Our Energy Story: a Story of Redemption
This activity may be done at Kos Eliyahu – Elijah’s cup (Cup #3), whose theme is Redemption.
(Note, this can also be done with a slight twist at the beginning of Magid, the section of the Passover seder of the telling of the story)
Birkat HaHammah is a 28 year cycle – short enough that each person should be able to go through life with one memorable BH experience, but long enough that the distance between two cycles represents a significant quantity of one’s time.
Pesach is also a cycle, an annual retelling of the movement from slavery to freedom.
Activity:
Have each person share - at the table or in small groups - where they were 28 years ago. If they cannot remember this day, share where they were in their lives. If they are younger than 28, have them speak about where they imagine themselves to be 28 years from now, at the next Birkat Hahammah.
Throughout our lives, we repeat our stories and cyclically celebrate holidays. So too, the Seder ends with a vision for the future – l’shana haba-a b’yerushalayim – next year in Jerusalem. We also designate a cup of wine for Elijah – an awareness that our world is imperfect, still in need of repair. Each year, we prepare for the redemption to come, though we have never seen it.
But Birkat HaHammah offers a time-frame that is much longer – maybe in this period, we will see the redemption.
Follow-Up Activity:
1. Share with others your vision of what the world could look like in 28 years from now. You can leave this open-ended, allowing people to speak personally or about a global vision such as how we have dealt with energy concerns/global warming.
2. Make or visualize a time capsule for those celebrating Birkat HaHammah 2037.
Click here for printer-friendly version.
(Note, this can also be done with a slight twist at the beginning of Magid, the section of the Passover seder of the telling of the story)
Birkat HaHammah is a 28 year cycle – short enough that each person should be able to go through life with one memorable BH experience, but long enough that the distance between two cycles represents a significant quantity of one’s time.
Pesach is also a cycle, an annual retelling of the movement from slavery to freedom.
Activity:
Have each person share - at the table or in small groups - where they were 28 years ago. If they cannot remember this day, share where they were in their lives. If they are younger than 28, have them speak about where they imagine themselves to be 28 years from now, at the next Birkat Hahammah.
Throughout our lives, we repeat our stories and cyclically celebrate holidays. So too, the Seder ends with a vision for the future – l’shana haba-a b’yerushalayim – next year in Jerusalem. We also designate a cup of wine for Elijah – an awareness that our world is imperfect, still in need of repair. Each year, we prepare for the redemption to come, though we have never seen it.
But Birkat HaHammah offers a time-frame that is much longer – maybe in this period, we will see the redemption.
Follow-Up Activity:
1. Share with others your vision of what the world could look like in 28 years from now. You can leave this open-ended, allowing people to speak personally or about a global vision such as how we have dealt with energy concerns/global warming.
2. Make or visualize a time capsule for those celebrating Birkat HaHammah 2037.
Click here for printer-friendly version.
Contributors to this page: Liore and ninabeth - last modified on Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:38 pm.