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Passover 2009 [Open Thread]

By Pat Racimora on April 10, 2009 at 2:30 PM in Current Affairs

passover_edited-11

Happy Passover to our Jewish readers.

The Passover Story is complex and profound, but I picked this Photoshop image* to illustrate what I see as one modern symbol for this 8-day holiday.

So many of us want to escape what we feel is crashing down on us. We know we will have to sacrifice some of our comforts for now. But, we want to be led out of this chaos as soon as possible. We want that “promised land” for ourselves, prosperous and free from war and conflict, even if we don’t know how to get there. (In the original story, that took another 40 years.)

What relevant symbols for Passover 2009 do you see?

*This is not my work. I received this image from a friend and do not know who created it.)

  • Snoopy

    Geraldo just outed obama as a Muslim who lived in Indonesia, and was taught the ways of Islam by his Fathers when he was defending the bow gaff.

    _____________________

    But it went over the heads of the FOX people, which is easy to do.

  • pm317

    Happy Passover, Pat!

  • Tricia Spiegel

    I think all of those plagues are relevant also. They are indiscriminate this time around!

  • wodiej

    Wow….love that picture.

    You can’t go around life, you have to go through it. As my Mom told me, God answers all prayers. But sometimes he says yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait. When you get to the other side of whatever is going on, there is always a valuable lesson there. Some people learn, making their lives and the lives of others more positive. Other people just sit around and piss and moan. It’s our choice.

    • Pat Racimora

      wodiej–I really like your comment. It should have been the main story!

  • Portia Elizabeth

    This should be a time of thoughtful reflection for all religions. Even for those who don’t observe any religion, it can be a time to look inward and ask if our lives are going in a direction that we’ve planned.

    For everyone who posts here – even the BO apologists – I wish you peace and contentment and optimism for the future.

    • Woman Voter

      Beautifully said and peace to you.

  • Fae

    During this holy season I pray for our boy an officer in the Marines currently overseas. I pray for my grandfather that died in World War II and I continue to pray for all of America that we can survive this administration that seems to not like our America or our religion.

  • Seattle Moss

    Folks..
    My life at one time was built on sand. When I was at a low point I turned to God and service at my local Catholic Church.
    That was 15 years ago. Since that time I have become a living testimony to God’s love.
    Part of the process to build a foundation of stone and not sand was to volunteer for several years feeding the poor with the food program the church has run for 40 years. After scrapping 50k trays I learned how fortunate I was and that everyone is important even if it is to remind us of our blessings and all have a story to tell as to how they ended up in the food line. I listened to these down and out people and our food program was written in the paper highlighting how volunteers at our church not only fed the people but would sit down with them to eat and listen to their stories and recommend solutions to how to get out of their situation.
    By leading by example working two jobs and volunteering my weekends I was able to transform several of these people to hard working individuals that have renewed pride and independence that only a Job can offer.
    Every once in while I will volunteer and the people still know me and I will put in another great performance with my humor.
    I have come a long way from those days when I first moved to Seattle with just a hope and a prayer in my car with no family in Seattle to rely on for help.
    I’m very proud that I run a business and hire people from the church that can work in production. I keep giving back because my church has been instrumental in allowing me to be all I can be in this world.
    This week I’m putting in about 12 hours of service as a Lector and other ministries in celebration of Christ dying for our sins.
    Happy Easter eveyrbody!

    • Solara 7

      Seattle Moss–You have found the key to true happiness. There is nothing that feels better than to do something to help someone with less, even if you don’t have a lot yourself.

      With today’s crises, a lot of people are going to have to rely on the caring from others.

    • Peggy Sue

      A beautiful post, Seattle. A Happy Easter back to you, your family and fortunate employees.

  • JTomorrow

    Happy Passover – a holiday for us all –
    and Happy Easter to our Christian brethren.

  • Seattle Moss

    Pat,
    Just to add that I have been to Anne franks house and looked behind the bookcase and up the stairs to the attic. I have read her book and I’m a strong supporter of Jews.
    I wish for peace in the middle east and understand the fight for survival that Israel faces in an unsympathetic world
    Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends.

