Russ Feingold: “this past weekend millions of Jews around the world celebrated the beginning of the Passover holiday. Gathered at Seder…”

“this past weekend millions of Jews around the world celebrated the beginning of the Passover holiday. Gathered at Seder tables with family and friends, they commemorated the Israelites' exodus from Egypt almost 4,000 years ago. Jewish law dictates, however, that the Jewish people must do more on Passover than merely remember their ancestors' time in bondage. They must strive to reenact the experience. Using matzah and bitter herbs, the Seder is an endeavor to recreate the past. To literally taste the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom. It is also an opportunity to sharpen awareness of an alarming yet oft-overlooked truth: that millions of men, women and children around the world are still enslaved and have yet to know freedom. Ultimately the Passover Seder is a modern call to action. It reminds that until all people know the joy of freedom, none of us is truly free. Many Jews use the Seder not only to celebrate the value of freedom, but to call attention to regions of the world where the spirit of slavery lives on in places like Darfur, Sudan. For over 2 years now, the Darfur people have been terrorized by violence. Millions have been oppressed by threats of death and destruction. Meanwhile, untold numbers of refugees have fled across the scorched earth, seeking refuge from their taskmasters. The genocide that rages on in Darfur is a modern derivative of slavery.…”