Why You Should Put a Lego On Your Seder Plate This Year

The harrowing March 12 car-ramming attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan left many Jewish parents across the nation shaken, especially those whose children were rushed out of the flaming building in the middle of snack time.

In the days and weeks that passed since the attack, which the FBI this week declared as “Hezbollah-inspired,” we’ve been in awe of the beauty and resiliency we’ve seen from the Temple Israel community. From the way they took ownership of the narrative around the attack by sharing powerful pictures of its aftermath, to the way they’ve gathered as a community to lift each other up and help rebuild, to the new tradition they’re proposing to start this Passover in honor of the youngest community members.

This year, the Temple Israel community is adding a single Lego block to their seder plate, for the kids and the teachers directly affected by the attack.

“A Lego is a child’s toy — it represents the innocence that was threatened, and the lives that were protected,” the synagogue shared on its Facebook page on the day before Passover. “It represents our creativity, our strength, and the sacred work of putting the pieces back together again.”

“Because if anyone knows what it means to rebuild and come out stronger, it is us. That is the story we tell every Passover. That is the story we are living right now,” the post continued. “One piece connects to another. Something new takes shape. Something even more precious and sacred than what came before.”

While the post was directed towards the Temple Israel community, I think we could all take inspiration and add a block to our seder plate this year — to honor Temple Israel, to honor all children affected by violence and antisemitism, and to honor all those building a better future for the Jewish community, in Michigan and beyond.

Wishing a very happy and safe Passover to all.