April 2026
Paula Baruch

Each spring, as we gather around our seder tables, we return to the ancient words that tell us we were once strangers, once constrained, once unsure of what freedom could look like. And each year, we are invited to hear that story again—this time through our own lives, our own questions, and our own hopes for a more just and compassionate world.

At Temple Anshe Sholom, Passover reflects the values that define our congregation: curiosity, kindness, creativity, inclusivity and connection. Our community seder is offered on the second night of Pesach and we bring the Haggadah to life with music, conversation, and a deep respect for tradition alongside a willingness to re-imagine it. We encourage every generation—children, teens, parents, grandparents, and chosen family—to find their voice in the telling of the Exodus. No one is expected to arrive with all the answers. What matters is that we arrive with our questions and together seek answers.

Questions and the exploration of answers have always been a focus at Temple Anshe Sholom especially as we are in the final stretch of selecting a Rabbi that will lead us into the future. Welcoming new Jewish clergy to our community is both an honour and an opportunity for us to build new relationships and enjoy new learning. As we prepare to welcome our new rabbi, may we bring forward the very best of who we already are — our kindness, our curiosity, our warmth, and our willingness to grow together. May we offer our new spiritual leader not only our expectations, but our partnership. Not only our hope, but our trust.

As we celebrate Passover this year, we continue to be the place where memory becomes meaning, tradition becomes courage, and the story of liberation inspires us to build a future shaped by justice, compassion, and hope—for all who sit at our tables, and for all who long to be free.