Jody B. Pollack's 2022 Passover Message

It is that time of year again where we are commanded to remember we are JEWS!

Not only do we hold Seders together with our families and share the story of our historic walk to freedom, but we further drive it home by altering our appetites and routines by forgoing chametz and all other blatantly non-kosher foods.

Now, I am not accusing others of being non-kosher the rest of the year, but for this particular period we do need to pay a bit more attention to our commandments and our customs that set us apart from our neighbors.

In today’s society we are subjected to a lot of noise. Noise about cancel culture, noise about politics, noise about the climate and blatant antisemitism that we hear louder than the rest of the population. I was fortunate to have been invited to witness, in a “show of force” role, the Georgia State Senate’s Judiciary Committee debate on the passing of the Antisemitism Definition bill.

In my personal opinion, I do not think we need a bill to define something so apparent and so wrong. Unfortunately, there are too many others who are too ignorant and too self-centered that we need to codify the obvious. During the debate on the bill, there was one dissenter and that dissenter’s self-interest was on full display when he conflated acts of antisemitism with a vote against expanding Medicaid. I kid you not.

The bill passed committee and was sent for the full Senate vote. Unfortunately, due to forces beyond our control, the bill did not make it for a vote before the deadline. More antisemitism at work, you tell me?

We have survived many purges, genocides and walks through the desert and even the aftereffects of eating matzoh. We will survive a non-vote on an obvious definition of a blatant truth. We are still here, and we will continue to be a vibrant influence on our communities as we follow our role in making this world a better place.

Enjoy the sweetness of your family, minimize the political conversations, take it easy on the horseradish and the wine, pray for those who remained in Ukraine, and reflect on the blessings we all share because our ancestors made that long walk to freedom and brought us to this amazing country.

Jody Pollack is a past president of the Hebrew Order of David and the current Executive Director Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival.