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Passover is a time characterized by asking questions, and by creating spaces at our seder tables, in our community, and in our society that encourage open dialogue. If you haven’t seen it already, there is a very thoughtful Haggadah Companion written by the grade 12 students at King David High School. In Naomi Shaw’s contribution she used the Ma Nishtanah as inspiration to ask what freedom really means.

Sometimes, freedom in our society means that we encounter questions or actions that are contrary to our values. I am referring, of course, to the BDS resolution that UBC students voted on – and defeated – last Friday. We are thrilled that it was defeated, and Federation issued this statement. The students and student leaders who worked tirelessly over the past several months for this outcome deserve our praise and our gratitude. We are also deeply appreciative of the work of our partners, UBC Hillel, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), and the Canadian Jewish Public Affairs Committee (CJPAC) Student Fellows, with whom we worked closely to support the students.

The BDS resolution didn’t simply pose a question to students; it prompted students to ask questions of themselves and of each other. They questioned if such a resolution was fair and accurate. They questioned whether it reflected their values. And they questioned how it would impact their campus. In the end, more than 2,200 students stood firm and said that UBC should be a space for dialogue. That’s the greatest number of no votes of any BDS resolution on any campus anywhere in North America. And considering that there are roughly 1,200 Jewish students on campus, it shows the incredible breadth of support they built. Several UBC students will be joining Rachel and me tomorrow night as we host our first Vancouver seder, and I’m sure the questions, answers, and discussion will be lively, to say the least.

Creating spaces where dialogue and questions can thrive is part of what we do at Jewish Federation, and our young adult group, Axis, is a great example of that. Their Torah on Tap event last week created a neutral place, outside of a traditional Jewish space, where young people asked questions about Judaism. From kashrut to interfaith relationships to women’s role in prayer, four rabbis were on hand to give a range of answers from diverse Jewish perspectives. This is what Axis is about: being creative, bringing Judaism into spaces we wouldn’t think of, and giving our young people safe opportunities to question. This is not the next generation waiting in the wings – this group is making a difference today, whether it’s developing leadership programs for their peers or providing aid to our kehila in Ukraine.

When it comes to aid in Ukraine, we are asking a series of critical questions through our trusted partner in rescue and relief, the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). The first things each person we help is asked are “Where are you now? Do you receive your pension? Where are your family members? What kind of assistance do you need urgently? Are you considering leaving the conflict zone?” Through the JDC we are helping them have as normal a Passover as possible through seders at JDC Hesed social welfare centres and with 48,000 packages of free matzah. While we help year round in Ukraine, it is especially at Passover that we keenly feel the plight not only of those who stay, but those who have fled with no possessions, no clothes, no job, and no new home to go to. Rachel and I will give special recognition to these Jews at our seders.

For many of us, asking questions in a Jewish context started at the seder table. I remember being so nervous saying the Ma Nishtanah as a child, but today I relish the moment when questions are laid out to be answered. Last year, I led a seder at our apartment right before we came to Vancouver and said to my six-year-old niece, “to you the seder feels like it goes on forever, but to me it’s gone in a flash.” At Passover we encourage the smallest voices at the seder table to ask the biggest questions. And on that note, I will leave you with a short and sweet Passover video featuring some small voices that will undoubtedly grow to become the ones to ask the big questions.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Pesach Sameach,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver