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This post was written by Ashley Brazil, co-President of DePaul Interfaith. Ashley is graduating this June with a degree in Sociology.

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A few nights ago I attended my first Passover Seder. I didn’t know what to expect but I knew there would be food so I was excited. The vent was an incredibly affecting one.

Passover is the Jewish festival or remembering their history as a people. While at the Seder, learning about the symbolic foods, listening to the prayers and songs that go along with the ritual meal I couldn’t help but be touched by the significance it had for me as an African American. The central idea of remembering the trials and perseverance of ancestors is something that resonated with me and called to mind my family celebrating Watch Night every New Year’s Eve. The similarities were so uncanny that with the help of a simple Google search I found that I’m not the only one seeing the connection between Jews and African Americans.

The significance of the Seder is remembrance for the edification of the descendants. It’s a renewal and affirmation of identity. It gives strength through recognizing connection. The experiences of ancestors are remembered so we can feel connected to them, grounded in them, and supported by them.  It allows us to call up courage and inspiration for our own lives in the present. Perhaps that’s all faith is, courage and inspiration.

The Seder contained some questions about the purpose of the ritual. Why do we do this every year? Why is this night special? What’s important about Passover/Watch Night? And gives the chance for is to reflect on questions like Who are we? Who am I? Where have we been? Where are we going? It brings to the forefront the divinity of human beings in the form of their being able to endure unbelievable pain and adversity and still be a cohesive, loving people.

Experiencing the Seder also brought to mind the story of the Buddha. There are many different depictions of the Buddha but the one I love most is the one depicting him seated with one hand laid over his knee pointing to the Earth. This pose refers to the part of the Buddha’s life when he was tempted by Mara, the king of delusion, kind of like the Buddhist form of Satan.  Mara asked the Buddha, “Who do you think you are to deserve Enlightenment?” The Buddha responded by touching the Earth and saying, “The Earth is my witness”. At this Mara became so enraged and defeated that he disappeared and left the Buddha alone. The Buddha’s touching the Earth is the moment of his enlightenment.

What this means to me has a lot to do with the themes of the Seder. The earth is our witness to or worth as beings. The earth brought us into being and keeps us alive. In light of the Seder it can be interpreted as touching the earth by recognizing our connections to our ancestors who died so that we might have life. They literally lie beneath our feet. When the Buddha touches the earth he is connecting with who he is and making a statement that he understands who he is. This understanding allows him to defeat any enemy, challenge, or hardship that tries to come up against him. Touching the earth is a true act of faith. Our ancestors, Jewish, African American, or otherwise, survived by having an unshakable understanding and belief in who they were.

The Seder is about reconciliation and understanding yourself, your own worth and strength by knowing where you come from. I felt so blessed to have attended such a gorgeous event so redolent with meaning. It was truly inspiring and I hope to make the Seder a yearly tradition for myself in the future.