Rabbi's Blog

At the first Passover, we marked our doorposts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb to protect us from the Angel of Death (Exodus 12:23). Although that was a one-time ritual, doors continue to be a central symbol of the holiday. It is a symbol that seems more relevant than ever in an age when nativism and xenophobia frequently clash with timeless Jewish values of loving and welcoming the stranger, the most often repeated mitzvah in the Torah. 

We begin the Passover Seder by issuing an invitation to the hungry and needy to join us in the bounty of the holiday, modeling ourselves on the actions of Rav Huna (Talmud Bavli, Taanit 20b), who opened his doors at every meal and called, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.” Near the end of the Seder we open our doors again for Elijah the Prophet, harbinger of salvation. Subtle echoes of opening ripple throughout the Seder, such as the injunction to “open” (at patach lo) for the midrashic “fourth child” who doesn’t know how to ask a question, and the praise psalm of Hallel calling on God to open the gates of righteousness for us (Psalms 118:19). We can almost hear the hinges creaking as we take in the message to open doors for others by teaching and seeking justice in our world.

The Hebrew letter dalet was originally a pictograph of a door, a delet. It is equal in gematria (Hebrew numerology) to the number four, the pervasive number of the Seder (four cups, four questions, four children). Passover can help us open the doors of our hearts to new possibilities of understanding, belonging, and action. The Seder recalls our own homelessness as wandering refugees from slavery in Egypt, and even further back, to our ancestor who was called “a wandering Aramean” (Deuteronomy 26:5). Throughout the centuries and especially during the Holocaust era, Jews have particularly known the pain of being unwanted refugees. We have literally been out-of-doors and shut out.

This Passover, we can be moved to do better for today’s refugees right here in Delaware. Jewish Family Services of Delaware is our state's main agency for assisting and resettling refugees. We have heard people from JFS speak at Seaside in the past, but as a refresher here are some facts about refugees in Delaware at the JFS website: here. JFS now faces massive funding cuts and staff layoffs because of changes in US policy relating toward refugees.  JFS recently issued this statement on the situation facing refugees today:

Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Delaware is deeply disappointed by the decision by the U.S. State Department to issue a stop-work order cutting off vital support to families who have already legally resettled in the United States and the recent executive order suspending any new arrivals of refugees.

Through the JFS Refugee Integration and Support Effort (RISE) program, we have welcomed hundreds of refugee and immigrant families in recent years, assisting these new Americans legally resettle in the United States and more quickly become contributing members to the Delaware community.

Many people who had been waiting for years to come to the United States are now facing prolonged delays or outright denials, leaving them in limbo, often in dangerous situations back in their home countries or in refugee camps. The impact has been multi-faceted: while we continue to support those we can help, we are witnessing the emotional toll it takes on families who may never make it here, and the deepening challenges faced by the refugees already in the United States, who may struggle to access resources and legal protections.

JFS remains focused on protecting and fulfilling our deeply held Jewish values of making the world a better place, welcoming the stranger, and the obligation to act justly toward people in need. JFS and our dedicated staff and volunteers are committed to helping the clients we have welcomed settle into their new lives in Delaware.

The primary source of funding for our RISE program is federal dollars passed through Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the State of Delaware. The future of most of the funds we receive for continued work with refugees is uncertain. Please consider donating to JFS Delaware to help cover this funding gap created by this policy change. We will continue to do the work for as long as we are able, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand by our mission.  - Jewish Family Services of Delaware

The famous poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…I lift my lamp beside the golden door,” is by Jewish poet Emma Lazarus. Supporting JFS and HIAS seems like a fitting tzedakah for this holiday. May this Passover be a time when we open our hearts and our doors to those seeking refuge in our world today. 

Statue of Liberty photo by William Warby, via Wikimedia Commons