A Passover Message from Rabbi Mark Zimmerman

As we celebrate the festival of Passover and sit at our seder tables this year, there is one line in the Haggadah that jumps out at us and may seem more relevant today than perhaps it was just a few years ago. We will read in our haggadah: “b’chol dor va’dor omdim alenu l’chalotenu”; “In every generation they have risen against us to put an end to us”. And as much as we would like to “pass over” that sentiment, our history has had a way of continually reminding us that this has often been an inevitable part of the Jewish experience.

But this spring we will also celebrate Israel’s 77th year since her founding in 1948. The two commemorations — one rooted in ancient history, the other in our people’s more recent journey—are deeply connected to one another by the themes of continuity, resilience, and the power of our shared experience.

Perhaps the most perplexing element of our history is why are there still Jews around at all? How have we survived such a history? What is the secret of our immortality?

Time and again the Jewish people have faced moments where our future was in grave peril. We only managed to survive as a people because we adapted to confront those challenges. We remained resilient, and also survived because of one other indispensable Jewish characteristic, namely, hope.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’l points out, “People often confuse optimism and hope. They sound similar. But in fact, they’re very different. Optimism is the belief that things will get better. Hope is the belief that, together, we can make things better.”

On Passover we recount the story of our ancestors’ journey from slavery to freedom, a journey that was not only about physical liberation but also about forging our collective identity as a people. Just as the Israelites carried their traditions through the wilderness, we too have carried our heritage forward, strengthening the bonds that tie us to our past while embracing the opportunities of a brighter future.

At the heart of our Passover Seder is the mitzvah of passing our traditions over to the next generation: V’higadeta l’vincha, “You shall tell your child.” That very act has kept the Jewish people alive throughout our generations. For thousands of years we have been telling our story—through prayer, through acts of kindness, and through the vibrant Jewish life we have cultivated until this very day.

As we gather around our Seder tables this year, may we reflect on the profound blessings of freedom and community. May we celebrate not only the journey of our ancestors but also the incredible journey of our community—a journey that, with God’s help and our collective commitment, will continue for many more generations to come.

Rabbi Mark Zimmerman is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom, an egalitarian, Conservative synagogue in Dunwoody, Ga.