Remembrance Day Reflections

When lighting the candle or listening to the siren on the day that commemorates the six million who were killed, and the heroes who survived the greatest genocide known to mankind, I find myself reflecting on so many different thoughts.  We are afforded a few minutes to think about what was, what is and what could be.

Amongst other thoughts, today I was struck by some of the similarities between Pesach and remembering the Shoah.  Jewish texts and prayers are littered with references to the exodus from Egypt, and the obligation on the Jewish people to remember it.  It is found necessary to remind Jews to remember this through the generations, despite it being regarded as probably the greatest miracle ever to happen to the Jewish people.  Memories can apparently be short, even when it comes to recalling miracles.  This is also reflected in the central mitzvah of the Pesach Seder, to tell one's children of the miracle of the exodus from Egypt.  In fact, the Haggadah tells us that, in each generation, we should immerse ourselves into the exodus from Egypt so deeply, that we should imagine that we actually experienced it ourselves.

In many ways, this is exactly what Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel is about.  It is about never forgetting.  It is about being immersed in the events that led to the annihilation of 6 million of our people.  It is about recognising the bravery of those who stood up to the murderers despite the odds.  It is about standing to support and strengthen the survivors.  It is about never forgetting how evil people can be, and how Jews can be hated for no apparent reason.  It is about celebrating the survival of our people, and celebrating he Jewish state.  And it is about ensuring that the next generations know all of this so they will never forget.  Most of all, it is about preserving the State of Israel which is the only way to ensure that this never happens again.

In the months and years following the genocide, people could not believe that such an event had been allowed to take place without the intervention of the international community.  And yet, more than 70 years later, it is easy to see how it could have happened.  The United Nations organisation that was set up in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Shoa to ensure that it does not happen again, is exactly the organisation that gives a platform to those who wish for it to happen again.  Many of the events that precipitated the murder of millions of our people, and the thoughts, sentiments, views and actions are dangerously repeating themselves in our day.  It has become politically correct, acceptable and even desirable to be anti-Semitic, dressed up as being anti-Zionist or anti-Israeli.  The BDS movement is at the forefront of what could be likened to the Nazi Party in Germany in the early 1930s.  While they stop short of calling for the annihilation of the Jews, they are actively working to indelibly damage the State of Israel.  They realise, as many of us do, that a world without Israel is a smokescreen for a world without Jews.

While we unbelievably continue to witness the hatred towards Israel and Jews that was such a hallmark of the lead-up to the Shoa, there are a few things that have changed since then.  With the access that we have to news and events around the world brought about by the Internet and social media, nobody will be able to say that they were not aware that this was happening.  Some are in denial about the true intentions of the Palestinians, of BDS and of other anti-Israel activists.  There are those, many of them Jews, who think that this is ok in our democratic world.  It is their view that Israel deserves to be criticised and castigated for actions to defend her existence and that of her citizens and Jews around the world.  But they will never be able to deny that these events took place.

Perhaps the most important difference between then and now, is the existence of the State of Israel.  It is not only the existence of the state, but also the existence of leadership which is prepared to take the difficult decisions required to ensure our continued survival.  When considering this, along with a population of young and old who are willing to give all that they have to defend our rightful existence in our homeland, I am convinced that even the most determined anti-Semite will have no prospect of repeating the horrendous events of the Shoa.  The State of Israel and the proud Jews who live there are our strength that is insurmountable to all those who wish harm upon the Jews.

It has been amazing to see the evolution of the nervous, fearful yellow star into the strong, proud and determined blue star.  The same star, but two different worlds.  Whereas the yellow star was worn with shame and trepidation, the blue star stands for democracy, innovation, pride, determination and an attitude that will do everything to ensure that we never again return to the yellow star.

We mourn those millions who were lost in the Shoa, but we bask in the glory of the State of Israel, the victory that this represents over those who wished to destroy us.  We will never forget, and we will never return to those days.  Never again.

Am Yisrael Chai.

