Huge thanks to everyone who helped to make our seder beautiful, delicious, and welcoming! It was wonderful to be with our mix of members and guests, including Jews and non-Jews who are part of our families and friend groups, as well as some of our elected representatives who joined us to celebrate and strengthen our relationships.
As Jewish communities celebrated Pesach throughout the week, and spring flowers wowed us with their colors, the juxtaposition between these and the threat of catastrophically escalated violence against Iran by the US was stark. Even before that, the ongoing attacks on immigrants by federal authorities and numerous other breaches of law, human rights and basic decency by parts of our government have become simultaneously shocking and expected. It is hard to celebrate freedom in this context – I’m sure many of us felt it was almost wrong to do so, as if we were ignoring the context all around us.
But it is also vital that we do celebrate what freedom we have… by using it. The Haggadah instructs us to see ourselves personally as having been enslaved and then liberated, and our tradition teaches that every one of us was present at Sinai when we received the Torah, entering into a covenant with the Source of Life. What does that covenant call on us personally to do right now? Each of us has something to give that can lift us and others out of shock and into connection and action.
One thing many of us can do together, in concert with hundreds of other members of the Union for Reform Judaism and our friends and allies is to actively work for a fair mid-term election. This will require many people to participate in helping people who are impacted by the current efforts to minimize voting among many constituencies. What might this look like? Let’s start thinking about it together. Please join me next Wednesday from 4-5pm for a zoom call with leaders of our movement as well as the Mayor of Minneapolis, inspiring musician Elana Arian and information about opportunities to participate in our movement’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign. Click here to Register
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller
Shmini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47) Torah Reading, April. 11, 2026: Celebrating Freedom Especially Now
April 15, 2026 by Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller • D'var Torah
Huge thanks to everyone who helped to make our seder beautiful, delicious, and welcoming! It was wonderful to be with our mix of members and guests, including Jews and non-Jews who are part of our families and friend groups, as well as some of our elected representatives who joined us to celebrate and strengthen our relationships.
As Jewish communities celebrated Pesach throughout the week, and spring flowers wowed us with their colors, the juxtaposition between these and the threat of catastrophically escalated violence against Iran by the US was stark. Even before that, the ongoing attacks on immigrants by federal authorities and numerous other breaches of law, human rights and basic decency by parts of our government have become simultaneously shocking and expected. It is hard to celebrate freedom in this context – I’m sure many of us felt it was almost wrong to do so, as if we were ignoring the context all around us.
But it is also vital that we do celebrate what freedom we have… by using it. The Haggadah instructs us to see ourselves personally as having been enslaved and then liberated, and our tradition teaches that every one of us was present at Sinai when we received the Torah, entering into a covenant with the Source of Life. What does that covenant call on us personally to do right now? Each of us has something to give that can lift us and others out of shock and into connection and action.
One thing many of us can do together, in concert with hundreds of other members of the Union for Reform Judaism and our friends and allies is to actively work for a fair mid-term election. This will require many people to participate in helping people who are impacted by the current efforts to minimize voting among many constituencies. What might this look like? Let’s start thinking about it together. Please join me next Wednesday from 4-5pm for a zoom call with leaders of our movement as well as the Mayor of Minneapolis, inspiring musician Elana Arian and information about opportunities to participate in our movement’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign. Click here to Register
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller