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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA: A on Fighting Modern-Day Slavery 4RUAH4HE2ABBINIC#ALLFOR(UMAN2IGHTSsWWWTRUAHORG

Opening the Door for

Miriam the prophetess is linked with water An early morning conversation in a number of ways. She watched over her with my daughter, Lila Rose, age 3 ½: baby brother in the and sang During my trip to Immokalee, I and danced at the shores of the Reed Sea. heard many stories from workers who described the conditions LR: Why has Elijah not come to teaches us that when Miriam died, our house, Mama? before and after the Fair Food the magical, portable well that had sustained Program. One in particular אֵ לִ יָּהוּ הַ נָּבִ יא ,Eliyahu ha-navi our people dried up. stands out: “Rosalie” told of an אֵ לִ ָ יּ ה וּ הַ תִּ שְׁבִּי Me: Elijah is going to come when it is time for a new world to come. Eliahu ha-Tishbi, experience of sexual harassment According to tradition, Elijah will bring on a farm by a supervisor. !is אֵלִיָּהוּ הַגִּלְﬠָדִי .Eliahu ha-Giladi person showed up at her home to us and the world will be בִּמְהֵרָ ה בְ יָמֵ ינוּ LR: I think we should give Elijah Bim’hera veyameinu a present when Elijah comes. and threatened her in front of her .redeemed. In my lyrics (below), Miriam children and friends יָבֹא אֵלֵ ינוּ ﬠִ ם yavo eleinu im brings us to the waters of redemption. It מָשׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד. .Me: What should that be? mashiach ben will then be our task to enter the waters and Because she was working on a farm that participated in the LR: Juice. together redeem the world. Elijah the , Elijah the Tishbite, Fair Food Program, she could Elijah the Gileadite. report the perpetrator to the Fair Me: Ok. Instead of pouring out wrath, let us pour Soon and in our day, he will come to us Foods Council. Within hours, forth love, forgiveness and peace – for the the supervisor was "red and LR: But Elijah is going to be with the Messiah, son of David. carrying her babies so how is soothing and healing of our broken world. her workplace was safe again. she going to get the juice? Oh! I Rosalie’s story reminds me of know, she can carry her babies in - Leila Gal Berner both the vulnerability of workers a sling and then she can drink the 1. Invite all of the seder guests to walk in exploitative conditions and of juice and bring a new world. the power of organizing to change .those slave-like conditions מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה ,together to the door, to let Elijah in. What Miriam ha-neviah עֹז וְזִמְרָה בְּיָדָהּ ,May she come soon with her do you see when you look out at the world? oz v’zimra beyada As we lift up Miriam’s cup, מִרְ יָם תִרְ קֹוֹד אִתָּ נוּ babies. Miriam tirkod itanu May he come soon surrounded 2. When you open the door from this a symbol of healing and redemption, let us call out for לְהַגְדִּיל זִמְרַ ת עוֹלָם ,lehagdil zimrat olam by elders. position of struggle (see comment on next justice and for change so that all מִרְ יָם תִרְ קֹוֹד אִתָּ נוּ May zhe bring us all along. Miriam tirkod itanu women, and all people, can be לְתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם. And may we work to make that page), whom might you invite in? Whom do day happen with open hearts, you reach out to? letaken et ha-olam. a#orded dignity and protection in .their work בִּמְהֵרָ ה בְ יָמֵ ינוּ committed hands, and a willing Bim’hera veyameinu הִ יא תְּ בִיאֵ נו spirit. hi tevi’einu Rabbi Lauren - אֶל מֵי הַיְּשׁוּﬠָה. - Rabbi Susan Goldberg, el mei ha-yeshua. Grabelle Herrmann, Wiltshire Boulevard Temple, Kol Tzedek, Philadelphia, PA Los Angeles, CA Miriam, the prophet, strength and song in her hand, Miriam will dance with us to strengthen the world’s song, Miriam will dance with us to heal the world. Soon and in our time, she will bring us to the waters of the redemption. 48 4147 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA: A Haggadah on Fighting Modern-Day Slavery 4RUAH4HE2ABBINIC#ALLFOR(UMAN2IGHTSsWWWTRUAHORG

Shfoch Chamat’cha IN ACTION

After my summer fellowship !e authors of the seder chose this moment with T’ruah, I stayed involved to express their anger at the dangerous with Damayan, the domestic anti-Semitic world they lived in. While such workers’ organization where I had interned. I helped them plan a anger may need a new target today, that does rally at the Philippines consulate not mean it has no place at the table. Rabbi in New York, where they were Mishael Zion, Co-Director of the Bronfman trying to pressure the Philippines’ government to provide more Youth Fellowships in Israel, teaches that the support for Filipino/as who had seder’s two door-openings are fundamentally been tra%cked, and I wrote an opposites. When we opened the door at Ha Op-Ed to draw the attention of Lachma Anya, we focused on local injustice; the Jewish press. we, from our position of privilege, are the It was a humbling and inspiring ones capable of feeding those who are hungry. experience to join with these Here, late in the seder, we open ourselves up workers, who not only overcame to the massive injustices that a#ect the entire their own challenging work environments but went on to world. We give ourselves permission to name organize, empower, and protect our anger at the fact that slavery still exists in fellow domestic workers. the 21st century, to recognize our limitations,

I was honored to partner and to cry out, asking to show up as an with Damayan, a worker-run avenger of injustice. In the words of Psalm organization of smart, powerful, 94, the Psalm for Wednesday: and capable individuals, and to think about how I, in my role as אֵ ל נְקָ מוֹת ה‘ ,Jewish clergy, could best move God of vengeance אֵ ל נְקָ מוֹת -the Jewish community to support Adonai; God of ven their anti-tra%cking work. Ocean in A Drop,” by Margeaux Gray“ ה וֹ פִ י ﬠַ ! !geance, appear – Avi Strausberg, 20” x 24”, Acrylic and mixed media, © 2015 Rabbinical School of Hebrew College Class of 2015, !e world we want to see will have no need “The phrase ‘working with not for survivors of slavery’ continued to play through my thoughts as I was creating this piece. When all the little oceans in a drop come to work with each other, T’ruah summer fellowship of our righteous indignation, but until that alumna what an impact we can make.” Margeaux is a survivor of domestic child sex trafficking. Much world is here, we cannot a#ord to ignore of her artwork incorporates everyday items that other people might consider trash. This serves those darker feelings. as a symbol that people whom our society might be ready to discard—among them people forced into human trafficking—remain creatures of value and beauty. Margeaux has transcend- ed her experience as a trafficking victim, and today she is an advocate, motivational speaker, and artist. Visit her website: margeauxgray.com

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