Pain at Passover

Passover is perhaps the most observed of the Jewish holidays. Its secret is a central ritual — a huge holiday meal, a gathering of relatives from near and far, a celebration of family and communal traditions — that touches a deep place in the Jewish soul.

But what happens when that soul is in pain, and the Pesach gathering is itself a reminder of our loss and grief?

Families throughout the state are facing that question in the wake of last month’s tragic bus crash in Chile. It took the lives of 12 people, 10 of whom lived in the same senior community in Monroe Township and all of whom were connected to the state’s Jewish community through a web of kinship and friendship. Their deaths leave too many empty chairs around seder tables. A holiday that is so often marked with joy will be splashed with tears.

But consolation is to be found in another Jewish secret: community. The tragedy and its aftermath roused Jews throughout the region — indeed, throughout the world. Organizations and individuals offered what they could. Some helped make sure the bodies would be treated with dignity. Others rushed to the sides of grieving sons and daughters, helping lift their burden. And still others were there for the neighbors, whose dreams for many years of continued friendship were cruelly dashed.

The victims of the crash did not die alone, and their friends and family do not grieve alone. Passover marks our liberation from bondage, but also celebrates our birth as a people — as a community.

May we all mark this Passover in the bosom of family, the company of friends, and the embrace of our people.

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