The Powers of Deception over Pesach

The spring has come, and Pesach is suddenly upon us.  It is astonishing how easy it is to shift attention from all the issues relating to Israel's safety and security, to the seemingly mundane activities relating to preparation and separation for Pesach.

Until a short time ago, the newspapers and national agenda were filled with stories of Iran's nuclear program, of Grad missiles being fired from Gaza and about preparations being made for a possible war of great significance.  It is great that Pesach has come around to distract us from these matters of importance, which have a tendency to weigh heavily on the minds of many of Israel's citizens.  Somehow, the festival has managed to deceive us all into feeling and believing that the existential threat has somehow been relieved, even for a few short days.

The days have become warmer and the spring cleaning has been undertaken at a manic pace.  Furniture and household items have been put on the streets to make place for the new replacements in honour of Pesach.  Many of the discarded items seem hardly used, and many of them were snapped up by those not quite in a position to replace their items with new from the shop.  Adverts on the radio and TV all seem to have Pesach tunes as their theme, and gifts are being dragged around by hundreds of motorcycle couriers to business associates, family and friends. Charity organisations have been in top gear distributing thousands of food parcels to the needy, to ensure that everybody can make a basic Seder, and that everybody has what they need to observe the festival.  Supermarkets have covered their aisles to prevent people reaching those items that may contain any chametz (leaven), and they are giving away packs of matzah for little or no charge to those who spend more than a certain amount.  On the day before Pesach, the air was filled with the smoke of the burning of the last remnants of any chametz that people had collected from their homes.  This familiar smell announces in no uncertain terms that Pesach is upon us.

Pesach celebrates two of the greatest miracles in Jewish history - the exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.  We are told that the 7th day of Pesach is a holiday to mark day upon which Moses and the children of Israel cross the Red Sea safely ahead of the following Egyptian army.  Now, a few thousand years later, we are told that we are living an even greater miracle than that - the miracle of the State of Israel.  The Sinai Desert still represents a considerable challenge for the Jewish people.  Whereas then, it was all about how to cross this safely, now it is about how to prevent terrorists from using the cover of the desert to ship rockets and fire them towards Israel.  Then as now, astonishing events have taken place.  There is no plausible explanation as to how a nascent Israeli army succeeded in holding off the well-trained and well-equipped armies of multiple Arab countries during the War of Independence.  Some call it good fortune, and others call it a miracle sent from heaven. The reality of what happened, however, cannot be denied.  A succession of wars has been forced upon Israelis, and they have fought back in a bid to survive and to flourish.  Who would think that a nation decimated by the horrors of the Holocaust could rise to such heights?  Who would have guessed that Israel could be a technological and agricultural powerhouse in the region, and could make such huge contributions to the world in so many different ways?

Just as quickly as Pesach has pounced upon us, so it will be gone.  Soon afterwards, we will mark memorial days in quick succession to commemorate those who have fallen in the Holocaust and those who have fallen in wars and terror attacks in the modern State of Israel.  And then we will celebrate the biggest miracle of the Jewish people, the 64th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

Even though the threat of a war with Iran, and the firing of Grad and Qassam rockets into civilian areas may have been forgotten for a short time, it is always lingering there somewhere in the background.  Pesach has allowed us to step into a mystical wonderland which is filled with fun and good things, but only until the next reality hits home.  We know that there are many out there who seek to destroy this dream, and to destroy the aspirations of the Jewish people to live in freedom to determine our own destiny.  Pesach teaches us that we were born to be a free nation, and the State of Israel provides exactly this for the Jewish people.  Being able to celebrate Pesach in Israel means marking some of the greatest miracles in Jewish history in the land that surely represents the greatest miracle we have experienced.  We will not allow anybody to take this away without a fight.  Our army is ready for this.

I often ask why I have merited the precious honour of being able to live in the Jewish homeland.  I think about how my grandparents and great-grandparents would have given almost anything to have this honour.  I think about what the victims of the Shoah would have given to know that a strong Jewish army exists to guard and protect the rights of Jews all around the world.  This is my reality, and it is one that I am enormously humbled to be able to partake in, and immensely proud to share.

