HoehmTown Happenings: Holy Season: A Time of Renewal

In a world as divided as ever, it’s wonderful to be reminded that people across all continents, ethnicities, races, and religions still have so much in common. This time of year, all three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam celebrate foundational holidays. Even though there are obviously significant differences between these faiths, many of the underlying values, lessons, and themes they teach are universal. When combined, these three religions represent over half of the world’s entire population. The numbers are astounding. There are an estimated 8.3 billion people living on our planet today. According to estimates from the Pew Research Center, approximately 2.05 billion people practice Islam, 2.48 billion practice Christianity, and just over 15,000,000 are Jewish. That means that over half of the world’s population are observing major religious holidays this spring celebrating a time of renewal and hope.

So what exactly are people celebrating? Let’s start with the oldest religion first: Judaism. Jewish people were brought into Egypt in ancient times and subsequently enslaved for more than two hundred years. Eventually, the Lord heard their prayers and sent Moses to lead his people out of Egypt and free them from slavery. As the Biblical story unfolds in the Book of Exodus, Moses was born Jewish but became a Prince of Egypt. He eventually returned to the Jewish people and was chosen to lead them.  Inspired by God, Moses went to the Pharaoh and informed him that he was to let the Jewish people go. The Pharaoh refused. Moses then informed him that, through the power of his Lord, a series of plagues would befall Egypt. 

The subject matter may be dark, but the scriptures are beautifully written. Each plague brought great misfortune upon the people in Egypt; from blood red rivers to locusts, frogs, and other horrible afflictions. The tenth and final plague was the death of the firstborn of all families and animals, except those in houses that had the blood of an unblemished and slaughtered lamb above the doors of their homes. On the evening before this plague,  the scriptures describe how the Angel of Death visited the land of Egypt and “passed over” all of the homes of the Jewish people who had the visible sign of the blood above the entrance doors. The mezuzah, a religious item which is commonly affixed to doorposts of Jewish homes, is a remnant of that fateful night. The following day, the Jewish people left Egypt on their sojourn to the Promised Land. So rapid was the departure that the bread did not have time to rise and thus, unleavened bread known as matzah remains a staple of the holiday. 

The start of the Passover holiday begins with a special meal known as a Seder.  Families gather at this meal to recount the Biblical miracle in which their ancestors were freed from slavery. Traditionally, the story of the Exodus is recited, and often, the youngest person in attendance asks four questions about how this night of Passover is different from all other nights. It is a beautiful holiday that celebrates the blessing bestowed upon the Jewish people gaining a new start through the Exodus and prompts people to seek spiritual renewal. 

Those known as ‘Western Christians’ are also observing their “Holy Week,” while ‘Orthodox Christians’ will celebrate several weeks from now. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, which marks the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.  According to the story of the Gospel, people laid cloaks and branches on the ground as Jesus entered the city. As the week progressed, Jesus was betrayed and eventually arrested on Thursday after celebrating the Last Supper.  The Last Supper was actually Jesus celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples. During the meal he gave the memorial of the Eucharist which became the foundation of the Christian church.

The next day, Good Friday, Christians do not celebrate the paschal meal, but read the passion narratives about the crucifixion, venerate the cross, and have a Communion service (depending upon the congregation.) Good Friday is a solemn day of reflection and contemplation, when many Catholics abstain from eating meat. Finally, the week culminates with a vigil celebrating the Resurrection on Saturday night or on Easter Sunday. Much like Judaism, it is a time of renewal, hope, and joy.

Islam recently celebrated its Holy month of Ramadan. This year’s  holiday culminated on March 18th with the celebration of EID and the breaking of the fast. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam where the Prophet Mohammed instructed his followers to observe this holy month. During Ramadan, adherents fast during daylight hours, refraining from eating food from sunrise until sunset. This leads a person to sacrifice and reflect upon their life and commitment to their faith.  This is also a time of reflection and introspection and a time to insure that Zakat, or acts of charity, have been completed. These acts of charity constitute another of the five pillars. It is a beautiful time for those of this faith, marked by  deep reflection and a renewal of faith and purpose. It ends with a joyous celebration and a breaking of the fast.

Throughout the years, I have attended numerous ceremonies for all of these faiths. I have found these services to be a good reminder to me personally of my own obligation to my faith and our community as Supervisor. It has been a blessing to connect with so many clergy of the seventy-seven various congregations in our town. I have learned much from these encounters.  Even more importantly, I am very proud of our efforts through the Clarkstown Police Department CARES Unit which has continued to conduct security audits and keep the religious congregations informed about security measures. I believe we are a far safer community due to these efforts, which are second to none to other municipalities. 

Let us all use this Holy season, with Spring also upon us, to seek our own personal renewal. Whether you are practicing a faith or not, it is a natural time for us to reflect upon how we might be more authentic in our lives and in our personal interactions with others. It is indeed a “Holy Week,” and a holy season. I wish you all a peaceful holiday season; Happy Easter, Happy Passover and a Blessed Ramadan. May we all find renewal during this holy moment in time.