This evening is the start of Pesach, or Passover. It’s one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar, and one that has always felt very significant to the modern world for me. We gather together to retell the Haggadah; a story of people being freed from captivity and entering into years of wandering in search of a home. The Passover meal, called the Seder, includes symbolic foods representing both the suffering and the celebration that this story represents. Over the years, Jewish people have found new symbols to incorporate into the meal – an orange to represent feminist struggles, an olive to represent solidarity with Palestinians and the desire for peace in the Middle East, among others. In retelling the story, we take moments to discuss our history and the meaning of these rituals in our time – both as part of Jewish identity and as an analogy for struggles against oppression for other peoples. Many activist groups have created their own Haggadah to include statements of solidarity for people facing oppression, captivity, displacement and hardship, and to resolve to be strong allies and discuss meaningful action for freedom in our time.
Of course, Pesach is a celebration and involves plenty of eating, singing and coming together with family and friends. But it’s also a moment of reflection on the past and present. It feels meaningful to me every year, especially as through running the Open Music Lab project for GSBTB, I am often in contact with displaced people.
This year it feels quite painful to come back to this story, as deep divisions, fear and anger feel so present in many of my communities – and not just my Jewish communities. So while I am happy to be celebrating with people close to me, I’m also approaching Pesach as a chance to remember the importance of freedom for all people. For me personally, that particularly means expressing solidarity with Palestinians, as my vision of Jewish identity is one that doesn’t allow for the repression of another group in order for us to thrive. At the same time I think of those Jewish people who are held hostage right now, and ask for their safe return. For me, it also means committing to standing up to all forms of racism and intolerance here in Europe – including both anti-semitism and islamophobia. I think of this story as a reminder that none of us is free until all of us are free.