In wishing all readers a wonderful Pesach, it is my wish that the story of Pesach will continue to inspire us to fight for our freedom and for our self-determination.  This will continue to drive the modern-day miracle.

Daylight Saving the Jewish Way

One of the unique things about living in Israel, is how seemingly every-day things are done in a slightly different way to accommodate the Jewish calendar or Jewish way of living. The most obvious example of this, is the fact that the work week begins on Sunday and that Saturday is the day of rest. Even though there are some businesses open on a Saturday (particularly restaurants and other places of entertainment in certain parts of the country), it continues to amaze me how Israel has succeeded in bucking the world trend by preserving the Sabbath day as a day of rest for large swathes of the economy.

Another example of things being done the "Jewish way" is the calendar of the daylight savings clock over the summer months. When I first arrived in Israel nearly 13 years ago, the daylight savings clock was linked entirely to the Jewish calendar. In that year, the total number of daylight savings days was 170. This compared to more than 200 daylight savings days in the USA and Europe. At that stage, I quite liked the fact that daylight saving time was implemented immediately after Passover (to avoid the Passover Seder meal having to begin too late in the evening), and that the clocks were returned to standard time prior to the Jewish New Year. The change to winter time accommodated those religious Jews who have the practice of rising very early in the period prior to the new year, to add slichot (special prayers of forgiveness) to their morning routine. This is prior to the day of judgement on Rosh Hashanah, when it is believed that each person's fate for the ensuing year will be determined. Because of the large numbers of people rising early during this period, it was determined appropriate to ease their plight, and to give them an additional hour of sunlight in the morning. It also accommodated those who believe that the 25-hour fast on Yom Kippur, which follows soon after the period of slichot, is easier to negotiate if it ends earlier. The fast begins at sunset and ends at sunset of the following day. The fast is always 25 hours no matter if the clocks are set to summer or winter times. In the winter mode, however, the fast begins earlier and ends earlier. In the opinions of some, this is an easier option than beginning later and having to fast later into the next day.

Despite the fact that the Passover Seder meal and the fast on Yom Kippur are the two events in the Jewish calendar that are observed by the most number of Jews (in Israel the numbers are well above 50% of the population for both of these events), the demand that the daylight savings clock be linked to the Jewish calendar has been regarded by some as another way for the religious community to impose their will on the rest of Israel. There are two main reasons why many have opposed running daylight savings in this way. Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, it does not coincide in a predictable way with the solar-based Gregorian calendar. As such, it is difficult to work out exactly when daylight savings will begin and end. Microsoft was forced to remove the option for Israeli users of Windows to automatically change the time on their computers when daylight savings comes in and goes out, due to the lack of predictability of the dates. Additionally, the number of daylight savings days is consistently substantially less than other countries. It has been calculated that daylight savings days save the country significant sums of money in terms of lower use of electricity in the evening, and save lives on the roads by making visibility better during the evening rush-hour. This saving is reduced when the number of days is less, and Israel has certainly paid the price for reducing the period of daylight saving.

In 2005, it was decided to go half way towards accommodating the opposition camp by enacting that daylight savings will begin at the beginning of April each year, and will continue until the weekend before Yom Kippur. This allowed the period to be a little more predictable (at least we can determine a date on which the daylight savings will begin), while also extending the period of the daylight savings. In 2011 the number of daylight savings days will be 184 days, not quite over the 200 mark like in the rest of the world, but better than was the case previously.

The announcement last week by the Interior Minister Eli Yishai that he has decided to accept the recommendations of the special Knesset committee formed to review the policy for daylight savings, will be lauded by many. Going forward, the period of daylight savings will be determined by the civil calendar and no longer by the Jewish calendar. In the future, the period of daylight savings will begin at the end of March and will run until the beginning of October. This decision adds approximately 10 extra daylight savings days a year to the calendar, while making the dates easy to predict.

It is somewhat ironic that the decision to make this change has been made by a minister from the religious party, Shas. It would seem as if he is going against the constituency that he represents in making the change. Arguably, it is only a religious minister that could implement the new daylight saving calendar without being accused of being anti-religious. Either way, Minister Yishai has made a brave decision that is the right one for Israel.

