The holiday of liberation.  It’s spring – and this season of renewal brings Passover, hag ha-aviv.   It’s a holiday of hope and rebirth. We know it, too, as zman heirutainu, the season of our liberation, because its central message is our redemption from slavery. Passover reminds us that no matter what our situation, there is hope for redemption. With this, I share some observations on a few of my favorite aspects of Pesach, which for me along with countless others, is the most enjoyable holiday in the Jewish year.

Our story; the seder.  The story of our exodus from bondage in Egypt is well known. But the genius of Passover is the timelessness and timeliness of the story, which we retell at the seder, in a ritual framework designed to highlight the character of Jewish memory. We encourage discussion about the story of liberation and how we live today.  We start the seder by remembering the events of the past; this helps us understand the possibilities of the present, particularly the unfinished work of liberating all who are still oppressed. Just as God redeemed our ancestors in Egypt – our job is to ask, “What changes should we work for in the world when we leave the seder table?”

No one who has ever sat at a seder table can forget the experience, which by many accounts is the oldest surviving ritual in the Western world. We sit around the table, surrounded by ritual symbols and the text of the Haggadah. And we discuss, question and learn how and why we observe the holiday. The seder invites us to ask questions, and makes it possible to engage and explore in a way that is rare in any other setting.   We all own the story. Each generation reshapes it and passes it forward. And the story of liberation stays relevant and alive.

Matzo: the bread of affliction.  Early in the seder we recite a paragraph which begins with the words “Ha Lachma.”  It says:  “This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat.  This year we are here. Next year may we be in the land of Israel. This year we are slaves. Next year may we be free.”    The message is a compelling one: throughout the seder, we discuss, question, debate and enjoy our meal, but above all, we resolve to take action to feed the hungry and care for those in need, because when one person is enslaved, no one is truly liberated.   Look closely at the text and you’ll see that God isn’t mentioned in Ha Lachma. The rabbis who put the Haggadah together wanted to remind us that it is up to us to take action before redemption can take place.   Everyone who has freedom is responsible to redeem those who aren’t free.

Ma Nishtana:  Perhaps the most beloved centerpiece of the seder is the Ma Nishtana, the Four Questions, traditionally asked by the youngest person who asks four variations on “why is this night different?”  This provokes children and adults to engage, ask harder questions and seek understanding. The expectation of questioning is as old as our origins.  We read in Exodus 13:14, “When in time, your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you will tell him, ‘It was with a mighty hand that the Lord brought us out from Egypt, the house of bondage.’”

The seder exemplifies how we learn. We don’t learn alone; we learn as a community, and the more we question and challenge, the better we can confront what we face.  Sitting around the seder table is a master class in how this is done.

The four sons.  The seder doesn’t sugarcoat history or human nature. For example, the Haggadah tells of the four sons:  when we’re honest with ourselves, we can recognize part of ourselves in the description of each.  At one time or another, each of us can be wise, insolent or naïve, or maybe lacking sufficient knowledge to even know how or what to ask.  Sometimes we want to know every detail of what’s happening; sometimes we’re lost and distracted. Sometimes we might not connect with what’s happening, don’t seek knowledge, but just want to eat.  It’s our obligation to understand the person we wish to connect with and meet them where they are.

We were slaves; we were strangers.  In the seder, we’re in a moment when we reflect on our identity, how we see ourselves, how we conduct ourselves and treat others.  When we say, “We were slaves; we were strangers” we remember the commands of Exodus 22:20 , “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” This is a recurring theme of biblical literature.  It’s no accident that the Torah admonishes us about the treatment of strangers no fewer than 36 times, one of the clearest expressions being in Exodus 23:9: “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the Land of Egypt.” No other commandment is repeated so often.

Next year in Jerusalem.  The seder begins and ends with the hope that next year we will all be free and in Jerusalem. Some view this literally, but for many Jerusalem symbolizes our personal and national fulfillment, and our hope next year to be in a place where there is joy, peace, redemption, and a commitment to build a better world.  The ritual of the seder ends, but we are now directed to do something harder:  to begin the work of redemption, making the world a better place.

