In Every Generation (B’khol Dor Vador)

“In every generation, one must look on oneself as though one had personally come out of Egypt.” Passover Hagaddah Imagining what generations long ago endured while enslaved in Egypt is not enough — we identify personally with them. This is especially important this weekend, as we begin the book of Exodus and call to mind The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and our brothers and sisters in the African-American community, who have fewer generations separating them from memories of enslavement. Last month I was fortunate to meditate on the meaning of all this with the most recent generation of PAS B’nei Mitzvah families, traveling through Jerusalem, seeking to identify with generations long ago in a new way. Is there a time in history that you have imagined yourself present, and thought what it must have been like? How can we use our stories of the past to change the future of others? Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and meaningful MLK weekend. Music, lyrics adaptation, video and production: Einav Drummer, commissioned by the PAS Music Center (2022) www.azischwartz.com