Slavery Still Exists--In Israel of All Places

Every year on Passover Jews recite a text from the Haggadah that reads, "In every generation one is commanded to view himself as if he personally had left Egypt." It takes a lot for us to make those words meaningful, because we are fortunate to live in good conditions, with unprecedented access to food, water, shelter, health care, and education. We psychologize about what slavery means: "You can't be a slave to work:" or "Liberate yourself from your addiction to money."

But the truth is, slavery still exists, all over the world. What is perhaps most shocking for many Jews is that slavery exists in our very own state. This is a story that has not gotten much publicity, but one which needs to be told. It is a cause I have been involved with for a few years, particularly through my mentor and friend Rabbi Levi Lauer, founder of ATZUM (www.atzum.org). And so it was very heartening to see the following editorial in this week's Jewish Week.