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The action of being patient
Contributed by Ariel Kates

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

But before we experience it we have to do a lot of work to get there. We have to do weird things, recite weird incantations, and relive the struggles that our story's heroes had to endure in order to move on to the next cycle of struggle and success. We tell ourselves -- as we have been doing -- that the struggle is temporary. If we keep holding on we will get through this.

As we sit down to this Seder it's impossible to ignore that this is our *second annual* Zoom Seder. 

But we will make it to dinner, to our collective liberation.

But before that, there's much to be done along the way and so again we are asked to be patient. But as consolation, we will pepper our patience with the stories of remarkable actions taken throughout the Exodus story that show how much truly needs to be done during times of patience in order to achieve liberation. There is no waiting -- acting for freedom is the only way to achieve freedom -- and it takes everyone, from every background and strata of society, to each take their own actions to bring about exodus. 

“Look Long” grapples lovingly and melodically with politics and culture including realms like gun violence in America, gender identity, the paradox of love and loss and good ‘old southern living.

Saliers describes the source of the latest Indigo Girls lyrics; “There is this sense of social unease that I’ve been feeling a long time, but particularly after the presidential election (2016). The song ‘Look Long’ is about perspective and long term thinking because the social problems of access to healthcare, food, resources and political voice; these are problems that we’ve had forever and most of the world has had for ever and ever, since we were human colonies with governments and colonizers. Those are the results of systemic problems.”

That song is about a paradigm of long-term vision in order to get back to a sense of, ‘OK, we’re at least working towards equity and fighting racism inwardly and outwardly.’ It’s a song about perspective.”
haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: Ariel Kates

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