  • http://www.partizane.com NewHampster

    Isn’t that photo from the FEMA archives relating to the evacuation of N’orleans during hurry cane Katrina?

    • Solara 7

      I didn’t notice Moses at Katrina–see lower left. : )

      • http://www.partizane.com NewHampster

        Mayor what’s his face

  • http://www.partizane.com NewHampster

    And for my goyem friends.

    Take the plain matzo, none of that egg crap, spread gobs of margarine on it and top off with salt.

    yum

    • Tricia Spiegel

      Better yet, make some haroset–one of the best tasting stuff ever.

      It is supposed to represent the motar the Jews used to build the pyramids in Egypt when then were enslaved. And, it sort of looks like cement. But, wow, it tastes the opposite.

      Easy recipe:

      Put some apple juice and a little sweet wine in a blender with fresh apple(cut into chunks), walnuts, and a little cinnamon to taste and process briefly until it is all mized together and in tiny pieces.

      Spead on that matzo.

      YUMMY!!!

      • http://www.partizane.com NewHampster

        I’ve had it and love it.

    • jbjd

      Yes, plain matzoh but, no margarine, just unsalted butter, left out to soften, then carefully spread, thickly, on the matzoh, grind sea salt, and cover with another piece.

      Chag sameach!

  • Don X

    This picture is a pretty powerful reminder of how many people (past and present) have lived in fear of being exterminated by external threats and their flight to safety. It is depressing if all our attention is devoted to the terrible circumstances so many people around the world exist in. I hope we all do something to help out some of the many suffering people locally or around the world.

    I love the work being done by Seattle Moss. I do my little bit by giving financial support to about 120 organizations around the world pleading for help. From their letters of appreciation I get more pleas for help along with newsletters stating what the funds are used for along with pictures of starving, shoeless children and frail bodies with big pleading eyes. I’m sure many of you receive the same. It does annoy me when some of these letters are accompanied by 2 nickels and a penny taped to the letter, as I wonder why they don’t send that money to the people who need it.

    But I am most distressed at the fact that many of the greedy CEOs of companies who receive money from the govenment to prop up their failing institutions are brazenly accepting multimillions of dollars in bonuses in addition to already outrageous salaries when their institutions have failed because of their own poor performance.

    The world is so unbalanced. The rich get richer, the poor poorer; there are the beautiful people and the wretched, trapped and sick people. We are bombarded right and left by threats. This is nothing new.

    I think we should be thankful if we are still able to navigate the troubled waters, and can get out and smell the roses once in awhile to keep our own sanity and not get swallowed up by fear and resentment and hatred. Keep a positive thought in a very negating world. As the saying goes, “Have a nice day.”

  • http://noquarter foxyladi14

    wishing the best to all..

  • Katmoon

    Please send some kind thoughts to the folks here in Tennessee, because of the tornadoes; one family lost their daughter and 9 week old granddaughter, very sad.

  • Rich

    Pat, thank you for creating discussions about this Holiday.

    This holiday for me, maybe because I was a therapist for over 25 years, takes about the journey from within. Each of us to a lesser or greater extent have our own oppressor within ourselves. That in order to be freed, regardless of how often evidence is presented that the oppressor is wrong in its treatment of us, we have to be willing to leave and go forth into the unknown. That before we can enter the promised land we have to be willing to change in order to be able to find and benefit from the promised land. For me Passover is the reminder that the journey is not over and a time to recommit to believing in God or some power and without knowing exactly where I am going, I must continue to move forward and to grow.

    Rich

  • KintheNorthwest

    I was send this and found it very interesting.
    Even though I was not a big supporter of Bush, I found the differences in the reception by the military Very interesting… Ck it out guys.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHz5tevLAw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eplainsradio%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

    Again what does this say about Pantywaist Obama?

    • Military Cheers

      Interesting contrast between the two with the military. I had hear rumors that many in the military do not respect Obama. Wasnt there a blog about some military saying Obama wasnt legit?