Shalom All,

One of the more striking images of Passover comes before the Israelites even leave Egypt: the command to place blood on the doorposts of their homes.

We are taught that this sign would allow the Angel of Death to “pass over” the houses of the Israelites during the final plague. But it raises an uncomfortable question: did God really need a sign to know which homes were Jewish? Surely the One who brought the plagues upon Egypt already knew exactly who and where the Israelites were.

The rabbis, therefore, suggest that the blood on the doorposts was not for God at all but for the Israelites themselves.

In that moment, they were asked to do something bold and deeply vulnerable. To mark their homes publicly. To declare, in the midst of Egyptian society, “This is who we are.” It was an act of identity and courage, a step taken even before redemption had fully arrived. They did not yet know what freedom would look like. They did not yet know what the journey ahead would demand. But they were asked to claim their belonging, their story, and their faith.

Passover reminds us that redemption is not only something that happens to us, it is something we must step into. Before the sea splits, before the journey begins, there is a moment of self-definition. A moment when we are called to say: this is who I am, this is the story I carry, this is the people to whom I belong.

Today, thankfully, our doorposts are marked with mezuzot rather than blood, but we are still called to mark our lives with the same intention and identity. By living Jewish lives, observing Jewish rituals, building Jewish communities, we declare who we are and what we stand for.

This Passover, as is our Tradition, our community will be gathering for a 2nd Night of Passover Seder on April 2nd.

I hope to see you all there.

Chag Pesach Sameach,

Rabbi Todd