Hadassah Boston’s Not your Bubbe’s Seder Brings Laughter and Tears

How can we laugh at a time like this? How can we celebrate our holidays with sadness in our hearts? How can we say “Next year in Jerusalem” when the continued existence of Israel is threatened daily?

This year’s theme for Hadassah Boston’s seventh annual Not Your Bubbe’s Seder was “Shed a Little Light: Jewish Humor Through the Ages.” How have we, the Jewish people, kept our sense of humor when it seems there is a faction calling for our extinction at every turn?

This was my second time attending Hadassah Boston’s signature event, but this year was different, both because of the program and how I felt about my place in the world.

Last year, I joined the Hadassah Evolve Network, which is unique to Hadassah North East geographic area. The Network is an engagement initiative designed to inspire emerging young leaders by offering specialized opportunities to learn and to grow. I attended the 2024 seder and sat with a few new friends I had made in Hadassah Evolve. Truth is, the seder was not too memorable for me.

Fast forward to this year. I now attended as Hadassah Boston’s secretary, co-chair of our monthly mahjong group and having planned two very successful Evolve events for both Hanukkah and Purim. However, my heart is also in a different place; in 2025, it’s harder to find humor in our world.

Pictured: Left to Right: Jodie Simeone, Ophira Eisenberg, Sara Resnick. Photo courtesy of the author.

Pictured Left to Right: Jodie Simeone, Sara Resnick. Photo courtesy of the author.

But the Jewish people have found comfort in humor since the beginning of time.

In Genesis 18:12-15, Sarah laughs upon hearing God’s promise that she will have a son, saying, “Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?” expressing disbelief in her ability to conceive at her age. Even our earliest matriarch looked at her husband like he was crazy for mentioning a possible geriatric pregnancy, a joke echoed by our event’s comedian, Ophira Eisenberg, sharing the tale of her own “geriatric pregnancy”.

Our communities don’t just tell the story of Purim; we create a yearly Purim Schpiel (Yiddish word for a comic dramatization of the Purim story), adding commentary and jokes from current events and popular culture.

Countless comedians started out working “The Borscht Belt” in New York’s Catskill Mountains, entertaining Jewish families throughout the summer. We laugh at our idiosyncrasies and our Jewish mishpacha (family), who observe the commandments both more and less than we do. We have laughed with the belief that things can only get better from here.

But in today’s world, do we believe that things can get better?

We are living in a time of war in Israel and a war against the Jewish people in the diaspora. Depending on where you get your news, the reality of what is happening in Israel and to the 59 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity can be skewed to the views of the media outlet and media personality providing the information. The people who call for the annihilation of Jews have found their voice and so many news sources are eager to amplify the lies and propaganda.

In a time when it feels like so much of the world has turned against us, we turn to each other. The Hadassah Evolve Network of like-minded women who learn together and support one another, are my people; our WhatsApp chats are my safe space –a place where I can share my thoughts without judgement and give and receive support.

But how do we find humor now?

We just do! From physical comedy to complex wordplay, the Jewish people strive to laugh and share that laughter with others. There is a reason there are clowns at Hadassah’s two hospitals at Ein Kerem and on Mount Scopus, and not just in the pediatric wards. Laughter is medicine. Laughter is comfort. Sharing laughter with friends, family and friends we haven’t met yet gives us hope.

Hadassah Boston’s Not Your Bubbe’s Seder was a huge success. The food was great, the room was lovely, the Zoom format worked, and the speakers were impactful. Ophira closed out the program with a hilarious set that left everyone laughing, some to tears. Our strength is coming together as Zionist women from all generations, this time for Hadassah Boston’s Not Your Bubbe’s Seder.

Our power is raising over $50,000 to support the Hadassah Medical Organization’s doctors, nurses, staff and the now world-famous medical clowns, who bring laughter and comfort to Hadassah’s patients.

What did the grape do when he got stepped on? He let out a little wine.

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Sara is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place. It’s where they celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 500 columns in The Times of Israel Blogs and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.