Next Year, in Jerusalem!

Last night, I was privileged to attend a seder, given by our former neighbors in Newberg. It was fairly non-traditional, with jokes and power point slides and the like. Paddy, the kids and I all attended, and we all had a wonderful, wonderful time.

Seder is the Jewish dinner that commemorates Passover. You can find all of the information Wikipedia has pertaining to it here. It's a fantastically complex ritual. We arrived at four, and left at 10, and everyone said it was a fairly quick Seder, as folks had to work the next day.

Passover is a celebration of tensions. Freedom and slavery. Obedience and disobedience. Absence and presence. The past, the present, and the future all collide as the Jewish people remember their origins, take stock of their current situation, and hope for the coming of the Messiah. And we joined with them, for there is no separation between these things.

I thought it was amazing, and the kids all enjoyed it. We all learned stuff, we ate great food, we sang, we talked, we joked, we were solemn, we blessed and blessed and blessed.

We ate, but not to excess. We, strangers in these people's home, were welcomed like family. We engaged with mutual respect and love, and saw in each other and in our actions and our material possessions, the reflection of the Divine.

We broke bread together, and waited for the angel of death to pass over, and the holy one to stop its flight. This was a wonderful experience, and one I'd gladly repeat. We were very blessed to attend, and our thanks are extended.

Three days left.

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