Dayenu, the famous and beloved song, recited around the world at Passover Seders, is one of the oldest passages in the Haggadah. The song details the miracles experienced by the Jewish People from the time of the Exodus to the building of the Temple. Is there a better time than Passover to remind ourselves of the many “modern miracles” of Israelis and Jews around the world in modern times? From establishing the State to our efforts to build a democratic, tolerant and open society, our story continues to one of striving toward a better society. In this spirit and in recognition of the achievements of Zionism, let’s add “A New Dayenu” to our seder tables.
If we had returned to Israel after two thousand years and had not established the State of Israel – Dayenu.
If we had established the State of Israel and had not founded cities and made the desert bloom – Dayenu.
If we had founded cities and made the desert bloom and had not absorbed millions of olim – Dayenu.
If we had absorbed millions of olim and had not revived the Hebrew language – Dayenu.
If we had revived the Hebrew language and had not developed a unique Israeli culture – Dayenu.
If we had developed a unique Israeli culture and had not established a myriad of social action organizations to improve society – Dayenu.
If we had established a myriad of social action organizations to improve society but had not developed innovative technologies which benefit the entire world – Dayenu.
If we had done all of this and even more, but had not returned to Israel –
Could we still say “Dayenu?”
courtesy American Zionist Movement; clicking on the above image brings you to the AZM website where you can also download a PDF version of A New Dayenu