To all:  Chag Sameach. Have a wonderful Passover. Enjoy your seder and family tradtions.  A zisn, koshern un freilikhen Pesach!    Stay healthy and strong.  Zeit gezunt un shtark.

On behalf of the TBH-BA ritual committee,

Stephen Freed

Reform Movement Condemns Knesset Vote to Criminalize Egalitarian Prayer at the Western Wall

February 26, 2026 — The Reform Movement unequivocally condemns the preliminary vote in the Israeli Knesset to advance legislation that would criminalize egalitarian Jewish worship at the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest and most-enduring symbols. If enacted, the proposed bill by MK Avi Maoz of the far-right Noam party would render forms of Jewish prayer not sanctioned by the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate punishable by up to seven years in prison.

This alarming proposal represents an unprecedented attempt to criminalize mainstream Jewish worship in the Jewish state. It is a direct affront to Jews in Israel, North America, and across the globe who pray in egalitarian settings.

The Kotel does not belong to one stream of Judaism. It is a national symbol and a spiritual inheritance of the entire Jewish people. The existence of a dignified egalitarian prayer space alongside gender-segregated sections does not diminish the rights of Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox Jews to worship according to their tradition. Religious freedom in Israel must not be treated as a zero-sum proposition.

The global implications of this bill cannot be overstated. Outside Israel – especially in North America – 85% of Jews worship in egalitarian communities. Criminalizing those forms of prayer at Judaism’s holiest accessible site would alienate millions of Jews from the State of Israel at a time when Jewish unity is both fragile and essential. Only months ago, at the October 2025 World Zionist Congress, representatives of global Jewish communities overwhelmingly supported restoring direct access to the Ezrat Yisrael –  the section designated for egalitarian worship. This legislation moves decisively in the opposite direction.

At the same time, this is not primarily a Diaspora issue. The bill would directly harm and potentially imprison Israelis who choose pluralistic expressions of Judaism or who visit the Kotel and its outer plaza for heritage visits, IDF ceremonies, and tourism. The number of Israelis seeking egalitarian prayer continues to grow. This legislation would label their Judaism illegitimate and even criminal.

The debate over this legislation raises a fundamental question: Will Israel be a state of the Jewish people or a state for only one interpretation of Judaism? For North American Jews, engagement on this issue is not interference; it is investment. Jewish sovereignty must reflect the diversity, dignity, and shared destiny of the Jewish people everywhere.

This proposal risks setting a broader precedent. If codified, it could embolden efforts to restrict recognition of non-Orthodox conversions, limit public funding for pluralistic institutions, and expand rabbinic court jurisdiction in ways that further erode religious freedom. This is not an isolated fight but part of a larger ideological project.

We call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use his authority to prevent this legislation from advancing and to instruct members of his coalition to reject this brazen attempt to criminalize egalitarian prayer. Enacting such a law would severely damage Klal Yisrael – the unity of the Jewish people – and undermine Israel’s foundational commitment to freedom of religion and conscience.

The Reform Movement remains steadfast in our love for and commitment to the State of Israel. Precisely because of that commitment, we will continue to advocate for a Zionism that reflects the full diversity of the Jewish people and safeguards the right of every Jew to approach the Holy One in their own voice.

We urge the global Jewish community to take immediate action. Join our Reform and Conservative partners worldwide in calling on Israeli leaders and diplomats to halt this dangerous legislation and uphold Israel’s promise as a homeland for all Jews.

Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi David Lyon (he/him)
President

Rabbi Hara Person (she/her)
Chief Executive

Union for Reform Judaism
Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him)
President

Shelley Nicely Groff (she/her)
Chair

American Conference of Cantors
Cantor Josh Breitzer (he/him)
President

Rachel Roth (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer

Association of Reform Zionists of America
Harry Levy (he/him)
Chair

Rabbi Josh Weinberg (he/him)
Director

Association of Reform Jewish Educators
Rabbi Stacy Rigler, RJE (she/her)
CEO

Stacy Rosenthal, RJE (she/her)
President

Women’s Rabbinic Network
Rabbi Lisa Delson (she/her)
Co-President

Rabbi Simone Schicker (she/her)
Co-President

Rabbi Mary Zamore (she/her)
Executive Director

Program and Engagement Professionals of Reform Judaism (PEP-RJ)
Scott Hertz (he/him)
President

