Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
Happy Passover
Dear Friends,
My favorite part of the Passover seder when I was a child was the songs my family sang every year. One of my favorites was “Dayenu,” which means, “it would have been enough.” It recounted each of the ways that God helped the Jewish people to escape slavery in Egypt and return to freedom in the promised land. After each blessing, came the refrain that just this one blessing alone “would have been enough.” With each verse of “Dayenu,” the ball of joyful, connected joy in my chest glowed warmer.
As I prepare for this year’s Passover seder, what stands out most for me is my recent meeting with Sophie Goldenberg during our Solidarity Mission to France last month. Sophie survived the terrorist attacks at the HyperCacher market massacre. She survived the horror by remaining calm and dissuading other hostages from desperate acts that likely would have ended their lives—including convincing a father accompanied by his three-year-old not to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon. And when their tormentor demanded to know who in the group was Jewish, Sophie raised her hand.
I asked Sophie and her husband, Jacques, what their family needs after surviving this unimaginable trauma. As they described what they wanted, I realized that what Sophie and Jacques want is what we have here in Cincinnati.
They want the ability to live openly as who they are, as we do here in Cincinnati. Dayenu. They want to be able to pass down their Jewish heritage and identity to their children without daily fear, as we do here in Cincinnati. Dayenu. They want community assets, like a choice of well-run synagogues, schools, camps, a JCC and supportive services and creative programs, as we have here in Cincinnati. Dayenu. And they want the Jewish community to be surrounded by a city that is tolerant and that offers career, educational and cultural opportunities, as we have here in Cincinnati. Dayenu.
As we witness levels of extremism and hatred that would have been hard to imagine even a few years ago, what can we do? First, we must marshal our courage, resources, and best thinking to combat extremism and antisemitism and actively promote the opposite values—openness, inclusiveness, and pluralism. Second, we must distinguish between open and sincere legitimate debate about Israeli policy, versus those statements that delegitimize Israel’s right to exist, which we must expose and denounce. Third, we must appreciate and celebrate the blessings we enjoy in Cincinnati and in America, a place where Jews can live openly, proud of our heritage and tradition. We must demonstrate our gratitude by participating actively in our Jewish community, in our congregations, and in activities beyond the Jewish community.
This year, as we sing “Dayenu” at our Passover seders, let us reflect on all that we are grateful for, and let us commit to the courage of our ancestors in building our lives on our most cherished values, so that we can leave a better world for our children and grandchildren.
And, this year, as I sing “Dayenu” at my Passover seder, I will reflect on how thankful I am to be surrounded by my beautiful family and friends.Dayenu. And I will reflect on the thousands of dedicated volunteers and Jewish professionals who work tirelessly to ensure a strong Jewish future here, which we envision through our Cincinnati 2020 initiatives, and for the State of Israel. Dayenu.
I wish you and your family the same gratitude for the blessings of freedom and community we share.
Shep
