Judaism Unbound Episode 215 - Passover Re-Imagined
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg wrap up their series on creative approaches to Passover by invoking some of their recent guests and brainstorming their own ideas for experimental new forms of Passover observance. [1]
(0:01 - 15:54): Lex begins by reflecting on a moment in conversation with Vanessa Ochs, when he realized the Mishnah’s chapter on Passover is called “Pesachim,” which means Passovers, plural. [2] He puts forward a claim that there is not just one authentic Passover tradition in 2020, and that contemporary seders should be seen as “traditional,” even though they are not yet centuries old. Dan contemplates the more distant history of Passover with an analogy of the Haggadah to a cookbook. Lex wonders if people’s desire to have a written guide to the Seder, or to reproduce everything perfectly, holds us back. He remembers an off-book retelling of the Passover story at one of his seders. He also argues that the contemporary Haggadot we make, by combining what feels meaningful to us with ancient texts, are primary sources of Judaism.
(15:55 - 31:05): Dan and Lex transition to brainstorming how Jews may radically experiment with Passover, this year and in the future, drawing inspiration from conversations with guests. Dan celebrates the small innovations that people can create at home in the absence of any authority figure, provided seder guests are willing to go along. He says the purpose of Passover is to create an experience of suffering, through reenactment, in order to become more empathetic to those suffering today. [3] Inspired by the Muslim tradition of Ramadan, Dan plans to try fasting this Passover. Dan and Lex discuss the “why” and “how” of making meaningful Passover experiences. Pivoting back to something Dan brought up earlier, Lex critiques the common expectation that seders on the first night of Passover must be “traditional” to fulfill the expectations of guests. He recommends a unique Passover practice from his childhood. Dan talks about the possibility of marking the end of an experience of suffering through Mimouna, a Moroccan Jewish celebration of Passover’s end. [4] This idea appeals to Lex, who believes a reenactment of suffering without meaningful takeaways is pointless. [5]
(31:06 - 48:28): Continuing to explore the idea of reenactment, Lex imagines telling the Passover story from the perspective of a different character from Exodus each day. Dan adds that he’s heard from several people who want to find a different purpose for each day of longer Jewish holidays. This reminds Dan and Lex of the ways that Jewish holidays borrow from each other. [6] Dan asks how Jews can use Passover as a moment in the calendar year to help people who are suffering now. Lex acknowledges that in a world post-temple sacrifices, having days set aside for no purpose besides eating matzah is a missed opportunity. [7] To wrap up this Passover series, Dan and Lex talk about ways for listeners to make their own seders innovative and meaningful, like distributing leadership among guests, embracing non-Jewish family members, and getting creative with food symbolism. Lex closes with an invitation to listeners to be leaders and teach Judaism Unbound what Passover can become.
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[2] Listen to our complete series on Passover this year: Episode 209: Wait…Soft Matzah? - Barry Dolinger, Naomi Baine; Episode 210: Escape from Egypt - Dan Horwitz; Episode 211: The Passover Haggadah, a Biography - Vanessa Ochs; Episode 212: Haggadot.com - Eileen Levinson; Episode 213: Passover Your Way - Brian Field, Caryn Aviv; and Episode 214: Finding A Jewish Voice - Kristin Eriko Posner.
[3] Read Vanessa Ochs's new book The Passover Haggadah: A Biography, and tune into her book launch on jewishLIVE, this coming Sunday, March 28th.
[4] Read more about Mimouna here. Our conversation in Episode 213, with Brian Field and Caryn Aviv, also features an extended look at that practice.
[5] Lex references the parody song "Remember That We Suffered,” written by Rachel Bloom and featured on her show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Check it out by clicking here
[6] To read more about how Hanukkah is modeled on Sukkot, check out this MyJewishLearning article, entitled "The First Hanukkah: It was Actually a Sukkot Celebration.”
[7] Listen to our conversation about temple sacrifices in Episode 153: Fiction Between Worlds - Ruby Namdar.