Leading up to Passover, we are highlighting personal stories from our congregants about their own Exodus journeys: literal and figurative. We hope these stories of immigration or of overcoming personal challenges inspire you to think about your own Exodus tales.
If you would be interested in sharing your story in the future, please reach out to Rabbi Sari Laufer.
Through the Checkpoints
by Kevin Hayavi
The story of my “Exodus” started on a cold autumn night in 1986. I escaped from Iran at age of 14, sitting all alone in a bus on a 48-hour journey to pass through the border with an additional five-month trip to reach the “promised land” of the United States. In my possession was a passport with an alias identity and a backpack. My heart was pounding as the bus passed through multiple checkpoints with Iranian Revolutionary Guards examining passports and exit visas. I had long rehearsed for this moment in preparation of my Exodus.
Our world had turned upside down in 1978 with the Iranian revolution. One of the most advanced, oil rich, secular, and free countries in the world was overtaken by radical Islamic clergies. Jewish people have lived in Iran for over 2,700 years. The biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezra contain references to life of Jews in Persia—present-day Iran. After the revolution, the Iranian Jewish community experienced its own version of “plagues”—war with Iraq and ensuing blood and death, darkness due to lack of electricity and rolling blackouts, execution of several well known Jewish members of the community who were falsely accused of being “agents of Israel,” depression of religious minorities, and constant fear of prosecution.
As I passed through the last checkpoint at the border on that dark, snowy night, I left behind a sense of fear, darkness, inferiority, and hopelessness. I also left my parents, friends, and family behind, though they also experienced their own Exoduses over the years. My Exodus experience allowed me to view life and the world around me with a new perspective. I have a great appreciation of all the opportunities that the United States has given me. I also cherish the rich culture of my country of birth and will pass on the best of both worlds to my children.
Each and every one of us has experienced our own version of Exodus and plagues: fighting with illness, mental health, prejudice, bigotry, injustice, poverty, and so on. Let those experiences serve as a guiding light for us and our future generations.
Chag Sameach.
Read more in our 2021 Haggadah supplement.
