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Jewish tradition is a polemic against loneliness — on Passover and the rest of the year

JL;DR SUMMARY Exploring the theme of community in Jewish tradition, Sara Labaton discusses how Jewish practices and holidays such as Purim and Passover act as powerful antidotes to loneliness. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

FamilyJewish TraditionPassoverPurimCommunitySolidarityLonelinessHospitalityInterpersonal ConnectionsOutsiders

Places mentioned

Canada
"It is a lonely time to be a North American Jew."
United States
"It is a lonely time to be a North American Jew."
Israel
"deep concern for family and friends in Israel coexists with anxiety around its outcome."
Iran
"Against the backdrop of the Iran war, deep concern for family and friends in Israel coexists with anxiety around its outcome."
Jerusalem, Israel
"The tension between these two core elements of Passover celebrating as a family and welcoming strangers was illuminated for me last year when I asked a friend in our Jerusalem synagogue how her seder had gone."

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Retrieved 2026-04-01 05:30:52 UTC
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