PASSOVER IS FAR MORE THAN JUST AN ANCIENT TALE:
There is no greater DRIVE in the lives of Humanity and all living things other than to be FREE. Men and women have crossed oceans in leaky vessels to find FREEDOM. Men and women have gone to war in losing battles to be FREE. We have fought enemies from abroad and enemies from within to be FREE.
AND IT WILL NEVER END:
About 2100-Years Ago (circa 30 AD) . . . JESUS CHRIST spent his last night of Freedom with his followers at a supper, which has been famously depicted by Leonardo da Vinci in his ICONIC painting THE LAST SUPPER.
Remarkably . . . what many people don’t know, especially amongst our youth, was that the LAST SUPPER was a PASSOVER SEDER (feast), where Christ celebrated the Exodus of Jews from Egypt, just as the Exodus had been celebrated by the same custom amongst all Jews for almost 1500-Years, until CHRIST’S death on the CROSS, continuing for another 2100-Years till modern day.
FOR CIRCA 3,600-YEARS . . . JEWS HAVE CELEBRATED THESE DAYS OF LIBERATION:
When I ask many of my Christian Friends if they know the story of Passover, most don’t. But, when I ask them if they ever saw or heard of the movie THE TEN COMMANDMENTS starring Charlton Heston, the answer is yes. It’s then that I tell them to their surprise, that they know the fundamental story of Passover.
And many if not most, amongst Jews and Christians, especially amongst the younger generation, have no idea that the Last Supper was Christ’s last Passover Seder.
PASSOVER is an 8-Day Festival, when Jews go to Synagogue, pray, and give thanks to Moses & God for our Liberation, and for bringing to the world the Ten Commandments & The Torah (the 5-Books of Moses).
OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL THERE ARE TWO SEDERS – IN ISRAEL THERE IS ONLY ONE:
Tonight, Friday April 22nd is the First Seder, when Jews from all around the world celebrate the story of Liberation, as is portrayed in the telling around the table of how Moses led the Jews from bondage.
Anne, Stryker and I will spend the First Seder tonight with my Older Sister, her family and friends, and the Second Seder tomorrow, with my younger sister, her family and friends.
BEFORE JUNE 1967:
While I was growing up, before the SIX-DAY War, when Israel won back Jerusalem in June of 1967 . . . Every Jew in the World would end their Seder declaring the following – “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM”, referring to the exile of the Jewish People since 70-AD, after the Romans evicted the Jews and destroyed the Second Temple.
I fear . . . that today, most young Jews don’t really know the REAL MEANING of Passover. And that there are many elderly Jews who have either forgotten, or have chosen to forget what Passover really depicts.
I WOULD ALSO LOVE FOR CHRISTIANS . . . to understand the meaning of Passover, since in 3600-Years – the story and importance of Passover has not changed by even a comma, and its meaning is not only unique to Jews.
IT’S ALL ABOUT FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY . . . NOTHING MORE – NOTHING LESS:
Passover to many . . . if not most, especially amongst Secular Jews, has become a wonderful Food Fest and opportunity to retell the story of Jewish Liberation from the Egyptians, HOWEVER, we tell the story as if it’s an ancient story, and no longer a relevant tale that can ever happen again.
WE LIVE WITH THE THREAT OF BONDAGE EVERY DAY . . .
As hard as it is for us to believe, nothing has changed in over 3600-Years . . . as everyday, Jews are still fighting for our very Lives and Freedom in places like Israel and beyond, BUT SO ARE ALL OTHER FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE, especially Christians, who are being SLAUGHTERED for being Christian in the Middle East, while Christianity is under attack in Canada and the United States.
WE DON’T SEE IT . . . BUT WE’RE LOSING OUR FREEDOMS BY 1000-CUTS:
Every day, when one form of government or another passes a single law, that new or additional law establishes the LOSS of another Freedom. And no matter how important or insignificant that law might seem, it is like the Chinese Maxim of Death by 1000-CUTS, because eventually, whether we want to believe it or not, whether the pain of each cut is substantial or not, we will eventually BLEED-OUT AND DIE.
