An Extraordinary Word for Good

Haggadah Section: Commentary / Readings

When I grew up in Ukraine in the city of Oonetsk, there were people of various nationalities living there.

Their 10 certificates had the word 'Russian,' 'Ukraine,' 'Georgian,' 'Kozaki,' it wasn't that important and there wasn't much of a difference. One thing was important - if it had the word 'Jewish' written on it, that would be as if you had some disease.

We knew nothing about Judaism, except antisemitism and hatred towards us.

That's why no one tried to replace the word 'Russian' or the word 'Ukraine,' in order to get accepted to the university. But if it you had the word 'Jewish' on your 10 papers and you could manage to change that, your chance of getting accepted was so much higher.

I was reminded of this while watching this week how thousands of people are standing at the borders, trying to escape the tragedy in Ukraine. They stand there day and night, and there's only one word today that can help them get out: "Jewish." If you are a Jew - there are Jews outside who care for you, there is someone on the other side of the border looking for you, your chance of getting out is so much higher.

The world I knew has been turned upside down. When I was a child 'Jewish' was an extraordinary bad word, no one was jealous of us! Today at the border of Ukraine, 'Jewish' is an extraordinary word for good, it describes people who have somewhere to go and there's an entire nation - their family, waiting for them outside.

Source:  
Nathan Sharansky
Clip Featured in Haggadot'sHonoring The People Of Ukraine
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Honoring The People Of Ukraine
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Haggadot
Table of contents
    Introduction
  • Prayer for Ukraine
  • 2022 Ukraine Refugee Crisis
  • "Седер на Песах". авторка Зоя Черкаська-Ннаді
  • The Sunflower on Our Seder Table: For Ukraine
  • Nigun | Ukraine | Jewish folk tune
    • Commentary / Readings
  • Winter is Over: Ukrainian Schoolchild's Poem, 1920, NLI
  • Poem by a Ukrainian Schoolchild, 1920, NLI
  • A Prayer for Peace and the people of Ukraine
  • An Extraordinary Word for Good
    • Yachatz
  • From Amidst Brokenness
    • Maggid - Beginning
  • Sunflower Seeds on My Seder Plate
  • JDC Ukraine
  • Prayer for the People of Ukraine
    • -- Four Questions
  • Four Questions in Ukrainian
    • -- Four Children
  • "Четверо дітей". Авторка Зоя Черкаська-Ннаді
    • -- Exodus Story
  • Never Again? This Passover Share Thoughts on the War in Ukraine
  • Take Only What Is Most Important
    • -- Cup #2 & Dayenu
  • Home by Warsan Shire
    • Shulchan Oreich
  • Sunflowers On Your Table
    • Bareich
  • Kavannah for Opening the Door for Elijah
    • Hallel
  • Sunflowers
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