Passover = Freedom

by Zehorit Heilicher, Tastemaker in Residence

Passover affirms the great truth that liberty is the inalienable right of every human being. 

- Morris Joseph

You may only know Passover for its restrictions. After all, the observance of the holiday forbids consuming bread in any form (other than Matzah) and even some legumes are restricted to those who follow Ashkenazi, eastern European traditions. Indeed, this holiday requires you to eliminate, or remove all Hametz (not kosher for Passover) items from your home and entails a deep and demanding spring-cleaning.

However, don’t let the labor surrounding this holiday distract from its remarkable story and message. This is an ancient story of a struggle for freedom, an exodus that has echoed and resonated for centuries with oppressed people.

 “In each and every generation, a person is obligated to regard himself as though he actually left Egypt.” (The Passover Haggagdah) 

Passover’s real message challenges us to view ourselves as liberated slaves, to carry an understanding of how precious freedom is and to hold empathy and compassion for those who are different than ourselves. 

Living in a civil society obliges us to NOT pass-over injustice, inequality and prejudice. This holiday is here again to remind us of that.