Tonight, from across the world, we had folks from multiple continents joining our seder, some from their sofas and others streaming to a full room. Tonight was the two year anniversary of the birth of my virtual community, and so it was especially meaningful to me as I am finally begin to discern the direction in which I hope it will grow (more on that in a later post). For the article in the Canadian Jewish News and the podcast introducing us two years ago, please click here.
So many of you wrote me asking me to record the seder because you were hoping to listen to it for second night, due to your needing to attend other family events. I was especially touched by those of you who said that you were saving this seder as your “detox seder”. So, I recorded it and am posting it here with my wishes and prayers for a Passover seder filled with liberating blessings. It is created with love and trauma-informed principles, with music and meditation and progressive values. It is intentionally non-partisan to ensure that everyone can join, and in recognizing the Talmudic principle: “Elu v’elu divrei Elohim Chayim: These and these are both words of the Living G!d/G!d of Life”. When we are liberated from the false binary constraints of this world (good/bad etc) then we will experience G!d’s Presence everywhere.
This seder is intentionally focused on internal healing and liberation, recognizing that we are the seed of the Tree of Life that G!d is hoping will be planted in this world if we choose soil that is fertile and grow roots in such a way that the world around us begins to flourish… It is however striking to me that this seder (adapted with not much change from the one I created two years ago, and grounded in the seder prayers of the Haggadah of our people for hundreds and hundreds of years (except for the translation into English/updated language etc) has so much that is so deeply relevant to our current upside down world. This brings me such hope and comfort in knowing that, despite everything that has changed in the world, what has remained consistent is that which liberates…
May this seder and this Passover be the start of our liberation and healing…
This blog was first started when I was known as Rabbi Nadia and when I worked south of the colonial border, in what is known as the United States. I served as a rabbi of several large and small synagogues across Turtle Island (North America) before moving the beautiful unceded Mi'kma'ki (colonial name: Nova Scotia, Canada) where I work as a social worker. I also support a growing group of Jewish communities that are part of The Chavurah Collective: Decolonizing Judaism in Mi'kma'ki and Beyond and use this personal blog to post services that I lead, and which are open to anyone interested in joining.
As a second-generation Holocaust survivor and someone who identifies as nonbinary and transgender, I feel called to create a world free from hatred and prejudice. I understand the closet to be a metaphor for the ways that colonization/society has wounded us through intergenerational trauma that manifests in intersectional ways.
I believe in the universality of spiritual teachings across traditions and their alignment with contemporary psychological theory. As I transition from serving as a pulpit rabbi to becoming a community rabbi, I've maintained this blog as a platform to share my theology and connect with others, especially as part of my personal sense of Calling to advocate for "tikkun olam" (=the healing of the world). Canada's recent commitment to begin a restorative justice process of Truth and Reconciliation has inspired me to reflect upon the ways that decolonizing one's self can lead to restorative justice and a global healing: this blog reflects my effort to distill these insights.
Just as the fringes of a prayer shawl hold its holiness, I believe my greatest contribution lies in guiding others home and towards wholeness. Having exited my gender closet, I have continued to emerge and am committed to doing what I can to help others become who they were created to be. Engaging in the sacred work of beginning to decolonize myself, I seek to share these insights with others and to advocate for the equal rights and healing potential that I believe is what G!d wants for us all.
Through this blog, I hope to inspire healing, insight, and empowerment, inviting others to find their voice and path. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
View all posts by Rabbi Dr. Nachshon Siritsky
Emerging Torah as Rabbi Nachshon emerges 