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Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue:Ìý
Tomorrow evening will be the start of Passover, the great festival of freedom. It celebrates the birth of the Jewish people at their exodus from slavery in Egypt over 3000 years ago. The centre-piece is an elaborate family meal called a Seder, at which we retell the old story. More a re-enactment of freedom than a story, the evening is peppered with wonderful melodies, fun props and a delicious feast. We eat symbolic foods – including matzah, the iconic crackers that define the texture, aroma and taste of the festival. The lead-up to Passover is long and chaotic.Ìý
In ridding our homes of every trace of leaven, we clean the rooms thoroughly, buy in special foods and replace or deep-clean our cooking utensils. Over the past few days, you could have found me up a ladder, boiling cauldrons of cutlery, peering beneath the fridge, or crawling under the seats in my car. I expect this all sounds rather mad, but it teaches something important. Freedom – to think, to practise one’s religion, to be oneself – doesn’t just happen. It requires us to work hard, overcome setbacks and what is often called ‘grit’ – sheer determination. Only when we’ve devoted a couple of weeks to arduous preparation can we really set ourselves free on Seder night.Ìý
What Nelson Mandela called ‘the long walk to freedom’ is something I think can apply to many aspects of life. His message is that freedom and effort go together. We live in a ‘quick-fix’ world, where we expect immediate solutions and instant results for everything. But all of us have challenges – journeys to complete before we can say we are free. I believe that each of has broken relationships that haunt us, worries about money, the future or our health to contend with. These can overshadow our lives, shackling us to the past. But with the right motivation, we can put in the hard work needed to release us from these restraints, and propel us to true freedom.Ìý
Passover is a hugely demanding festival, but as with everything worthwhile, the effort is more than worth it. Of course, this weekend is also a major event in the Christian calendar. I wish all my friends celebrating a meaningful Easter. One thing’s for sure – whatever you’re doing over these few days, it’ll almost certainly be calmer than ours!