynne, Ellen, Brad and Lara, in particular, I am grateful. Also, to others who helped with setup and serving, Sheryl and Fay, thank you.

Thanks to all who attended for your comments and your communal spirit. To everyone, a continued zissen Pesach, a sweet Passover.