entire point of the seder , which is to empathize — to empathize with those who endured slavery and those who experienced the redemption from Egypt . Why then , shouldn ' t we empathize with the Jews who suffered devastating loss throughout the generations ? This is the year to own this painful prayer , the year to ask God to mete out justice and carefully pour His wrath on those who have been barbaric and murderous to the Jewish people . To those who have laid waste to their homes , to their kibbutzim , and who consumed the lives of the innocent . To pour his wrath out on those who have held our people hostage and committed heinous acts of sexual violence against women .
And while we ask God for this , we open the door : For Elijah , for redemption , for hope for a better future . This year , we must emulate the God to whom we pray . We have to emerge from the seder ready to channel our anger , to speak out and stand up against rampant antisemitism . We need to publicly pour out our anger carefully against those who earned it , not shy away from seeking their destruction and our continued existence — while keeping the door open , all the while , negotiating for peace . Elijah ’ s cup sits poured , ready and waiting , to welcome an era when it will indeed be impossible , much less a failure , to imagine shfoch chamat ’ cha ’ s necessity .
Pam Ehrenkranz is a rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion . She is the CEO of UJA-JCC Greenwich .
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