This Year in Jerusalem? Maybe Next Year.

For many generations, Jews have concluded their Seders with the saying “לשנה הבאה בירושלים״ translated as “Next Year in Jerusalem.” Many Jews dreamed of returning to Jerusalem over the generations and sadly most were never able to go. I am currently enjoying a great privilege which is to be in a land where Jews are safe and can express their faith openly without concern. This year, I happen to be in Israel during the holiday of Passover and I really wanted to celebrate the holiday in Jerusalem. I didn’t want to just celebrate this for myself; I wanted to celebrate the holiday in Jerusalem for those before me who never made it to Jerusalem. Unfortunately, my dream went unfulfilled. Because of the coronavirus and the quarantine imposed upon us, I was unable to make it to Jerusalem. So close and yet I might as well be so far away. I will be honest, it hurt. But as with every challenge in life, lessons and ideas can come from it. My ancestors prior to my grandfather never made it to this land and were never able to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. This year, I did not make it to Jerusalem for Passover either. But, I came close. 

Sometimes, we have to come to terms with what is impossible but we should also acknowledge how close we got. So, this year I don’t get to pray for those who didn’t make it. Perhaps next year - I will.