On Passover, we read about the ten plagues God unleashed on the Egyptians. The plagues we see today, however, are not punishments from God, but ones of our own doing – because ending hunger is not a matter of resources, but of political will. As we read each of these plagues aloud, we dip a finger into the wine and touch a drop onto our plate. This reminds us that, even as we celebrate freedom, our freedom is not complete when anyone still experiences hunger.
(Dip your finger in your glass and place a drop of wine on the plate for each plague.)
ALL READ TOGETHER IN UNISON
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INDIFFERENCE, the failure to recognize food insecurity in our own communities
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SHAME, the undue burden we place on hungry people
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INDIGNITY, the failure to treat hungry people with the respect they deserve
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STEREOTYPING, the persistence of harmful misinformation about who is hungry
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ABSENCE, the lack of data showing the true scope of this problem
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HUMILIATION, the pain parents feel when they cannot provide enough food for their children
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FATIGUE, the exhaustion from the constant cycle of poverty and hunger
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ANXIETY, the lingering fear that SNAP benefits will not last the whole month
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BUREAUCRACY, the system that prevents rapid action on this issue
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APATHY, the greatest plague of all — the failure to make ending hunger a national priority