Even though I know that this is definitely the right decision for Israel, I feel more than a touch of nostalgia about the disconnect from the Jewish calendar that this creates. I guess, what is more important for the Jewish nature of Israel is the fact that people continue to participate in the Passover Seder and Yom Kippur. I feel sure that the change in the daylight saving clock will not affect this in any way.

The Eichmann Trial - 50 Years Later

Last week we marked the ominous date of 11 April. Fifty years ago on this day, one of the most remarkable and important events in the history of the State of Israel began. This was the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. The trial was dramatic in every respect, and ultimately saw Eichmann convicted on all charges. He remains the only criminal ever to have been sentenced to death by the Israeli legal system. There can be no greater irony than the fact that this Jew-hater has on his death certificate as his place of death - Ramla, Israel. In my view, this says everything about Eichmann's failure to complete his work on "The Final Solution", despite having the blood of 5 million innocent men, women and children on his hands.

In the fifty years that have passed since Eichmann's trial we have had the chance to digest the events of the trial, and to absorb its significance. There can be no doubt that this trial played an important role in the rehabilitation of the Jewish people in those tumultuous years that followed the end of the Shoa - the holocaust. A number of new facts have also come to light which have served to reinforce the extent to which the verdict reached in the trial was correct and just. Some of these facts have also left us pondering on what may have been. As it turns out, the daring raid in suburban Buenos Aires to capture Ricardo Klement (the alias that Eichmann assumed when he fled Germany) came very close to capturing another Nazi war criminal, Auschwitz doctor Josef Mengele. It is understood that Mengele managed to evade capture by relocating only two weeks before the raid was launched to capture him and Eichmann. This followed many months of surveillance by the Mossad to make sure that they had the right men.

In his trial in Jerusalem, Eichmann used the so-called "Nuremberg defence". This was the same defence used by those who were tried in the post-war Nuremberg trials. In all cases, those on trial declared that they were simply following orders and were not murdering millions of people of their own volition. In Eichmann's case, this fact was proved untrue at the time of the trial, and has been proved to be untrue numerous times since then. When Himmler ordered the extermination of Jews to stop and all evidence of the Final Solution to be destroyed, Eichmann was furious with this turnabout and decided to continue exterminating Hungarian Jews against official orders. Ultimately 800,000 Hungarian Jews were killed, many of whom were murdered after the order to stop.

Eichmann's guilt is further reinforced in my mind by the fact that he never once expressed remorse or regret for his actions. On the contrary, he seemed proud of them and admitted all the actions that the Nazis took to exterminate the Jews and others. In an astonishing letter that has recently been uncovered, Eichmann wrote in 1956 to German Chancellor Adenauer requesting that he be allowed to return to Germany. He was tired of living in anonymity in Argentina, and wished to return to Germany to recapture the fame and glory that he had enjoyed during the time of the holocaust. Reports say that Adenauer, who was already hiding the presence of a number of former Nazis in his government, never responded to Eichmann's request. Eichmann's audacity and lack of any regret are, however, plain to see.

For survivors of the Shoa who had made a new life for themselves in the new Jewish state, the trial represented a painful experience, but also one which cleansed them of an enormous burden. To be forced to relive through the trial the horrors which they were forced to endure at the hands of Eichmann, and other butchers like him, was enormously difficult. It did, however, offer an opportunity to show that there was resistance against the Nazi genocide machine. Standing up to the Nazi war machine without weapons or an army was an impossible mission. Despite this fact, there were countless acts of opposition and resistance which had gone undocumented until that point. Finally, they were able to cast aside the widely-used accusation that the Jews of Europe went to the gas chambers like lambs to the slaughter.

