With the end of Passover this week, it’s hard to believe for many of those who are vaccinated this was the first holiday families could celebrate together in a year. This made the story of Passover especially meaningful this year. The uncertainty and ups and downs of COVID 19 allowed me to relate to the fear and unknown the Israelites faced in their journey to the Promised Land. Over the past year there were times when I did not know when I would be able to hug my parents again or get my children back in a classroom to see their teachers and friends. While there is still a lot of uncertainty, there is a lot of hope for this upcoming year due to the miracles of science.
The Passover Seder celebrates our freedom from bondage and persecution. As a community, we continue to work together to fight for the injustices and oppression in our own country. Our JCRC and Federation community have recently come together to support the Asian Community in Howard county against the violent acts against them. As an organization, we will continue to work together with our friends and neighbors to make sure everyone feels welcome and safe.
Passover also honors the past by retelling our story. The Jewish Federation continues to honor the past through our Yom HaShoah service, to be held this year virtually on April 8th. We hope you will join us for this solemn occasion to honor the survivors among us and remember those who perished
There are so many ways the story of Passover brings us together as a community, creating connections with one another and sharing our stories of our family traditions to our children and the next generation. This spring, we hope you will partner with us through your time and continued financial support to lead us to our promised land where we connect with our community and make Jewish memories with our families and friends.