A few thoughts for Pesaḥ

Next Year in Jerusalem. Bashanah Haba’ah Birushalayim.

At the end of every seder we proclaim these words. A wish to be in Jerusalem. At home in Israel, with the people Israel. Is this though what we think the words really mean? And if so, do we actually want this?

I’ve certainly toyed with the idea of making Aliyah. I love Israel, I love being there, I love the taste of the air, the firmness of the history under my feet, the thriving nature of the people, the opinions, the voices, the spices. But, I could not bear to be so far from my family, from the world whence I grew up. And now, I am happily settled. A wonderful wife, child, home and congregation. I will not be moving to Israel any time soon.

How is it then that I read out the words “Bashanah Haba’ah Birushalayim” with full integrity?

I read them because they mean far more than a simple return for me.

I take note of these words for Jerusalem, knowing it is a dream for a home for all Jewish people, where we can practice our religion as a way of life, without conflict with the surrounding culture. For Jews in Europe, it would mean a place where they are not under threat from a state returning to its Cold-War tactics, or where they can circumcise their sons freely without hearing “abomination” and “cruelty” shouted, where they can find local kosher foods, where they do not need to fear rising waves of Anti-Semitism. For Jews in Middlesex County, it could mean a place where street festivals and sporting events are held on any day but Shabbat, so society and synagogue can march hand in hand.

You see, after cheapest cialis 20mg we cook our meals, we also eliminate the enzymes with the foods that may cause dysfunctions that will contribute to hair loss. However, it is suggested to consume it in prescribed or normal limit as overdose of it may lead to effects. respitecaresa.org levitra cost low Make use of your fingers or thumbs to firmly press about 1 1/2-inches out from the spine on both the sides, until your partner tells you that you have found tolerating from retinitis pigmentosa Must shun drinking any grapes loaded stuff discount sildenafil such as alcohol or must shun puffing cigarettes. Post recovery period is usually four http://respitecaresa.org/events/latest-news/ generic cialis india to ten weeks and vacationing in India is never on the expensive side. I read Jerusalem because it is a dream of coming home, of settling down, of knowing that all the challenging transitions in our lives have come to an end. For all the ups and downs, the sickness, the unemployment, the unpredictability of life, Jerusalem is a city of refuge and a place of stability and timelessness. Jerusalem is a comforting ideal.

I proclaim Jerusalem as a prayer for all displaced people, lacking their freedom for self-expression and self-determination, to be free to return home, to have a place to call home, and to have a place to be valued as human beings made in the divine image.

I ponder Jerusalem as a place I now have the freedom to return to, any day I wish. I celebrate that modern technology— the marvels of human skill and discovery— permits us a swift return to the Jewish homeland any time we wish.

I yearn for Jerusalem, the place of shalem, of wholeness. I long for a day when our lives feel whole, when the world shall be repaired, when streams of contentment and rivers of joy shall flood the streets.

Bashanah Haba’ah Birushalayim.

Next Year in Jerusalem.