These past few weeks have been an exciting time at the Temple.
With everything from musical, joyful Friday night services to our lively Purim carnival,
our community has never been busier!
Now, as we move from winter into spring, we will soon be celebrating
Passover, remembering our slavery in Egypt and rejoicing over our freedom. On one level,
our Exodus from Egypt is about political freedom. It reminds us that freedom from tyranny
and oppression is something we are always reaching for, and that it is always possible to achieve.
In the words of Michael Walzer: “Wherever you live, it is probably Egypt...there is a better
place, a world more attractive, a promised land...and the way to the land is through the
wilderness. There is no way to get from here to there except by joining together…”
(Exodus and Revolution).
On another level, the Exodus from Egypt is an important reminder
of the possibility of personal transformation, of the possibility of moving through the
challenges of our own lives towards something better. The Hebrew word for Egypt is
Mitzrayim, and according to the Zohar, this name is derived from m’tzarim, which means
“narrow straits”. The God who took us out from Egypt is also the God that brings us from
places of constriction in our own lives to more expansive, free places.
We are excited to be hosting a Passover Seder for the Winthrop
Community and beyond on the night of Saturday, April 20th. We welcome you and your whole
family to come reflect, celebrate, and of course, eat with us. Please RSVP to
ttiwinthrop@gmail.com if you are interested.
Dear Temple Tifereth Israel Community, 
