The declaration at Passover affirms that freedom must be inclusive and that no one should be excluded from dignity (Reuters)
The festival of Passover, which the Jewish people observe this year at the beginning of April, is the cornerstone of Jewish identity. The defining message of Passover is enduring: we, too, were strangers in pharaonic Egypt, 3,300 years ago.
For the Jewish people, this is not merely a historical recollection, it is a moral imperative. Because we know the experience of subjugation and oppression, we are commanded to stand with those who are vulnerable and persecuted and to work toward the dignity and freedom of all people.
This ethic has shaped Jewish life for generations.
“We are commanded to stand with those who are persecuted and to work toward the dignity and freedom of all people.” Rabbi Marc Schneier
Across decades, the Jewish community has been at the forefront of the pursuit of civil rights, social justice and interfaith understanding. From the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to modern interfaith engagement across the Arabian Gulf and the broader Muslim world, these relationships have been fostered on a shared belief that human dignity must transcend division.
Judaism teaches that every human being is created in the image of God and Islam affirms that same truth. Both traditions call on us to protect the stranger, to uplift the oppressed and to pursue justice with humility and compassion. These are not abstract ideals. They are binding responsibilities.
Passover provides the framework for this reflection.
Each year at the Passover ritual meal, known as the Seder, we proclaim: “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” This declaration affirms that freedom must be inclusive and that no one should be excluded from dignity. The Talmud teaches that one cannot fully rejoice in their own liberation while others remain in need.
Equally central is the commandment that in every generation, each person must see themselves as if they personally went out of slavery. This teaching demands empathy and accountability. It requires us to internalize the experience of oppression so that we act with urgency and responsibility in the present.
“Knowing that we were once strangers, we must also recognize that no community can afford to stand alone.” Rabbi Marc Schneier
The challenges we face today, including rising antisemitism and Islamophobia, deepening divisions and the erosion of trust between faith communities, require more than rhetoric. They demand renewed commitment to partnership, honesty and shared responsibility.
Judaism and Islam remind us that humanity is one family created by God. That shared belief has guided decades of interfaith engagement and has brought Muslim and Jewish leaders closer together in ways once thought impossible.
Knowing that we were once strangers, we must also recognize that no community can afford to stand alone. Our shared faith traditions teach that we are bound together not only by memory but by responsibility — and that responsibility requires clarity, reciprocity and the willingness to stand with one another.
The Passover festival celebrates our interdependent, interconnected and interrelated family of values, ideals and responsibilities.
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