The trial also allowed the Israeli legal system to be shown in its best possible light. That such an evil person, who had summarily executed so many innocent people without the benefit of a hearing, could be given his day in court and given access to all aspects of a democratic system of justice was a real triumph. He was given the opportunity to appeal his conviction in the High Court, sitting as a Court of Criminal Appeal, and then to the president of the State of Israel. Ultimately, the evidence was overwhelming and the death sentence was passed for the first and last time in the State of Israel. Eichmann's wife, Vera, wrote to Israeli President Yitzchak Ben-Zvi requesting clemency for her husband. In rejecting her appeal, Ben-Zvi wrote a quote from the first book of Samuel in his own hand on the telegram received from Vera, "As your sword bereaved women, so will your mother be bereaved among women." With that, Eichmann's fate was finally sealed.

After his execution, Eichmann's body was cremated and his ashes sprinkled in the Mediterranean Sea beyond Israel's territorial waters. This ensured that no place of mourning or place of worship would be available to family, friends and supporters of one of the world's most prolific murderers.

One of the lessons learned from the Shoa has been embraced by the State of Israel more than any other. This is the lesson that it is necessary to have an organised fighting force to protect Jews wherever they may be. This we now have in the form of the Israel Defence Force, one of the world's strongest and most respected armies. As we approach Passover, the festival of our freedom from slavery, we also celebrate the freedom from the evil that the Nazis brought upon our people. We now know that we have the freedom of our own country and army, that prevents such a thing from ever happening again.

Chag Pesach sameach - happy Passover to all.

Pesach in Exile

One of the things that I enjoy most about living in Israel is the experience of the chagim and the holidays here. In particular, I enjoy experiencing the chagim of Pesach (Passover) and Succot (Tabernacles) in Israel. The weather at that time of year is usually good as it is between the heat of the summer and the cool of the winter. Children and adults can be seen making trips out to enjoy the good weather and the holiday atmosphere. These two holidays are both week-long holidays that involve people making changes to their everyday lives to observe the holidays. Pesach requires a change of the kitchen to ensure that no crumb of leaven is consumed, and Succot involves the outdoor living in the Succot (tabernacles) that are constructed for the holiday. It is interesting to note that religious as well as secular people get involved in observing these holidays. Even those who are not religious will not be seen eating bread or leaven during the Pesach holiday.

This year, I travelled with my family to South Africa to celebrate a barmitzvah and for Pesach. It was the first time in many years that I was not in Israel for the Pesach holiday. To be with our families, and for our children to experience some time with their grandparents and other members of their extended family in their home environment was truly wonderful. We received fantastic hospitality and were treated like royalty during the time of our visit. We especially appreciate the efforts of our families to give us food that would allow us to celebrate Pesach as much as possible like home in Israel, while also giving us a South African eating extravaganza.

When going around South Africa, I felt a little like a fish out of water from a Jewish perspective. The feeling that I had during the time of Pesach in South Africa took me back more than 30 years, and reminded me of the feeling that I had during my childhood years over the time of the Jewish holidays. It was a similar feeling that I experienced when living in London, when trying to instil some Jewish values in my children when trying to bring the Jewish holidays to them. I guess that it is the same feeling that most Jews living outside of Israel will experience when celebrating Jewish holidays. The feeling is one of feeling a real chag at home, whilst trying to create an artificial environment outside of the home to continue the celebration of the chag. The celebration and the chag is so real when you are in the shul (synagogue) or in the home where the celebration is taking place. When venturing outdoors, however, all feelings of the celebration are suddenly ceased, and life outside is completely different from life inside. There are two completely different worlds which seem to be totally disconnected from each other. I had forgotten how this felt until these emotions were renewed over the course of the past week.

Upon commencing my trip back to Israel and upon my arrival back in Israel on the eve of the second chag of Pesach, I could feel that I was back to my more familiar holiday atmosphere. The feeling of Pesach is everywhere. It started when we got into the aeroplane where big signs assured all passengers that all food was kosher for Pesach. It was pervasive in the airport where people seemed to be rushing around readying themselves for the chag, and the quiet on the roads indicated that most Israelis were either still at their holiday destinations or arranging their homes for the holiday. Supermarkets were happy busy places with everybody ensuring that they have all that is required for the chag. This was a much more familiar feeling, and one which I learned to live with immediately upon arrival in Israel and have continued to love over the past 12 years. My wife was able to make all required arrangements within a very short time for our chag dinner.

