03/28/2024 05:15:29 PM
We often think of Passover as a family holiday. We gather with our families, maybe some close friends. We sit around our tables where we tell the story of the Exodus, share a meal, and drink the four cups of wine or grape juice. We create memories that will be recalled when families join together in decades to follow. This isn’t at all new in the Jewish community. In fact, we are told directly in the Torah that we are to partake of the Pesach sacrifice, one to each household. It goes on though, explaining that if the korban (the sacrifice) is big enough, two households should come together.
Our Haggadah takes this idea a step further. We recite the words of Ha Lachma Anya: “Anyone who is hungry should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice.” We aren’t “metaphorically” inviting people into our home. We are actually supposed to invite people into our home.
This is one reason we are playing matchmaker at Kol Ami this year. In place of our community’s second night Seder, we are asking Kol Ami families to host a Seder (or two!) in their home and open up their doors to others, both part of the Kol Ami community and not. You may decide you only want to host one Seder this year and be a guest the other night. Some want to make food for a Seder, but don’t have the space to host anyone in their home. Some live in the area and have no family around or are new to the community and don’t know many people yet! Some families may be small and want to join with others.
We are asking that all who are interested to sign up to be a host or a guest on our website. The form is detailed and for good reason. We want to make sure everyone is comfortable! We are looking for hosts who are planning different kinds of sedarim (kid-friendly Seder, adults-only Seder, traditional Seder, creative and interactive Seder, etc).
We are reminded over and over again that we were once strangers in a strange land. Welcoming the stranger, whether they are actually a stranger or someone you haven’t spent Passover with before, allows you to not only open your home, but also open your heart. It offers a new perspective of the Exodus. For some, they may be experiencing their first Seder and for others, they may be able to pass on traditions that hold a special place in your heart. I hope you’ll participate in some way this year and take part in this important mitzvah.