Women of Reform Judaism  
Karen Sim (she/her)
President

Rabbi Liz P. G. Hirsch (she/her)
CEO

Men of Reform Judaism
Larry Pepper (he/him)
President

Steven Portnoy (he/him)
Executive Director

Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism
Tricia Ginis (she/her)
CEO

Ellen Lefkowitz (she/her)
President

Rowan University Boyd Recital Hall 7:30pm

Strings of Hope — The journey of violins that survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in film, live performance & spoken word. Sharing the powerful stories of the artists they belonged to, from Hiroshima to Vienna, Warsaw & Shanghai, this promises to be an historic event as the violins carry forward stories of resilience, courage, and hope.

Created by cellist & producer Udi Bar-David, the international ensemble will feature teenage violin virtuoso Mio Imai, Taiko drummer Joe Small, pianist Keiko Sato and Udi Bar-David.

To purchase tickets please visit Rowan University’s site: Strings of Hope – Rowan University Box Office

Reflections on Ritual – February 2026

Modeh Ani. I am grateful.

“Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.” In a single sentence, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel eloquently explained why we pray and what we seek when we pray. Through prayer we praise our creator, we request fulfillment of our needs and we give thanks. But it’s never quite that simple. The idea of prayer can feel irrational in a rational world and even off-putting. When we read prayers from the Siddur, it’s tempting to resist and even argue with words that sometimes feel irrelevant and ancient. Even the most poetic words are lifeless unless we’re able to find personal meaning in them.

For me at least, the most accessible prayers are those in which we give thanks. One example is the part of the Amidah when we say “modim anachnu loch” (we give thanks to You). In our congregation, Rabbi Harrison has initiated a wonderful minhag (custom), that enables us to feel awakened gratitude for countless blessings in our lives. It happens once each month when she asks us to reflect and share those things we’re grateful for: healing, health, family, community, anniversaries, memories and endless surprises of living.
Another of my favorite prayers expressing gratitude is one of the shortest and easiest to understand, with compelling personal meaning as we experience the miracle of awakening each morning.

This prayer is traditionally said immediately upon waking in the morning: “I thank you, living and eternal sovereign, for your kindness in restoring my soul. How great is your faithfulness.” In Hebrew, one says, “Modeh ani l’fanecha, melech chai v’kayam, shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemlah; rabah emunatecha.”

This prayer, composed by Moshe ibn Machir in the 16th century, is unique in several respects. It is intimate, phrased in the first person singular: “I thank you . . .” In most of our prayers we say “we.” And notice, too, that it does not include the name of God, since tradition forbids saying God’s name before washing one’s hands.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks observed that waking is a “miniature rebirth,” and so the prayer is recognition that life is a gift from God, as we prepare to celebrate and sanctify each day.
I recently found a beautiful interpretation of the prayer in the online “Open Siddur Project,” as lovely as the original prayer:

A Kavvanah for Waking Up, by Andrew Shaw

In these still, quiet moments,
I am not asleep and not yet awake.
In the threshold of day and night, with the mixture of darkness and light,
my body is once again coming to life.
I am reborn, each day, from the womb of your compassion.
May all of my actions be worthy of the faith You’ve placed in me.
With words of thanks I’ll greet the dawn.

Here’s another gem in the “Open Siddur Project” on “modeh ani” composed by Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi, z”l:

Modeh Ani – an interpretive translation

Thank You, Living God
And Master,
For giving me
Another day of awareness.
I thank You
For this sacred trust.

The great Sefardic poet and philosopher Yehudah Halevi (1075-1141) wrote a reflection that captures the sense when we wake up that we may perhaps glimpse the divine within.

My Soul – Yehudah Halevi

On the day that I searched for God – for I could not see the Divine –
I turned to my heart and my mind and found Your throne within.
A witness to You in me.

Such are prayers of gratitude. “Our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.”

Be well. L’hitraot. Zeit gezunt.

Stephen Freed, Ritual Committee