| By now probably every Jew in America knows that tomorrow night President Obama will host his 2nd annual White House Passover seder (and his third annual participation going back to the now legendary campaign seder during the PA primary). If President Clinton was the 1st African-American President (to use his own communications hype), then it would seem that President Obama is firmly establishing himself as our 1st Jewish President (it helps that the 1st lady's cousin is a respected rabbi). So what is it about Obama and Passover that feels just so damn authentic this year? Of course it all makes sense considering that Passover is the most American of Jewish days, America inherently embodies Passover values, and this President, like none in half a century, embodies both. |
Passover, at its essence, is of course about Freedom and, of course, so is America. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are in our DNA. But more so, tomorrow night is an opportunity to reflect upon Freedom as the Pursuit of Happiness. Our founders, Jefferson and others, saw America as the promise that every person should be able to pursue their hopes, unencumbered by status or position - that each of us should be able to realize our full potential by doing whatever we might choose to do as our Purpose (and no, I haven't forgotten the cognitive dissonance between that sentence and our original sin: slavery and 3/5's of a man). Pursuit of Happiness is that Freedom to be complete and whole with ourselves and others. Its what Kenji Yoshino decsribes as the new frontier of civil rights, the right to authenticity, the right to be gay and out and a soldier serving her nation or the right to be just a little bit different and yet part of the one tribe/one people. Its also what we in the halachic and liberal Jewish community mean when we say that a woman, just as much as a man, has the right to fully realize her purpose if her purpose is to be a Rabbi - without giving up her Orthodoxy. It is the freedom to be ourselves, fully and truthfully, in a richly diverse society. Its the freedom not only to achieve our goals but to pursue them fully. Enter President Obama. He embodies, in himself and in his policies, this vision of Freedom, this pursuit of Happiness. For millions across the world he represents the possibility that anyone, even of modest beginnings (albeit with the leg up that being born an American gives us to start with), can achieve their lifes' dreams in this country. He gives hopes to kids for being authentic to his self-described "funny name" (which he embraced in his coming of age and pursuit of authenticity). No American president has written more, and more from the heart, about his own search to know himself. And no President in half a century has done more to lift the shackles from pursuit of opportunity for all Americans. With last week's health care victory (and sure, I'm liberal enough to say its got flaws and didn't achieve everything we hoped, but a flock of geese in the hand is worth a brace of ducks in the reeds, no?) more Americans will have more freedom, especially in our work choices, than ever before. - The young woman who can stay on her parents insurance for a few extra years while she starts a venture project
- The mother who can quit her abusive job while still having healthcare for her kids while she looks for another
- The mid-career professional who wants to try something different but couldnt risk it because of his pre-existing condition
Oh the list goes on and on. The point is, this year, lets celebrate Freedom. Lets celebrate Liberation. And lets celebrate the promise and the possibility that is a uniquely American approach to providing for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Congratulations President Obama, you've certainly shown your cojones, now enjoy some well deserved matzoh balls! |
