Dear Friends,
Shabbat Shalom. I鈥檓 back from the first part of my sabbatical and feel recharged and re-energized for the year ahead. Thank you to our congregation for allowing the clergy to take sabbaticals for this purpose.
This week, in our Torah, we begin the book of Leviticus, Vayikra. There is something powerful about opening a new chapter, right? It can be exciting as we become motivated to see what lies ahead. Whether it鈥檚 in Torah or in our own lives, new beginnings give us the opportunity to reflect and perhaps make a change.
We finished Exodus with the newly received commandments and are now ready to move forward as a free people with a set of rules. Leviticus opens with God calling out to Moses, inviting him into a deeper level of connection and responsibility. It is a book that focuses on sacred acts, on intentionality, and on how we bring meaning into what we do. And isn鈥檛 that what every new beginning asks of us? To be more mindful and more purposeful?
Thinking about starting anew, this is a great time to look ahead to Passover, just two weeks away, and consider how to prepare with intention, rather than simply opening the Haggadah at the Seder and start reading.
So, I would suggest that this is the perfect time to start planning your Seder. Not just what you will cook or who will be there, but how you might make it feel new this year. What can you bring to your Seder that reflects your values鈥攁bout freedom, the future, the Jewish people, or the world we are living in today? How can you make your Seder more engaging, more meaningful, or even more fun?
Some families invite guests to participate in creative ways, such as bringing a reading, creating a skit, making or showing a piece of art, adding new songs, or even something as unexpected as puppets or multimedia. When people have time to prepare, the Seder can become more inspiring and deeply memorable.
You might consider offering themes for your guests to explore: the historical challenges of the Jewish people, the political challenges we face today, or even the personal journeys within your own family. Perhaps looking at the holes in the Seder: Why is Moses not mentioned that much? Why does the Seder focus on the 鈥淔our Children?鈥� How does the political landscape we are facing: wars, Israel, antisemitism, elections, fit into a discussion at the Seder table? Stories of struggle, growth, and freedom are themes many of us think about every day. Can you build something around those themes?
Like the opening of Leviticus, this is an invitation to create something sacred together and to plan ahead, motivated by the new chapter we are about to begin. Starting a new 鈥渃hapter鈥� in how you lead your Passover Seder may not only transform the experience for those around your table but may also bring renewed meaning and inspiration to you as well.
Wishing you a Shabbat of peace, and the beginning of many meaningful preparations ahead.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Michael Shochet