Passover meal

My dear Friends

When I was a child I looked forward very much to the Jewish Passover, with the first two nights of the Seder meal. This meal is full of symbols and rituals and commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt. It is called the Exodus.I believe it is still valuable today, both from the historical point of view and from the idea of liberating all peoples from bondage.

The evening takes place in the form of a meal,with all the ritual foods on the table as well. There are 4 cups of wine to celebrate the notion of slavery to redemption and the unleavend bread, which the Jews ate on their way out from Egypt as they were in a hurry and had no time for the bread to rise. Bitter herbs in the form of onion or parsley are also served in the course of the meal. Something called charoset signifies the bricks and mortar the Jews used when they were forced to build houses for the Pharoah.

All of this takes us back to ancient times, but because the ritual is in a way out of time and space it is very relevant for today. We enter mystically into the Seder meal until we ourselves have experienced a sort of liberation from bondage. Enhancing the liturgy are beautiful melodies which pierce the proceedings and again give a universal feel.

Are we justified in recreating these ancient times? Of course for the Jews it is a commandment, to observe the Passover until the end of time. Here in Cambridge we enact the Passover on the Monday of Holy Week,entering into the mystery of it all, and it is a wonderful way of getting Christians to understand their Jewish roots. I believe this participation is an essential way of promoting dialogue and understanding, and not only between Christians and Jews. Even in a mystical way, it is not until we experience something of slavery that we understand true freedom.

Shalom from
Sister Gila