Why Is This Candle Different from All Other Candles?
Why Is This Candle Different from All Other Candles?
A Reading for Passover
(To be read either after the pesach/matza/maror section, or after the four questions)
Why is there an unlit candle on our Seder table tonight?
Because Passover is the Festival of Freedom — and yet there are people tonight who are not free. So, we are joining tens of thousands of Jews around the world in placing this candle on our Seder tables in solidarity with the people of Tibet.
In 1950, the Chinese army invaded Tibet, which at the time was an independent country with its own language, currency, culture, and flag. After almost ten years of brutal occupation, they tried to assassinate the Dalai Lama — but he narrowly escaped in 1959, almost half a century ago.
During that time, over one million Tibetans have died as a result of the Chinese government’s policies. Over five thousand monasteries have been destroyed. And today, it is a crime even to fly a Tibetan flag — a crime punishable by years of prison, torture, and worse.
This year, with the Olympics in China, there is a unique opportunity for the world to demand that the Chinese government end its human rights violations in Tibet, and negotiate with the Dalai Lama to give the Tibetan people real, meaningful autonomy in their homeland.
But that will only happen if we insist upon it. China is the world’s most populous country, and is ruled by a strong central government. We must hold the Chinese government accountable — and the first step is remembering the Tibetans’ struggle.
And so we remember them tonight with this unlit candle. The candle symbolizes both the Olympic torch, whose light has been dimmed, and the unmet hopes of a people still living without freedom.
In the Jewish tradition, light symbolizes freedom, hope, and renewal. On Shabbat, Chanukah, and on holidays like Passover, we light candles to shed light into our hearts, thank God for the blessings we enjoy, and commit ourselves to our religion’s ideals of justice and freedom for all.
Let us now take a few moments of silence to reflect on three million Tibetans who cannot practice their religion or celebrate their culture. And let us commit to spreading the word, pressuring our leaders, and working to bring the light of freedom to all.
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Reading composed by Jay Michaelson
For more information: http://unlitcandle.org
Made available under the Creative Commons license
Boontong:
Without the intervention of the Chinese Government, Tibetan would continue to live under the slavery of the religious masters. Go to youtube and search the videos on the lies of Dalai Lama. The free tibet movements are just the agents of USA and western world, who are afraid. originally at the spread of communism and now the growth of China. They are the masters who continue to exploit the Tibetan.
Instead of lighting more candles to promote love and peace, you are spreading hate and violent. Look at the video clips from youtube. It was riots in Tibet and the Chinese government was just enforcing law and order to ensure peace and harmony. There was no clamp down. The Chinese government is not stupid to choose this time to clamp down the separatists and western interference of China internal affairs.
Don’t drag Olympics into this. We want to promote the purpose of Olympics and love to see the World getting together in love and forgiveness.
Posted on April 16th, 2008 at 8:30 pm