Passover is a very special time of year. For me, what is most special about this important holiday is the coming together of family and friends in joy and happiness. As we read the Haggadah, we are reminded of the hardship our ancestors experienced through enslavement, followed by a return to our ancestral homeland – the Land of Israel. The re-telling of our exodus from Egypt is a generational reminder to never let our guard down nor take freedom for granted. Indeed, our namesake Simon Wiesenthal, having survived the Holocaust and looked evil in the eye, believed that "Freedom is not a gift from heaven, we must fight for it each and every day."

Every generation thinks it is wiser than the one before. It thinks it might be more advanced or sophisticated. This type of thinking leads to complacency as proven time and time again through generations, and even today as we see terrible events unfolding around the planet. Passover reaches into our very soul and calls us to action and greater awareness about the world around us. 

The 10,000 people who marched silently through the streets of Paris yesterday in memory of murdered Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll took action against complacency and the rising tide of antisemitism. And earlier this week, thousands of people who protested Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party's antisemitism in London spoke out in the name of freedom and humanity. They shouted, enough is enough!

Pesach is all about educating the next generation. Not coincidentally, at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, we believe that education is the best way to combat antisemitism, hate and intolerance. We embolden and inspire students every single day to stand up and speak out. Our annual Speakers Idol event held this week once again showcased the impact of challenging students from all walks of life to think critically about making the world a better place. Our daily workshops through Tour for Humanity educates upwards of 1,000 students each week about preventing hate and doing good. 

Passover infuses us with renewed energy to stand up and be counted and ensure we leave this world in a better place for the next generation. 

Wishing all our friends a Chag Sameach.

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- Avi

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