In each and every generation, one must see himself as if he left Egypt (Pesachim116b)
Dear Friends, dear Partners,
Since the beginning, we are supporting the pre-military Academies which train the future leadership of the State of Israel. This year, the Israel Prize has been awarded to Rabbi Eli Sadan, the founder of this original and promising institutions, which attract secular and religious youngsters from all the layers of the Israeli population.
We have asked Yaniv Mezuman, who is in charge of three pre-military Academies supported by the Matanel Foundation, to share with us his thoughts on Pessach.
We hope that you will enjoy reading them and that they will enrich you as they are enriching us.
With our Warm Regards and our Best wishes for a vibrant and happy Pessah,
Joëlle & Gad
Freedom and Education – This is Our Story
The intergenerational story of the Exodus from Egypt is the core of the holiday of Passover. This is our story. The Torah commands parents to transmit the collective heritage of the Jewish People to their children:“And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, Because of that which the Eternal did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 1:14). We form our identity by telling this story. Families gather for a ritual feast and in the process try to touch the hearts of their children in accordance with the unique character of each child. The Torah distinguishes four types of children – the wise, the simple, the one who does not know how to ask questions, and the wicked. Parents must adapt the way they transmit the story to each one of their children. They are required to be educators who understand the traits of each child in order to impart the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
The concept of freedom is one of Israel’s gifts to the world. The call, “Let my People Go,” has reverberated throughout the world and has been a symbol and an inspiration to nations demanding freedom. Martin Luther King, the leader of the struggle for black civil rights in the United States, uttered Moses’ words in English, “Let my People Go,” in 1964 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, attributing to Moses’ words the inspiration for his own words: “People do not stay enslaved forever… the yearning for freedom eventually realizes itself… the current struggle in the United States is an ensuing chapter in the ongoing story of the Exodus from Egypt.” Thus the Exodus from Egypt is a revolutionary and formative event not only for the People of Israel but for all mankind. It is the triumph of freedom and of the human spirit,and in the words of Rabbi Kook, Israel’s Exodus from Egypt will forever remain the world’s spring.
Yaniv Mezuman, head of the Mechina Meitarim Lachish
http://www.matanel.org/project/mechina-meitarim-lachish/
For a choregraphy on slavery and liberation, please click :
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6tmoOF3IcZDxwE9qbT-xOQ