The Power of Your Questions
Unique. Unpredictable. Unknowable. Unknown.
These words have come to define the opening months of 2026.
Along with all of us at Bayit Shelanu Synagogue, Jews the world over will gather to celebrate Passover—a story that began more than 3,000 years ago, when our ancestors lived through their own time of uncertainty as they fled Egypt toward freedom.
Passover is a holiday about freedom—but we do not celebrate it by acting free. Instead, we step into the experience of our ancestors. For seven days (in Israel and amongst the Reform Movement) or eight days (for many in the Diaspora) we eat matzah, the bread of haste—made of the same ingredients as bread, yet without the time to rise.
As Philo of Alexandria teaches, the difference between matzah and bread is not what they are made of, but what they become. Bread is puffed up; matzah remains humble. That puffiness, he suggests, is like the human ego. Matzah calls us to strip away excess, to invite humility, quiet ourselves, and to return to what is essential.
In that same spirit, we prepare for Passover by cleaning our homes—removing chametz, clearing away the noise and clutter of daily life—so we can focus on what truly matters.
There is a beautiful tradition that the Maas Center at American University suggests we consider: they explain that in the Syrian Jewish community at the beginning of the Seder, the leader enters carrying a bag. The children ask: “Where are you coming from?” The leader answers: “From Egypt.” “Where are you going?” “To the Promised Land.” “And what is in the bag?”
With these simple questions, the Seder begins—not just as a story we tell, but as a journey we enter. It reminds us that the Jewish people have always been on the move—across deserts, across time, across generations. And it invites each of us to ask: If you had to leave everything behind, what would you carry with you?
It is a time to think about what really matters and what and who we cherish.
Pesach Sameach—wishing you a meaningful and joyful Passover. May this celebration of our people’s journey to freedom remind us of the values we hold dear and the blessings that ground us.
Chag Sameach,
Jan
