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Alex Rif
Social-Cultural Entrepreneur, Founder of The Cultural Brigade and Israeli-Russian Poet

A New Addition to Your Haggadah 

This night is different because we cannot join together with our extended family, friends and community in celebration.

This night is different because, as we tell the story of our people from slavery to freedom from Egypt to the Promised Land, we must also tell about our own time, about our own plagues and immediate needs… 

This is the Bread of Our Affliction, HaLachma Anya… as we hold the matzah this year, whether with our families or completely alone, may we experience our connection to the story of the Jewish people; to our values and to our shared future.

May we never forget our Exodus story and our promise to ourselves that even in our new, more limited freedom, we will not stand by when others are suffering.

May all who are suffering, whether they are sick, afraid, hungry, suffering from domestic violence or any other plague, know that we see you, we hear you, and we will work together to respond to you.

May all who are mourning find comfort and may we collectively find ways to console them.

May we continue to support medical personnel, as well as all service workers who are responding with all their capacities, generosity, care and self-sacrifice.

May all who are suffering now be healed quickly. May all who are in need, know that the Jewish people will respond with the best of ourselves.

May we find new ways to learn about each other and to learn together, even virtually. This year, we are broken, but next year may we find new beginnings, a new wholeness, and a new common destiny.

Print and read the full version in your Seder tonight.

I am proud to be one of the writers of A New Haggadah Insert From Our Common Destiny, a new global initiative that gathers us together as one people, and we offer this addition, a new ‘kavannah’ or additional reading for your Seder Table. You can also say it whenever and wherever you eat matzah this Passover. This insert was created by Our Common Destiny, which aims to strengthen global Jewry by linking Jewish communities worldwide to a shared set of values, shaped by the input of our diverse global community. You can add your voice here. (http://surveys.ourcommondestiny.org/s3/

Happy Pessah!

About the Author
Alex Rif synthesizes storytelling and cultural-hacking with her public policy experience to amplify unheard voices in Israeli society – in particular, Russian-speaking immigrants, women, and Arabs. Founder and CEO of The Cultural Brigade, she helped rebrand Russian-Israeli culture and made the Russian-speaking immigrants feel at home. Alex was recognized by ‘Lady Globes’ as one of the 20 most influential Israeli female activists. She is the author of the award-winning poetry book, ‘Silly Girl of the Regime'.
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