When our ancestors left Mitzrayim heading into the unknown wilderness, they took what valuables they could for the journey: livestock, gold and silver given by the Egyptians, and, as we all know, matzah.
“They could not delay,” so says the Torah, “nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves… So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders.” (Exodus 12:39,34)
On her trip across the big pond after WWI, my mother’s mother’s mother carried with her a kneading board that she used throughout her life in the New World, eventually passing it on to my bubbie. This simple kneading board sits in our dining room today, a reminder that what we take with us on the journey of life matters.
This week, our Olam Chesed Education Center youth at JCOGS finished their series of lessons on the mitzvah of ve’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha, love your neighbour as yourself. They focused on refugees, then and now, including an interactive project to help welcome new refugees coming to Vermont. Our JCOGS youth offered these new VT residents something they couldn’t take with them from their country of origin: a warm reception and ideas for favourite places to explore in Vermont.
Our oldest child, Adar, came home and innocently asked: “Do we have any refugees in our family?” which prompted a conversation about the other side of my family’s history fleeing Poland before WWII as refugees. They didn’t have much time or ability to take much with them on that journey.
וְהָיָה֩ הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְזִכָּר֔וֹן וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ חַ֣ג לַֽיהוָ֑ה לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תְּחָגֻּֽהוּ׃
“This Passover day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to G-d throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time.” (Exodus 12:14)
As countless generations pass since the exodus from Egypt, we retell the stories of our ancestors—those more distant stories and the ones not so distant. What our ancestors took with them along the journey mattered. That I still have my great-grandmother’s kneading board is amazing. But we all know that what matters most is that we are here to tell the tale now. May we be so lucky in the coming ages.
Tihiyu bri’im, stay safe, be well, Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi David
p.s. If you missed these two wonderful events with Dr. Galeet Dardashti,
