Pesach is the festival of renewal. We tell the story of our journey from slavery to freedom, from oppression to hope, and from darkness into light.
Each year, as we sit around our Seder tables, we do more than retell an ancient narrative –we commit ourselves to the ongoing work of transformation, both personal and collective.
This year, as we move towards one Progressive Judaism, we embrace that spirit of renewal in a profound way.
We are uniting as a community, drawing strength from our shared values, and finding new ways to engage, innovate, and build the Jewish future we believe in.
Pesach arrives with spring – when nature reminds us that life is resilient.
The Song of Songs, traditionally read at this time, declares: “For behold, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The blossoms appear in the land, the time of singing has come.” (Song of Songs 2:11-12)
These words resonate not only with the beauty of the natural world but also with the cycles of hope that define Jewish time. Just as the earth renews itself after the barrenness of winter, we too are called to refresh our souls, renew our commitments, and embrace the possibilities ahead.
This Pesach, the need for renewal extends far beyond our personal and spiritual lives. Our civil and political worlds are fractured, often defined by fear rather than hope. Yet, Pesach teaches that transformation is possible.
The Exodus was not just a moment of liberation but the start of a journey – a slow, often frustrating process of building a society based on justice, equality, and shared responsibility.
This is the challenge of Pesach, not only to celebrate freedom but to take responsibility for helping the world renew.
Leonard Cohen’s well-known lyric reminds us: “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
Pesach is a festival of optimism, not because suffering is absent, but because redemption is always possible. The Seder does not shy away from struggle, but it insists on hope – on a future that is worth striving for.
As we gather this year, let us find inspiration in renewal – of nature, of society, of Jewish life. Let us take up the challenge of transforming the world, knowing that through cracks, through struggle, and through change, the light of renewal shines brightest.
Chag Pesach Sameach!
By Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy
Co-Leads of Progressive Judaism