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converted as an adult. Chances are that it took on yet other emotional implications for my
paternal grandfather. A Holocaust survivor, he hid behind shuttered windows in 1938 as
he witnessed Hitler’s march into Vienna first hand. (He would later flee to then-
Czechoslovakia and eventually make his way to America.)

The diverse interpretations of Passover are, in a way, a microcosm of the diverse
interpretations of Judaism, God, and religion as a whole. There are as many takes on
Judaism as there are Jews, and our interpretations of God — including whether God even
exists! — are equally varied. In my book, that’s something to celebrate. Caring for and
sharing in your community are crucial parts of life, but the “me” and the “you” are, in
many ways, just as important as the “us.” After all, there would be no “us” without “me”
and “you”!

So this Passover, take a page from the “wicked” child’s book. Ask your friends and
family, “What does Passover mean to you?” You might be surprised by what you learn,
both about the holiday and about the people in your life.

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