By Rabbi Leah Kroll
- The objects on the seder plate remind us about our history as slaves and our march to freedom. What would you add to the seder plate to remind yourself “not to stand idly by” when it comes to gun violence in our communities?
- One joyous moment in the seder is when we sing “Dayenu” (“it would have been enough.”) We acknowledge that it would have been sufficient if God had only freed us from slavery; we would be satisfied it God had only given us the Torah; we would feel blessed if God had only given us Shabbat to celebrate. Most haggadot include a long list of things over which we can say “dayenu.” Brainstorm what you can add to the list of things for which we would be grateful if only they would occur in our lives today. You can do this with the formula: If only _________ were to happen then we could say “dayenu,” it would be enough. (Examples: If only all refugees were to find a safe haven where they could rebuild their lives we could say “dayenu.” If only all children could be safe in their schools and not have to practice active shooter drills we could say “dayenu.”)
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on many occasions. He believed that he was “praying with his feet” when he marched for social justice. What are ways that you and your family would be willing to “pray with your feet” to make our world a safer place?
- Four is a prominent number in the seder. We sing the four questions, we drink four cups of wine and we recall the archetype of the four children. What are four questions that you would like to ask a student or a parent who has been affected by gun violence? What are four suggestions that you have for eliminating the scourge of gun violence?
