One more thing for your pre-Passover list

The list of Passover preparations seems endless, yet I request that you do one more thing before seder night: Hang a yellow ribbon on your front door.

Long ago, Moses directed the Israelites to mark their house for redemption with blood on their doorposts. Today, I urge you to symbolize your hope for the hostages’ redemption by placing a yellow ribbon on your door. This ribbon isn’t a plea to God to pass over us, but a sign of our commitment to free our hostages from Gaza.

In a holiday that is full of ritual and remembrances, what could be more poignant than hanging a yellow ribbon on our front doors to remember our brethren languishing in captivity?

This ribbon is more than a symbol; it’s a bridge between past and present, a beacon of hope that unites Jews worldwide. It whispers, “I remember. You are not forgotten. I am not whole without you.”

The yellow ribbon can transform our doors into a portal, connecting hearts across borders, ideologies, time, and space. Each ribbon binds us to each other… to our captives.

As we hang our ribbons, we join a dialogue that spans centuries. Imagine Abraham at our seder table. Imagine Moshe and Aaron. Imagine the rabbis of Bnei Brak, discussing liberation under Roman rule. Imagine Hillel. Our yellow ribbons tie us to this ongoing conversation, binding us to those who celebrate freedom openly and those forced to murmur blessings in secret.

Passover is a Night of Watching. It is a sentinel’s duty to watch. But we cannot just watch. We cannot just wait. Moses was passively drawn out of the waters; we must pull ourselves out from the puddles of tears and demand from the Pharaohs of our time: Let my people go!

On this night, we sit, recounting tales of slavery and freedom, of despair and hope. As the matza breaks, the wine spills, we chant the ancient, yet modern words, “In every generation they rise to destroy us, yet God will save us.”

And, when your children ask you why there is a yellow ribbon on the door, you can answer them that all Jews are bound together, redemption is woven into our doorways and hearts, and it is our duty to bring our family home.