Every Passover, family and friends gather to discuss the Jewish Exodus from Egypt long ago. We celebrate our freedom from the rule of an oppressive leader. It is also a time to remember not everyone in our community enjoys freedom and some are still enslaved in vulnerable situations, from homelessness to domestic violence.
This year, Jewish Family Service asks you to place a bandage on your seder table.
A bandage reminds us not everyone in our community is safe and free this holiday because oppression doesn’t take a break. In fact, many difficult situations, like domestic violence, often intensify around the holidays.
BANDAGE ON OUR SEDER TABLE
- Reminds us that many in our community need healing.
- Cautions us that our community is not immune from the pain of domestic violence.
- Prompts us to educate ourselves and to break the communal silence on this topic.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- The bandage is used to cover up a wound. How and why is domestic violence covered up in our community?
- A bandage allows a small wound to heal. But larger wounds require more than a single bandage. Why is a bandage not sufficient for healing the deeper wounds of domestic violence? What is required to fully heal from wounds of domestic violence?
- In what ways can we see and respond with love — and without judgment — to those who are experiencing domestic violence?
- Who else is in need of healing in our community? In our country? In our world? How could a bandage represent them as well?
