Reading about the stories from survivors coming out of Ukraine breaks your heart. One in particular stands out: a baker by the name of Yulia Beley who recently escaped from Mariupol with her three daughters, aged 11, 6, and 3. Here is how Yulia described her experience to reporters from the NY Times, “she said she fed her hungry children one bowl of porridge a day to share between them. Her 6-year-old daughter, Ivanka, dreamed of the poppy seed sweet rolls her mother had made before the war.”
As we quickly approach the fast of unleavened bread, aka Passover, it is important to remind ourselves about what we are actually doing in continuing this 3,000-year-old tradition. While food is readily available to us at Wegmans and countless other local establishments, for many people today and throughout history, this is and has not been the case. Ivanka’s dreams of “poppy seed sweet rolls” are a haunting reminder of the countless million who go to sleep and wake up hungry. We fast in solidarity with them. We fast as a reminder we could be them and we may be them in the future.
This is not just true in Judaism, but in most other world religions as well. This year Passover coincides with two other central fasts: Lent and Ramadan. For Jews, Christians and Muslims, fasting is a way of both preparing for hard times and reminding one another of the many blessings we have in our lives. Simple nourishment should not be taken for granted. When the Beley’s food and water supply had completely run out, they were lucky enough to receive a jar of honey. Here is how Yulia described her dire straits, “We didn’t have food, but we can’t say we didn’t eat because a spoonful of honey once a day is already some kind of lunch.”
I am grateful to all of those in our Shir Shalom community who came out to support Rev. Mykola Drofych last Friday night and who have contributed to our Women of Shir Shalom Drive to Help Ukraine. May our prayers this Passover extend out to Yulia and her family and all those who dream of poppy seed sweet rolls.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex