Walking together toward freedom

Last night, our Harlem Service Corps spent the evening walking Harlem together on one of the group’s semi-regular tours led by John Reddick, the group's co-facilitator.

Walking with John is a special kind of experience. Because of his scholarship on Black-Jewish musical cooperation in Harlem, and because of the trust and relationships he has built over many years in this neighborhood, he is able to lead people not only down familiar streets, but into hidden places — private rooms, tucked-away histories, and treasures you would never find on your own.

Again and again, we are struck by the same truth: when people walk a path together, something opens. The neighborhood itself begins to feel more alive and more shared.

That is part of what the upcoming holiday of Passover asks of us too. Not only to remember, but to embark on a journey together. We're not only reciting words, we are being asked to enter the story with one another.

The seder brings a table full of questions, memories, songs, symbols, and the brave attempt to make an ancient story feel alive in the present tense. We do not stand still at the seder. We move from slavery toward freedom, and from what could be a flat retelling toward a living conversation.

Maybe that is why this season feels so precious. We need more spaces that help us walk alongside one another. We need tables where new questions can be asked, where hidden treasures can be uncovered, where the story gets bigger because more people are inside it.

We would be so glad to welcome you to join us for Passover this year. Come gather around our table. Come bring your questions, your presence, your voice, and yourself in motion. And wherever you celebrate this year, may this holiday help all of us find one another more deeply as we make our way together toward freedom.