Every year at the seder we place a drop of wine on our plates to mark each of the 10 plagues said to have befallen the ancient Egyptians, including frogs, lice, boils, slaying of the first born. But in this country, as we near the end of the 20th century, many other plagues deserve our recognition as well. Approximately 200,000 Americans are currently living with AIDS itself.
Breast cancer continues to afflict women of all ages in frightening numbers.
Statistics show that one in nine women will get breast cancer. In addition, domestic abuse, poverty and homelessness still besiege Americans. Whether or not we symbolize such modern-day plagues with droplets of wine on our Passover plates, the holiday seems an ideal time to examine the ills of today. It is a commemoration of the transition from slavery to freedom, after all, and is therefore a time to consider what we, as individuals and a society, can do to help free our world of suffering. Consider discussing modern-day plagues at your seder table.