By Lymor Wasserman, WLCJ Budget Chair, Executive Committee Appointee, and Hebrew Class Teacher
“Let me tell you a story” was my grandfather’s way of connecting with us. Whatever the situation, he wanted to relay a story from his life so he could impart his wisdom to us. As a granddaughter of four Holocaust survivors and the daughter of Israeli immigrants to America, I was fully aware of the responsibility I had to make sure that I continue a good name for the Jewish people. My grandfather, who had fled his village of Siemiatycze, Poland after burying his brothers who were shot by Nazi soldiers, had so much to tell, just as our ancestors had. Our Torah is a living document of so many stories.
In Parashat Bo, Moses tells the Israelites how to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. Before they have even left Egypt, he has dictated what the story should say instead of letting the Israelites tell the story themselves:
[1] When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when God struck down the Egyptians.’ (Ex. 12:26-27)
[2] On that day tell your child, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ (Ex. 13:8)
[3] “In days to come, when your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Ex. 13:14)
Of course, these passages are in our Haggadah, which is the greatest of stories we tell, year after year at our seder tables to children and adults alike. My favorite tradition at our seder table is to listen to everyone discuss the Exodus story as it relates to Soviet Jewry, the U.S. Civil War, or even the Oct 7th War through their lenses, just like our rabbis did when writing the Talmud.
In 2025, we are responsible for ensuring that our story, the story of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, is being told. There is so much misinformation out there. Be the voice that speaks up. Tell the story we need to be ours. We deserve a land that is free from threats and violence. We deserve freedom of religion. We deserve our hostages be freed.
Personally, I want to make sure that my grandfather’s 96 years on this earth telling stories does not stop. His survival through the Holocaust and our survival during these seemingly dark times are vital to our story. What story are you sharing with others? What story are you allowing others to tell about you?
L’Shalom,
Lymor Wasserman
WLCJ Budget Chair, Executive Committee Appointee, and Hebrew Class Teacher
lwasserman@wlcj.org
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