From all of us at Santa Fe Middle East Watch,
Chag Pesach Sameach to you and your loved ones.
Here is a 2-page Haggadah supplement about Israel, courtesy of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. A short excerpt:
“The AIPAC Haggadah Supplement is designed to invite discussion around your seder table about the way each generation participates in ensuring that Israel remains secure and America strong. This year, as Israel approaches her 70th birthday, we hope the story told in this supplement will inspire the family and friends at your seder table to share what the state of Israel means to them and how they can contribute to her well-being.
“The morning of May 14, 1948, the People’s Council [a group of Leaders] sends out 350 invitations to select individuals, to be delivered by hand, and in secret.
“At precisely 4:00 p.m. local time, David Ben-Gurion, the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, takes his position in front of the microphone and gavels the room to order. He proclaims, “The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here, their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped.”
“A few minutes later, he utters the words that would bring to fulfilment the prayers of nearly 2,000 years, “We, members of the People’s Council…hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael to be known as the State of Israel.”
“The words form a promise. Irrevocably and forever the Jewish people will have a safe haven—a manifestation of our shared history, culture, language and faith. Further, the people of Israel will strive for justice, equality and peace.”
SFMEW is a beneficiary organization of the Jewish Federation of New Mexico.