Modern Haggadah: And you shall tell thy daughter
Retelling of Haggadah story remains way of capturing spirit of freedom yet Michal Shalem believes changes must be made to educate daughters on equal role in shaping national essence
History has a funny way of repeating itself. On many occasions, people are aware of the future through their collective memories of the past, and yet as years go by, we are surprised when events seem familiar to us.
The Passover Haggadah has, for centuries been the text through which Jews have engaged in the retelling of the Jewish exodus from Egypt.
The main portions of the text of the Haggadah have remained the same since their original compilation. In recent times, attempts have been made to modernize and revitalize the Haggadah, but Orthodox Jews continue to adhere to the traditional texts.
The Passover holiday requires the Jewish people to delve into the dusty pages of history and adopt a newfound stronger Jewish identity.
Fulfilling the command to "Remember this day that you came forth from Egypt", and to recount this story to future generations – "And you shall tell thy son", Jews across the globe read the Haggadah during the Passover seder as a way of recapturing the spirit of freedom held by the Israelites following Moses out of Egypt, and celebrating the eternal notion of redemption and liberation.
The Jewish people base their collective experiences, generation after generation, on the absence of women. Women are not represented and have no major part in the pages of Jewish history.
History is not random and it follows a constant repetitive law. It is within our grasp to change the course of history and refuse the acceptance of a tradition and belief that requires exclusion of women from the public sphere and the religious experience.
It is time to educate our daughters that they hold an equal role in shaping the national essence.
Adding a daughter to the story of the "four sons" of Pessach, can teach young women that they have a voice, that they are represented in the pages of history and that they have the ability to influence and change the future.
History will repeat itself if it is not altered. It is in our ability to intervene in a way that truly means "from slavery to freedom" but rather a conceptual freedom that will enable families to say – "And you shall tell thy son and daughter."
