What is Passover? Every year, for hundreds of generations, Jews all over the world have retold the story of our liberation from slavery into freedom. The retelling, from generation to generation, reinforces the continuity of the Jewish people. Beyond the religious aspects, our yearly Passover seders represent family continuity as we remember our family’s personal exodus. In a New York Times article “The Stories that Bind Us,” Bruce Feiler wrote that, based on a psychological study conducted by Drs. Duke and Fivush, the more children know about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self esteem, and the more successfully their families functioned. Here are some ideas to bring your Passover 2025 seder to life.
The meaning of Passover: living the story
The story of Passover, as told in the Haggadah, is much more than a history lesson. It’s more than eating matzah, explaining the symbolic items on the seder plate and singing age-old songs. The Haggadah asks us to experience the Exodus as if we had personally left Egypt—a big ask.
As Rabbi Irving Greenberg wrote in his book The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays, “To be fully realized, an Exodus must include an inner voyage, not just a march on the road out of Egypt.” What does this mean? The Passover story, rituals and traditions can be a springboard for living our ancestral narrative and bringing its lessons into the present day, making it as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.
Passover 2025 recalls the past, present, and future
It is interesting that the Haggadah’s narrative also flows from the past to the future through the divided chapter of Hallel. Before the meal we read the verses of praise in Hallel [Psalms 113-114] relating to the liberation from slavery in Egypt and after the meal, we read the second part of Hallel [Psalms 115-118] relating to the future redemption, may it come speedily and in our days.
Celebrating our past
In Passover 2025, as the Jewish people celebrate our shared history, the Glowinsky family reflects on our family history. Central to our story is how our founder, Abram Glowinsky z’l, came from humble beginnings three generations ago to establish Elite Roofing, now a strong commercial roofing company in Toronto.
His is an amazing story of survival and effort. From the outset, Abram’s life was difficult. He was born in Europe as an orphan, his mother having passed away at the time of his birth, and his father passed during the pregnancy. As chance would have it, Abram was apprenticed to a roofing and sheet metal company as a child.
Having survived the war years as a young man, Abram, his wife Bina z’l and their three children immigrated to Canada. He called upon the trade he learned in Europe, launching Elite Roofing in 1956. Our family is grateful that, despite Abram’s hardships and by the grace of G-d, all the steps leading up to this point have allowed our family business to continue thriving three generations later.
Passover 2025 continues our family legacy
Abram’s son, Isaac (Ike) Glowinsky, now General Manager, learned the business from the ground up, learning from his father and taking over the business in 1961. Jump to the current day. Ike’s son (Abram’s grandson), Howard Glowinsky took on a leadership role, in 1995.
Through the generations, our family and business have been intertwined, each steeped in Jewish values. Like other Jewish families, this Passover we’ll remember family stories, share what’s happening now and reflect on how to carry forward our families, faith and personal journeys as we move forward in the coming year.
Passover’s lesson of gratefulness at every stage
One of the most well-loved songs at the Seder tables is titled Dayenu–translated as “it would have been enough.” Through its 15 verses, Dayenu expresses gratitude to G-d, for every step of the journey relating to the Exodus from Egypt and revelation at Mount Sinai.
Gratitude for G-d’s protection is also expressed through a metaphor found in Rashi’s commentary [Exodus 19:4]:
Birds place their young between their feet, protecting them from other birds that can attack from above. The exception is the eagle. It soars above all other birds, eliminating the threat from above. Placing their young on their wings keeps the fledgelings safe, but the adult eagle still faces danger from man’s arrows below.
According to rabbinical commentary, the eagle’s message is that it’s “better that the arrow should pierce me than my young!” As we fled from Egypt, the children of Israel were also carried on eagles’ wings, with G-d as a protective barrier between us and the proverbial enemy’s arrow below. Again, by the grace of G-d, we overcame the odds– and continued our journey.
Passover – a legacy we pass on to the next generation
The Torah has two words for inheritance, yerusha and naḥala, and they represent the two different ways in which a heritage is passed on across the generations. The word naḥala comes from the root naḥal, which also means “river.” It represents an inheritance that is merely handed down, without any work on the part of the recipient, as water flows in a river. Yerusha, by contrast, means active inheritance. An inheritance for which one has worked is always more secure than one for which one has not. That is why Judaism encourages children to ask questions. When a child asks, he or she has already begun the work of preparing to receive. Torah is a yerusha, not a naḥala. It needs work on behalf of the child if it is to be passed on across the generations. [Rabbi Jonathan Sacks – Haggadah]
What does Passover 2025 look like for you?
We’ve looked at how Elite Roofing and the Glowinsky family have evolved. Our family remains true to traditional Passover rituals, and at the same time know that each generation will bring something new to the experience. Here are some ways to reflect on how Passover shapes your family experience—and how it impacts you personally.
Unique family traditions and the Seder table
Just as no two seders are alike, no two families are alike. While the Haggadah holds centre stage at the seder, each family brings a unique flavor to the experience. Some family members may wish to share their personal journeys, in general or through the lens of Passover. There are many ways to talk about your family’s seder traditions:
- How have Jewish values and the Passover themes continued to inspire you personally and deepen your connection to the family?
- Reflect on the importance of gathering the family for the shared Passover experience.
- Ask older family members to share what seders were like when they were children. What has remained the same, and how have the traditions evolved?
- Share family recipes, stories or customs that have been a constant in your family. What’s the secret to Bubbe’s chicken soup? Is there a story behind a family heirloom, such as a seder plate or kiddush cup? Remember the year the maror (horseradish) was so strong we had tears streaming down our faces?
Family stories and lessons from Passover
While the story of the Exodus is constant, our lives are continuously changing. Your family might wish to explore these topics to cement memories and make new ones:
- Celebrating any new members joining your seder this year
- How family challenges or milestones have shaped the way you celebrate Passover today
- How will you pass Jewish lessons and Passover traditions to the next generation?
Celebrating with family Passover in 2025
Passover is many things to many people. For individuals and families, Passover is more than a history lesson; it reflects the continuity of the Jewish people, a connection with family and personal growth. Passover 2025 is an ideal opportunity to think about how to pass on your family’s traditions and infuse them with meaning.
This Passover, as we express gratitude to G-d, we also thank our employees, customers, and business partners and pray for a brighter future. The roofing experts at Elite Roofing look forward to being your partner on your commercial, industrial, or institutional roofing projects in the Greater Toronto Area. Contact us today to learn about our wide range of high-quality roofing services.
A Zissin and Kosher Pesach (Sweet and Kosher Passover) to you and your families.
From the Glowinsky’s and the Elite Roofing Family