TO ME, EVERYDAY IS PASSOVER – ‘CAUSE EVERY DAY IS A THREAT TO OUR FREEDOMS:
I don’t expect other people to be as dour as I am, since I can’t help myself, just as I assume most people who read this BLOG are as well. But I would hope . . . that the people would at least have some concern for their Freedoms and the Freedoms and future for their families, before it becomes too late, and before they realize that Freedom is not now, and has never been FREE, and they too will and can Bleed-Out by a 1000-Seemingly-Painless-Cuts.
WHILE ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND THE SEDER TABLES . . . will be having a wonderful time eating delicious foods, more than any of us can really consume, retelling the Past Story of Passover, Anne and I will also be partaking with everyone, but I will be thinking more about our Present and Future Freedoms, while using the past 3600-Years as my guide.
I wish all my Friends and Readers, Jewish and Christian alike, a wonderful meaning of Passover.
AND NEXT YEAR – WE SHOULD STILL BE IN JERUSALEM:
Best Regards . . . Howard Galganov
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31 Comments
“The Paris FARCE . . . Continues”
The FARCE will continue for quiet a long time. Not enough people have been killed yet for the West to wake up.
At some point they may wake up, stop apologizing and start to get serious. But so far I doubt seriously they will ever fight back. If 911 did do it what will it take? A NUKE to some major city?
The western leaders are dooming us.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, we are celebrating our time of reflection at the same time as you do. Our Easter Sunday this year is May1st. I was taught about Passover and that the Seder dinner was Jesus’ Last Supper. Christians know and understand when properly taught. Jesus was and is a Jew; he came first for the Jews, but he also opened up salvation for us who are not Jews. Our U.S. government realizes that and now persecutes both. Obama is bringing in Islam, a bad idea.
Happy Passover to you and yours. Today our – all of our – freedoms are under assault not only from our own governments, but from evil external forces. The descendants of the Egyptians are now Islamists and they are at war with us, our Judeo-Christian values, and want to eliminate our freedoms by forcing us to either submit to the devil Allah or die.
To this we must declare as we did after World war II: “NEVER AGAIN” will we be slaves. We must be united, resolute, locked and loaded.
Congrats on this editorial. Although I’m very secular, your observations are very timely. If there was ever a period in history where Christians & Jews should come together as one,….it is RIGHT NOW. Our very survival is at stake. Regards ML
Beautifully said, Howard. We wish you, Anne and your family all the best that life has to offer. Hopefully a day will come when traditional values will be shared among each new generation rather than each new generation feeling it necessary to reinvent the wheel.
The passover of the angel of death in ancient Egypt still holds lessons for us today. Moses spoke truth to arrogant power, the Pharaoh-god of the superpower of its day. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran minister, also spoke truth to evil power and paid the ultimate price with 12,000,000. The 1948 Exodus from Europe created the prophesized return of the Israelites to the land God promised Moses. Who will be our Moses today to speak truth to power? Who will have Bonhoeffer’s courage?
I will never forget the first Passover Seder I attended a number of years ago. It opened my eyes! I realized that evening that it was what the Church called the ‘Last Supper’! I had been brought up Catholic, but left that many years ago. Now I belong to a Messianic Congregation, and I love every part of it. And yes, I will be attending our Seder tonight!
Howard
Conservative Christians know the Passover and our Jewish roots very well. We fully accept the Old Testament.
Thank you, Howard.
I have shared this wonderful piece with my 5,000 friends on Facebook.
May you and Anne be Blessed with a Happy and Kosher Pesach.
–Alan Abrams
Scottsdale, Arizona
God bless this bond this season. Bless all who have stood and fought for our freedom and I for one say NEVER AGAIN!!
Chag Sameach
All the blessings on you and you family Howard and best wishes for your new Quest. This is a very poignant message you deliver and I will forward it to all my friends.
I believe that we, unanimously, wish you, Anne, the family, and all of our Jewish friends a very pleasant and peaceful Passover. I need to find and read again, the books by Leon Uris.
This Roman Catholic Good Ol’ Boy from Dixie wishes you a very Happy Passover, Howard!
I’ve always figured that, since Jesus and the Apostles were all Jews, Christianity should be considered a sect of Judaism. Just like Reform, Conservative and Orthodox, but with a lot of its own sub-sects. I’ve never heard anyone else say they viewed it this way, but I think everyone should. It’s an outlook that explains where and with whom I will always stand.
