Barry Dolinger, Naomi Baine: Judaism Unbound Episode 209 - Wait…Soft Matzah?
Barry Dolinger and Naomi Baine, co-founders of Mitzvah Matzos, [1] join Dan and Lex for a conversation in which they explain that — despite what you’ve heard — matzah isn’t always hard like a cracker! More than that, they’re offering a new avenue for you, in eating it, to directly contribute to the betterment of our world.
(0:01 - 18:04: To begin the episode, Dolinger and Baine offer a crash course in the history of matzah, from the book of Exodus all the way into the 21st century. They also tell the story behind the founding of their organization, Mitzvah Matzos. In doing so, Baine emphasizes the connections between Passover’s story of an exodus from slavery and the contemporary issue of human trafficking — a form of modern-day slavery. [2] Dolinger talks about how the symbolic meaning of matzah necessitates that its creation and consumption should align with our values. [3] Together, the two guests offer an overview of human trafficking as it manifests today, including how all of us interact with it in our everyday lives, through acts as simple as eating a bar of chocolate.
(18:05 - 38:49): Dolinger talks through the model of Mitzvah Matzos, from baking the matzah, through incorporating it into various seders, through allocating money to organizations that empower people in the fight against human trafficking. He also argues that there may already be a commandment, “on the books,” prohibiting the consumption of foods that were created in conjunction with human trafficking. [4] Baine talks about the ways in which Passover, because of its location at home (usually), operates with a dynamic that is almost automatically participatory, in a way that is not the case at other Jewish holidays. Pivoting slightly, Dolinger talks about different approaches to the practice of keeping kosher, including forms of Kosher-keeping that he deems “Kosher Plus” — and which can be either problematic or liberating, depending on their nature. He also distinguishes between a mindset in which food is “fuel,” versus one in which eating can be a kind of personal transformation. [5] Baine adds to this, asserting that people should “put their matzah where their mouth is” — in other words, align matzah consumption (and all food consumption) with our aspirations and values. [6]
(38:50 - 56:37): Through the lens of a 2019 strike of the Stop & Shop grocery chain, Dolinger outlines a recent situation that served as an application of the idea of “putting matzah where your mouth is.” He also explores the role of collective action, and empathy, in the holiday of Passover. In doing so, he makes an argument that might be surprising: that perhaps fiction-reading should be a practice of Passover (because fiction-reading, studies show, is conducive to cultivating empathy). To close the episode, Dolinger reflects on what might be gained from making a point to eat matzah every day of Passover — not just during the Seder(s). Baine’s final comments revolve around what eating during Passover did and didn’t look like a couple thousand years ago — long before refrigerators and pantries in our contemporary sense. She also calls on people re-frame the practice of Passover-cleaning from one that focuses on cleaning our houses to one that involves cleaning our souls.
Image Credit: Leland Burke
[1] Learn more about Mitzvah Matzos by visiting www.MitzvahMatzos.org. Check out a bio of Barry Dolinger here, and a bio of Naomi Baine here.
[2] For another Judaism Unbound episode that weaves together themes of contemporary social justice with the Passover Seder, see Episode 166: The Freedom Seder - Arthur Waskow.
[3] Dolinger asks an important question: What is Matzah for? For a conversation that poses a similar framing question, see Episode 71: What’s Judaism For?
[4] For an episode that looks at ritual design, which Dolinger alludes to, see Episode 180: The Ritual Design Lab - Margaret Hagan, Kursat Ozenc.
[5] Rachel Gross, a previous guest on Judaism Unbound, offers her perspectives on the myriad roles that food plays in our lives in Episode 171: Digesting Judaism - Rachel Gross.
[6] Lex addresses a Christian teaching from the book of Matthew, chapter 15, which brings a perspective with which he disagrees. To take a look at this chapter, including its famous statement about what “goes into your mouth” and what “comes out of your mouth,” click here.
[7] A Ted Talk arises in the conversation, in which the speaker (author A.J. Jacobs) tells the story of his journey to thank every person involved with making his morning cup of coffee. Watch it here.