The following essay was rejected by Micah Sachs [micahs@interfaithfamily.com].
Interfaith Family solicits writers on their site. This great essay was deemed
unacceptable with no explanation. I urge you to try to help them. They need writers.
I have a friend who, although he is Jewish, knows practically nothing about his religious heritage. We were once discussing Passover, and he told me that he had been invited to a SEDER for the upcoming holiday. Since he was neither religious nor particularly knowledgeable about Judaism, he enquired, what good reason did he have to attend another SEDER other than out of politeness to his host?
I told him that whatever he did not know about Judaism should not deter him from getting together with other Jews to celebrate this important festival. In fact, I asked him if he remembered from previous SEDERs that the liturgy of the SEDER speaks of a Jewish son who does not even know how to ask about the holiday.
Then I told him the following:
Some three thousand years ago an event took place in the Middle East. We weren't there so we don't know exactly what happened. But a tremendous event occurred which was witnessed by a multitude of our ancestors. It was later reported in poetic, analogy form and committed to writing as part of the Jewish historical tradition. That event brought the Jewish People into existence. Neither you nor I would be Jewish except for whatever happened that became established as Passover. Not only that. Our TORAH believed that Passover was so important that it established as a law that whoever cannot celebrate Passover in its proper time, on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nissan for whatever reason, must celebrate it on the 15th of the following month. There is no other Jewish holiday that gives a Jew a second chance, not even as powerful a holiday as YOM KIPPUR. It therefore is important that a Jew connects or reconnects with his people as well as with his own Jewishness by attending a SEDER. Whether a Jew is wise, wicked, simple, or uninformed, Passover returns him to his Jewish soul.
Micah Sachs wrote:
Hi Shlomoh,
Please pitch me a story idea. As Ed Case said, we are well aware of your interest in writing.