There was no need to search out the Pesach foods in the supermarket, or to have to explain to people that we are celebrating something that they are not. There was no issue about whether there was still stock of the Pesach goods that we needed - this was all that the supermarkets had. All have the same feeling, and are celebrating the same celebration. Even those homes which may not be observing the religious laws of Pesach will not be able to avoid celebrating Pesach along with the rest of the nation. It is a feeling that I feel so privileged to have the honour to experience each Shabbat and each time we celebrate a chag.

There are those who believe that there is some value in forcing people to seek out their Jewish identity when living in the diaspora. It causes them to learn a little more about the religious observances, and draws them closer to the community. Failure to do so would essentially assimilate them into the non-Jewish environment in which they live. While this contention may be true and has been proven correct in a number of cases, I believe the opposite to be true in the most part. I believe that living in an environment that is entirely Jewish, and in which you are allowed to celebrate the holiday on the streets and in public areas as well as in your homes is much better for Jewish continuity. Too many people fall into the trap of not seeking out their Jewish identity, and therefore become like everybody else. It seems to be much easier for Jews in the diaspora not to make the effort to have a Jewish home. Assimilation statistics in the USA alone are testament to the number of Jews being lost to the religion because of this.

I continue to admire those Jews living in the diaspora who make significant efforts, and go to huge lengths to ensure that their children and families having the feeling of Judaism in their homes despite what is happening on the street outside. For me, however, arriving home earlier today and feeling Pesach in everything that we did made me feel so good to be back in Israel. Having experienced both sides of the coin, there is no doubt where my choice lies. There can be no greater joy for me than celebrating the Jewish holiday in the Jewish homeland.

Chag sameach and a good Pesach to all. Next year in Jerusalem!

Is This What Pesach is About?

Pesach (Passover) is the festival that we celebrate to recall and mark the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. A central part of Pesach is the prohibition of the eating or possession of any leaven. The reason that we eat no leaven, and we spend weeks purging our homes of every possible crumb of leaven before Pesach, is to mark the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. They had no time to allow their bread to rise. In commemoration of this fact, we are commanded not to eat leaven for the duration of the festival of Passover. In the place of bread, we eat matza. In the Pesach seder, matza is also referred to as the "bread of our affliction".

From all of this, I have gained the impression that the festival of Pesach, with all the foods that are uniquely associated with it, is not designed to be a culinary extravaganza. I remember as a child growing up in rural South Africa that Pesach was a week of gastronomic hardship. Other than the overeating that occurred on the seder night in celebration of our freedom, there was little in the way of exciting food to eat for the rest of Pesach. We had to go without most of our usual every day foods. Kosher-for-Pesach tea, coffee, Coca Cola or chocolates were either not yet invented or not available in that part of the world. And it was our understanding that this hardship was part of the message of Pesach.

Wind forward a few decades to 2009 and Pesach in Israel. Things could not be more different. It would be fair to say that there are few, if any, every day foods that are not available with kosher-for-Pesach label attached. Many restaurants have kosher-for-Pesach bread rolls and pita breads. Burger King has its kosher-for-Pesach menu complete with rolls to go with its regular Whopper and Double Whopper burgers. I remember feeling shocked when visiting Israel for Pesach about 12 years ago, and being served kosher-for-Pesach filled rolls on the train ride to Haifa. These days, nobody would expect anything less. There was once a time when most coffee shops and patisseries in Israel closed for a well-earned break over Pesach. Not anymore. The Pesach week is now one of their busiest times of the year to go along with the glorious Spring weather. They have cleaned out the leaven well ahead of time and have baked up a veritable Pesach storm. Whilst in many cases, the Pesach version of the food is noticeably less good than its non-Pesach variety, this does not need to be the case at all. A short walk down the main road of any Israeli town or city, and a brief glance into any cake or coffee shop will convince you that Pesach can be as tasty as any other time of the year. A few years ago when this new approach to Pesach began to take hold in Israel, I was convinced each time I saw a cake shop that held a variety of delicious cakes that it was not kosher-for-Pesach. I now realise how wrong I probably was.

