(The
author of this prayer is unknown, yet was originally published by The
Awareness Center in 2007. It was republished by The Times of Israel on
March 16, 2015)
The following prayer was written
for protective parents and their loved ones, child abuse advocates, and
all who care about children to recite at their passover seder. A spring
onion is added to the seder plate, or placed on the table as a symbol.
The
Passover Seder is a time to celebrate our freedom and remember those
who still struggle for the freedoms they deserve. Freedom from tyranny,
violence, and oppression is a core value for us as our ancestors have
known slavery, and our heart goes out to the enslaved and the imprisoned
of any race, culture or creed. Tonight we remember a group of
individuals often forgotten, trapped by a kind of slavery so cruel, that
society often looks the other way—children (including adult survivors
of child abuse) enslaved in lives of abuse.
Today I remember ____________ (fill in name of a child or children you know trapped in lives of abuse. or substitute… “these children.”)
Though many of us have tried to free them, the Pharaohs in our
generation have blocked our efforts or looked the other way. Our hearts
ache knowing the pain these children live with day after day. They are
not forgotten. With this prayer we share our commitment to find a way to
liberate them from their lives of exploitation and tyranny.
This spring onion on the Seder plate is our
symbol for these children and their plight. The shape of the onion
reminds us of the whips used on slaves to keep them subjugated. The
tears we shed from the onion remind us of the silent tears of these
children waiting for rescue. The newness of the onion reminds us of the
promise of hope, that one day these children can grow healthy and free
from the tyranny they are living with today.
We pray for the wisdom to find an effective
path to liberate these children. We pray for the courage to stand up to
the Pharaoh’s of our generation and speak the truth of what we know. We
pray for the strength and fortitude to keep on fighting for their
freedom.
May these children (including adult survivors)
soon know the sweetness of freedom from violence and oppression and
share Passover Seders and other celebrations of freedom, safely, with
loved ones next year!
Amen.
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