Daily Alert Archives

To Appreciate Freedom, Remember Slavery

(Wall Street Journal) Ruth R. Wisse - Re-enacting slavery is not everyone's idea of a good time, but this is how Jews celebrate Passover. Jews gather at the ceremonial Seder to recall their enslavement under Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The prescribed rhythm of the Seder passes from slavery through stages of gratitude to the Almighty to songs of liberation. Jews tell the hard truth about their past because they might otherwise take freedom for granted. Jews rehearse the Exodus to practice overcoming slavery. The assurance that slavery could be overcome inspired Jews to recover sovereignty in their homeland. The Seder ends with the vow, "Next year in Jerusalem!" The reclamation of Israel - which began well before Hitler - records the accomplishment of a people against all odds. The writer, a senior fellow at the Tikvah Fund, is a former professor of Yiddish and comparative literature at Harvard.
2018-03-30 00:00:00
Full Article