Passover, USA, and American slavery...?

Question

As you know, Passover celebrates the freeing of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt millenia ago. Over a century ago, we had our own slavery here, with the European-Americans enslaving captured Africans. I wonder if American Jews reflect upon the history of slavery on this land as they celebrate freedom.

For example, I've heard that some people have sung the African-American spiritual "Go Down, Moses" at their seders. How else have American Jews reflected upon American slavery during their Passover seders and celebrations?

Answer 1

G-d freed the Jews from Egypt exactly 3319 years ago.
From that time the Jewish People received the Laws.
Here is some points concerning slaves as stated in the Jewish Law:
- A weekly day of rest. On Shabat.
- The slave´s meal must be the same quality or better as the master´s meal.
- The same for bed.
- The master is owner of the slave´s work and not of the slave´s body.
- Work hours: only at daylight. Another period only by payment.
- Beat a slave is forbidden. If the master hurts a slave, he'll be set free. Punishment only if determined by a Rabinical Court after judgement.
- The slave has a right to complain on his master in a Rabinical Court. The master will be punished if the claim is right.
- THE SLAVE IS SET FREE AFTER 6 YEARS OF SLAVERY. But can remain as slave if it is his wish.
- Is forbidden return a slave that run away, to his master. Although the master has the right to capture him.

Those are not all the points, but is very representative.

Seems to me that the modern Labour Law is very similar. Do you agree?

Answer 2

It's interesting that the answers are focusing on the physical appearance of "Jews". Since the Hebraic peoples came from a middle eastern version of the American melting pot, I would think there'd be great variation in hair, skin, height, facial bone structure, even eye color. David was said to have red hair.

The question asks about American Jews reflecting upon the history of slavery in America.

Cruel, inhumane, humiliating, offensive, brutal, evil...these are the words that come to mind when I reflect.

Thank G-D we were delivered from it here, too, even though the former slaves here stayed and assimilated/contributed to the new free America (well, freedom is a work in progress and some would say decline right now).

Answer 3

This is not a mult-cultural celebration. Maybe it should be, but it isn't. It is totally a celebration to remind us of our release from being slaves under the Egyptians. It is a set format service. We use a Haggadah and have specific foods that we eat. It is something in our religion that has been passed on down through the ages and we do not vary at all from the original. We have been oppressed enough and this is our time for us to thinkk about what we have gone through and are still going through. We band together, with a lot of non-Jews at out side to think about what has happened to us. Very few people out there take the time to think about us, it is our time. Maybe there should be a time set up to celebrate the freedom of the slaves, but it is not Passover, this is a Jewish holiday. I may sound harsh, but it is how I feel. I don't know what your background is, but would you want one of your holidays to be changed all of a sudden.

Answer 4

There were lots of Jews in the Civil Rights movement.

Jews have long been on the side of African Americans but lately that relationship is strained.

I am not only thinking of the slavery and holocaust of the past but the danagers we face today.
Slavery is alive and well in Muslim countries yet you didn't mention that is there a reason.

Passover is not just thinking about the world but our relationship with G-d and how we have to improve on it.

Answer 5

Passover, USA, and American slavery...?

This is one of the most wonderful questions I have ever seen on Yahoo Answers. Do you know that most of the Hebrews in the Torah were black people? Every time they identified themselves, after leaving Egypt, they said that the sun made their skin "black like ovens" --Lamentations 5:10 - Our skin was black like an oven. Solomon had hair like date clusters and skin like a black bird--Song 1:6. Elijah had coarse hair, and Esau, twin brother of Jacob had "hair rolled up like rolled oats or "kinky hair?" Let us not forget that Moses' hand turned back black after he left the presence of Pharaoh.
Here is another shocker: Ethiopians and the Lemba tribe from South Africa have more pure Hebrew DNA than the remnant that were enslaved in the north--Germany, Austria, Poland, France, Spain and Russia. In the museums in Israel, many ancient Hebrews are shown as black and brown people.

Professor Tudor Parfit in "The History of a Myth, " uses D.N.A to concretize his findings. Basil C. Hill in "The Golden Fleece Found" uses prophecies and revealed coded messages from the Torah and Solomon's Temple to affirm the above. In short, at least 6 northern tribes of Jews were enslaved in Europe, and at least 2 tribes had remnant scattered throughout Africa, India and Pakistan--etc--(Esther 1:1-2, Deuteronomy 28: 28-68, the Caribbean, and Genesis 10:4-6.

Millions of people have to pull their heads out of the sand and stop being in denial. We are either covenant seed of Abraham, who produced seed that became Africans, Muslims, Indians, Pakistanis, Caribbean peoples etc, and are totally opposed to the myth of evolution , since our covenant/keeping God created all people whose colours changed based on where they lived--as per prior prophecies, or we are embracing pagan-sponsored teachings. We must be our brother's keepers; otherwise the devil will continue to use Gentile seed to steal our wealth, people, religion and set brother against brother. They will extract our God-given wealth to sell us arms to kill each other.

Mabel.

Answer 6

go down moses, isnt an african-american spiritual!!

Answer 7

Whats really funny is that the Israelite slavery in Egypt began as a form of indentured servitude NOT slavery. It only lasted about 50 years (unlike hundreds like American slavery) and it wasn't so much racially based (something which one has no control over) but was based upon ideology. Jews were "enslaved" because of their foolish, stupid beliefs (which they did have control over).

The Zionist movement needs to get off it's high horse!