page 6 - Out in the Mountains

A lesgiaian feminist approach

By Suzi W.

The Jewish holiday of Passover is
a festival of liberation, commemorating
the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt
and their newfound freedom. The
seder -- the traditional Passover meal --
revolves around an elaborate retelling
of the events leading up to the Exodus,
and participants are enjoined to
imagine they were there -- to feel in
their hearts the change of status from
slave to free man.

The tradition says "man" and
means it, and this kind of language
makes some women want to turn their
backs on the whole experience. But
Passover offers us a great chance to
ritualize and honor the personal and
communal struggles for freedom of
Jewish women, especially lesbians -— as
well as the struggles of other oppressed
groups. Parallels between the Israelites‘
journey and ours are not hard to draw.

In feminist seders I have hosted
and shared in over the past years,
there have been many changes in the

traditional order of events, thanks to
many women, some of whom I only
know through their writings. A small
number of feminist haggadahs (the
book used during the seder) are
available sometimes in women’s
bookstores. (I’ll have some on display at
Temple Sinai’s Festival of Jewish
Culture April I3.) Some of the changes
relating particularly to liberation
follow. Although the language speaks
primarily of women, it can be, and has
been, adapted easily to include gay
men.

First, ask each person coming to
your seder to bring something to
contribute to the telling: a poem, a
photograph, a song, a story to share. If
you go to someone elsc’s seder, go
prepared to contribute. It is essential
that Jewish women reclaim our right to
participate and begin to feel
comfortable with how much we know
or don’t know. Some of us are
intimidated in Jewish environments as
in no other.

Many feminist seders open with the

short poem by Hannah Senesh, a
Hungarian resistance fighter who was
captured behind enemy lines and
executed in I944.

Blessed is the match consumed in
lighting flames.

Blessed is the flame that burns in
the secret places of the heart.
Blessed is the heart with strength
to throb its last beat in dignity.
Blessed is the match consumed
in lighting flames.

In the traditional seder, a cup of
wine is filled for the prophet Elijah. In
some feminist seders, a cup is filled for
Miriam, too (or instead). Miriam is
Moses’ sister, who led the women in
singing and dancing after the crossing
of the Red Sea. In the haggadah I put
together, we read:

Our legends hold that Elijah comes
to earth now and then to help those in
need. Because we cannot be sure that
Elijah would respond to the needs of
women. we have created a symbol of

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