It was a few hours before Passover and we were on our way to the family Seder. One of our many traditions is to call relatives who we will not be seeing and wishing them a “Sweet Passover”.
Flo called her Aunt Lillie who lives in Florida. After exchanging holiday greetings, Lillie mentioned to Flo that it was a significant day for her and her sister, Flo's mother. On April 14th, sixty-nine years ago, the gates of the labor camp where the sisters were imprisoned -- after being deported from Auschwitz -- were opened and the sisters were free.
What a fitting coincidence. On our way to celebrate the freedom and exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, we were poignantly reminded of the freedom and beginning of the exodus of our own family.
As I sat at the Seder table, I thought about those sixty-nine years and what they meant for our family. My parents, Flo's parents. From the darkest abyss to a new life. Those sitting with me around the table were a testament to that Exodus and we blessed the four cups of wine, ate the ceremonial foods, and sang the songs of the Seder in celebration of their lives.