Howard, I wish you and your family a most wonderful Passover.
In all of history, freedom has been the most fleeting and costly condition.
Thank you for continuing to speak out. Nancy Nelson
Chag Sameach to you and your family. May you enjoy special feelings that this holiday brings.
Chag Sameach
all the best Howard
The Last Supper, depicting Jesus celebrating Passover with the 12 Apostles, is commemorated by Christians as our “Holy Thursday”, 3 days before Easter. It was at that first feast where Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles and reveals that He knows “one of them” will betray Him. HE blesses bread and wine indicating that He is giving them His very body and blood.
Christians commemorate this Seder Feast at every Mass. Happy Passover to our Jewish brethren!!
Happy Passover to you and your family. I enjoyed your comments and History. I am a Roman Catholic who learned his lessons well from my Catechism with the Nuns. I am 83 and was indoctrinated very well into the relations of the Religion beginning with Hebrew, Judaism and Catholicism. Wonderful studies.
May all who believe in The Lord God, father of Jesus and all creation have not only a blessed Passover, but may their lives be enriched through God, our Father.
Howard, will you please email me information about where I can obtain a copy of The 5 Books of Moses in english for my studies? I have many copies of our Christian Bible and other books I have read but I have never seen anything called, The Five Books of Moses. Thank you, Charles
Shabbat Shalom! May our Lor-d G-d bless those of us who are believers and supporters of the nation of Israel during the next year. May the Messiah return for His children!!
I will repost this article on my FaceBook in hopes my Christian brothers & sisters will read it. I get so angry that we let the “little” Freedoms be removed. Helmet laws – seatbelt laws – child car seats – shall I go on. We don’t realize it is all part of a master plan to remove our Freedom of choice! “No matter how important or insignificant” – thanks for the article
Gary Burd, AMARILLO TX
Happy Passover to you Anne and the family. Great article……thanks. We as Canadians need to fight for our freedoms!
Howard, as much as we would like to connect Peach to the Last Supper, it probably wasn’t. The Romans never would have had an arrest, trial or execution on the holiday. There would have been a major revolt including from the Temple leadership.
The Romans would have avoided this at all cost.
What a wonderful article for Pesach-time !
Solette Gelberg
King City
I am not Jewish, but I celebrate Passover, and the feast of Unleavened Bread also. I know we cannot keep the feasts like they did in the Bible, but it constantly says they are the Lords feasts and they are forever, so celebrating them is a reminder for me what they represent. I am in the process of studying and following the seven Biblically mandated feasts. Fascinating study and can’t seem to learn enough fast enough.
My Baba(grandmother) told me the Exodus story when I was a child. She told me many Biblical stories. The book she used was the Bible in story form, mainly for young children or for those who were learning what the Bible was all about. By the time, I married, I learned that the Last Supper was the Seder. Some of the churches I attended would do a Seder on Maundy Thursday, the night before Good Friday. The Seder is what Jesus commanded us to do, Communion. Jews & Christians are intertwined.
Appreciated your editorial. Have known since childhood the relationship that Jews and Christians share at Passover but was unaware that the “Seder dinner” was being celebrated at Jesus’ Last Supper. Keep up the good work. Cal
@ Radium Hot Springs, BC
Passover,the celebration when the angel of Death Past Over all those that dared put blood on there entry doors,in defiance of Cesar the Exodus of the Jews from slavery! How Wonderful & Marvelous God is.Jesus indeed celebrated Passover,knowing very well that He was the fulfillment of the law and the Last Blood Sacrifice to be offered to His Father God for the Forgiveness of our Sin & the Redemption of ALL who Believe.For all who celebrate, Shabbat Shalom.Jesus is also called the Prince of Peace.
Happy Passover to you and your family. Keep up the good work! AMEN!
I am a Christian and very pro-semetic. I go to a non-denominational Church in San Antonio – Cornerstone. My Pastor, John Hagee, started the Christians United For Israel about 10 years ago. We now have over 3 million members. As I tell any so called “Christian” who is anti-semetic – You idiot – You worship a Jew!!! Amazing how many look at me in disbelief. Don’t they study their Bible. He was called Rabbi. He preached in the Synagogues. He had his Bar-Mitzah at age 12.
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