I am not Jewish; my children are. So many feelings about being a Jew in America today. . . Passover begins tonight – Good Friday evening. This year Easter and Passover, share a weekend of religious observance. I am writing about this because Judaism has been influential in the growth and development of my family. My partner is of Jewish descent. He grew up culturally Jewish but no longer practices the tenets of his childhood faith. If he did he, we might not have married since I am a gentile. But, here we are in an inter-religious partnership of sorts.
Tonight I will sit among Jews and observe a holiday that they feel is not mine. But, I claim the right to every holiday; and don’t dare call my children “half Jewish.” Their Jewishness is not half of their identity it is one of their many identities.
This Holy Saturday, the Great Sabbath is the first night of Passover and the eve of Easter Sunday. Christians will solemnly recall the Crucifixion of Christ and rejoice in his resurrection while Jews will acknowledge their exodus from enslavement by the Egyptians. My husband and I share a kosher meal at his sister’s table. Everyone contributes something to go with her delicious home-made chicken soup (it’s the best!). I make macaroons for dessert, another crowd-pleaser. My oldest son joins us with his cousins, one a lawyer and two others who work in real estate, and marketing. The Seder (in Hebrew means “order”) is a lengthy meal where the story of the exodus is recounted with symbolism and tradition both to remember the lore and to educate the youngest members of the family. This is the second Seder of the holiday for most in attendance and no children are present, so formality gives way quickly to eating. We stay for an hour more than we expected while the oldest adults smoke cannibas after dinner and the younger adults chuckle about this dynamic.
Passover is an 8-day observance. The following day is Easter Sunday, the third day of Passover. I cook dinner for my mother, the observant Christian in our household and invite her Jewish friend to dine with us. I like to cook and serve lamb shank, salad, and baked acorn squash and try to enjoy the moment.
Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 CBS NEWS online: “At least 207 killed in blasts targeting churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.”
Saturday, April 27, 2019 the second sabbath of Passover 2019, New York Times Headline: “One Dead in Synagogue Shooting Near San Diego; Officials Call it Hate Crime.”
Shabbat Shalom.