MSI Press Blog

Tradition tells us that for the first time in recorded history, an enslaved people were able to walk away from slavery. As a Jew I am “commanded” to remember this day, and I do. I also feel strongly that it is something we all might wish to celebrate: NOT as a single event in history, but as an indictment of slavery as we join together to embrace a Universal Passover as our goal for humanity. It is not that “we” escaped the bondage of Pharaoh, once and forever, but that Pharaoh has come to enslave all of us throughout history, with many different names and forms, and we must seek to overthrow ALL Pharaohs, at all times – whatever form Pharaoh may have taken. For me, this has long been the essence of Passover. Yes, I remember that “We were slaves in the land of Egypt.” But I remember it not because the “poor Jews” were enslaved, but rather as an in-my-face reminder that slavery is wrong. It is always wrong. It is wrong if Jews are enslaved. It is wrong if Africans are enslaved...

  Passover and Easter   Arthur Yavelberg   author of the award-winning A Theology for the Rest of Us Best Indie Book Award Literary Titan Silver Award   People sometimes wonder about why the Jewish holiday of Passover often overlaps with the Christian celebration of Easter. There are many explanations for this—such as both are carryovers from pagan fertility rites having to do with the “rebirth” in spring. (Hence the use of “eggs” on the Passover seder plate and Easter egg hunts.) However, there are deeper possibilities.   Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Biblical Israelites from Egypt. Since God (not Moses) redeemed these slaves from bondage, it is often called a “Festival of Freedom.” While that is true, it overlooks that this freedom is essentially temporary. Once the Israelites escape and the Egyptian army is drowned in the Red Sea, they are brought to Mt. Sinai where they are given God’s Commandments—the well known Ten Commandments and, ac...

  This Pesach/Passover, I was by myself and, frankly, limited in what I could prepare. But that’s hardly an excuse for not observing the so very important and holy tradition of a seder. I am reminded of my brothers and sisters who celebrated the Passover during the Inquisition, and other who celebrated it during the Shoah. Hardship is no excuse. Indeed, a difficult Pesach is a reminder of our history. But for me it is more than that. Pesach/Passover is a deeply spiritual time to remember and reflect, both that freedom isn’t cheap and also that **everyone** deserves to be free – no exceptions. To me, Passover was never a story of the “poor Jews” being enslaved by the “evil Egyptians” and the God of the Jews entering into the affair of humanity to set His people free. Passover was the story of an oppressed people and how oppression must be resisted. Always. And today especially, we are reminded that oppression must be resisted. This year, then, Passover is especially relevant and clo...

  The Seventh Day of Passover: Crossing the Sea to Freedom On the seventh day of Passover, we step back into one of the most dramatic scenes in the story of Exodus: the Crossing of the Red Sea . This is the day when the impossible happened—when a path opened through the sea, and slaves walked into freedom. A Path to Freedom The waters part, and the Israelites cross on dry ground, pursued by Pharaoh’s army—only to see their enemies swept away by the returning waves. The miracle is not just survival; it’s transformation. The people who entered the sea as fugitives emerged as a nation bound by faith and destiny. The Song of the Sea At the shore, Moses and Miriam lead the people in a triumphant song of praise: “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” This Shirat HaYam (Song of the Sea) is recited in synagogues on this day, a reminder that gratitude is the truest response to deliverance. A Night of Gratitude Families gather for festive meals, retelli...