Admittedly, many of the most tasty items contain the dreaded kitniyot (legumes) which are still not eaten by many Ashkenazi Jews over Pesach. The issue of the eating of kitniyot remains a significant issue, particularly for those who choose to abstain from them during Pesach. There seems to be a universal view that kitniyot are not actually prohibited during Pesach. Many Ashkenazim do not eat them due to Rabbinical prohibitions on eating them, largely to avoid confusion or a mistaken belief that somebody may be transgressing the laws of Pesach. Having been adopted into general observance across significant parts of the Ashkenazi world, the removal of such a Rabbinical prohibition is complicated and will not be contemplated by many that adhere to it. Having said that, there are some Ashkenazi authorities who have decided the eating of kitniyot is not prohibited for Pesach, and is in common practice across the majority of Israel's residents. As such, they have accepted that kitniyot can be eaten and have decided that it is acceptable to lift the Rabbinical prohibition.

For those who do eat kitniyot, Pesach seems to be as exciting as any other time of the Jewish year, particularly as far as food goes. For those who do not eat kitniyot, the choices are significantly less, but still much greater than what they were only a few years ago.

Does this culinary indulgence contradict the reasons why we celebrate Pesach? I am not really quite sure. One thing, however, is clear. Even Pesach has joined the family of Jewish festivals where food has a central (and most delicious) role. And we don't have long to wait after Pesach for the next eating fest.

Celebrating Freedom

The festival of Pesach (Passover) is celebrated this week, and Jews around the world are furiously cleaning their homes to rid them of all remnants of leaven in accordance with the traditions of Pesach. The theme of Pesach is freedom. We celebrate the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, which brought them to freedom by escaping the Egyptians who held the Israelites in slavery. The ultimate freedom came after 40 years of wandering in the desert when the Israelites eventually entered the promised land. The intervening 40 years ensured that the generation that left Egypt had passed on entirely, and it was the new generation that entered the land of Canaan.

Freedom is an enduring concept, and it seems as relevant today as it was at the time of the exodus from Egypt. Over the years, we have used Pesach as a reminder for those who were denied the right to practise their Judaism. This was a particular rallying moment during the years when Jews behind the iron curtain were not allowed to celebrate Pesach. These days, most Jews have the freedom to celebrate Pesach according to their wish and this must surely count as a significant achievement in the quest for Jewish freedom.

The Land of Israel is also a landmark on the road to Jewish freedom. This is the country where Jews are not only allowed to practise their religion as they see fit, but a country which is dedicated to making Jewish practice also the social default. Supermarkets are laden with Pesach goods of every shape and type, and the traditions and laws of Pesach are easy to adhere to. Watching people burn their remaining leavened products in secure fires set up by the local municipality this morning, brought this point home to me even more strongly.

Whilst I am not familiar with a particular country or regime that currently forbids Jews from practising their faith, I do know one Jew who will not be free to celebrate Pesach for the third year in a row. He is, of course, Gilad Shalit. I would like to encourage all Jews to set an empty place at their Pesach seder to remember Gilad and the other soldiers missing in action. It is our prayer that they will be free to celebrate Pesach with their families next year.

Whilst the freedom that we celebrate at Pesach is largely freedom in a physical sense, the modern world has created many forms of captivity which are different in their nature. We seem to be trapped in self-created cages of financial and social pressures inflicted upon us by the world in which we live. We have managed to create a society for ourselves which many find difficult to keep up with, and which creates a form of captivity that many people are unable to escape from. The number of people who are living in poverty and unable to feed their families is a frightening statistic. And the number of people requiring emotional support as a result of the damage done by the expectations of our society is continuously increasing. These are surely the new forms of slavery that we wish to free ourselves of at this time.

So, it is with this in mind that I wish everyone a Chag Sameach. May you have freedom to practice your religion in the way that you see fit. May you also have the freedom from our society's new illnesses. And may our captured soldiers be returned to freedom soon.