| November 9th, 2005 Web Wire Editor's Note |
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| Written by Daniel Estrin | |||||
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Olives, Tibetans, and Hair, Oh My! It’s the middle of November. The leaves have fallen into crunchy piles, the wind is nipping at your nose, and winter is slowly creeping upon us. You know what that means—Passover season! No, we’re not going to be sitting down to Matzo ball soup and Hillel sandwiches for another five months. But reminders of Passover abound throughout the year. We sing about the Exodus in our daily liturgy. Every Friday night, we sanctify wine in memory of our freedom from Egypt. As we read the Torah throughout the year, we are reminded (36 times!) of the biblical injunction to “remember the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Tibetans and Palestinians are two peoples that might feel a bit like strangers at a Passover Seder—and admit it, you too might think it strange if you saw a Tibetan Geshe or Palestinian Imam toasting l’chayim on a fourth cup of wine. But the writers of this Web Wire attest to the fact that Tibetans and Palestinians have a place at our Seder tables. Their experiences can help illuminate our remembrance of oppression and exile, and help us reexamine our celebration of freedom—constant themes in our Jewish lives no matter what month of the year it is. And while we are on the subject of reexamining Jewish history and tradition in a modern context: if you find a curly strand of your mother’s hair in the Matzo ball soup, you may wish to consider the history of Jewish hair. We Jews have been obsessed with our hair (or lack thereof) for thousands of years. The article on Hebraic Coiffure in this Web Wire will reconnect to your true roots. It’s getting cold, and we’d all probably like to jet back to Egypt in a dramatic gesture of Biblical irony to soak up some Mediterranean rays. Don’t forget your sunscreen and a hat to protect your skin—and to cover your Jewfro.
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