Rabbinic Reflection: Rabbi Eliza McCarroll

With Pesach just around the corner, it is a time when many of us hearken back to the traditions and nostalgia of our childhood as we plan our Seder meals. Maybe we have the melodies we sing, the little props we put on the table, or the special Haggadot we use.

All of these traditions are aimed at the one goal: to prompt the guests in attendance to ask – why?

When we ask why, we might also mean the general framework of being engaged with the Exodus story, of learning it well so that, in time, it is “passed over” to the next generation.

In fact, we go out of our way on Seder to impart this idea.

The Talmud will record a tradition of Rabbi Akiva’s that he would distribute roasted grains and nuts to the children at the Seder, ostensibly so that they would not fall asleep, and so that their curiosity would be piqued to ask the Four Questions.

This is what it means when our Haggadah teaches: b’chol dor vador adam chayav lir’ot et atzmo k’ilu hoo yatzah mi’Mitzrayim – “in every generation one must see themselves as if they too have come out of Egypt”.

In other words, this small game is a prime example of taking the traditional mitzvah of telling the tale of the Exodus, and imbuing it with our own twist to ensure it is meaningful and in our own time and day, as a new generation learns and takes ownership over their heritage and narrative.

We are, truthfully, so fortunate to be in such a process with our congregation, where we know that, over the last three years, 20% of our members are new to Holy Blossom.

Equally, whilst we are growing larger, we are also growing younger, with nearly 200 Terumah families joining our community, bucking many worldwide trends when it comes to synagogue membership.

This is the perfect opportunity for our Family Shabbat Morning Services, one of our wonderful family worship offerings at Holy Blossom, as next Shabbat we will marry tradition and modernity as we welcome new member families and celebrate the upcoming Pesach festival together.

We hope to see many of our Holy Blossom families there, no matter how long you have been among us, as we join in song and friendship, and find our own “why” as we create amazing Jewish memories and rituals together!