Whether marking Juneteenth, celebrating Independence Day (Fourth of July), or supporting global struggles for liberation, Jewish tradition offers powerful rituals to honor freedom in all its forms.
Use these Jewish rituals for celebrating freedom to foster transformation and gratitude, and embrace the sacred responsibility we carry when we live freely while others cannot.
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1. Modeh Ani to Acknowledge Freedom
Start each day with humility, recognizing freedom as both a gift and an obligation. Begin by reciting the modeh ani upon waking, and while you do, take a minute to acknowledge your own freedoms, and think about those who are unfree. Before checking the news or social, or starting your morning routine, spend five minutes in conscious recognition of what liberation means right now. This practice is especially meaningful around holidays like Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, when we reflect on the ongoing journey toward true freedom.
If you want something more timely than the modeh ani that speaks to everything happening today, consider this alternative:
“Blessed are You, Source of All Life, who has given me another day of choice. Today I wake in safety while others hide in shelters. Today I speak freely while others whisper in fear. Today I move without papers while others are torn from their families. Help me carry this freedom not as a burden of guilt, but as a responsibility to act with justice. May my choices today honor those who cannot choose.”
2. Share Bread
Once upon a time, as we were escaping slavery, we didn't have enough time to bake bread. Baking or buying bread specifically to share with someone in need sends a powerful message: today, we are free to enjoy our bread. Today, we choose to share that freedom with someone else. This ritual transforms eating into a statement about abundance and justice. It serves as a reminder of our responsibility to use our freedom for good.
As you enjoy your bread, say the following out loud:
“Just as our ancestors shared matzah in haste as they fled Egypt, I share this bread in hope. May it nourish our bodies and spirits. May it remind us that no one should hunger for food or freedom. In breaking this bread together, we break the chains that separate us.”
Deliver the bread personally when possible. If someone is homebound, leave it at their door with a note. Supporting asylum seekers or recent immigrants makes this gesture even more meaningful.
3. A Walk for Liberation
Choose one day each week to take a deliberate walk, holding specific people or communities in your heart. Before you step outside, name aloud or write down who you’re walking for: hostages, separated families, protesters, or neighbors facing personal struggles. Walk at your own pace, breathing deeply. With each step, repeat silently: “May you find freedom. May you find peace. May you find home.” Let your mind wander to solutions and ways you might contribute to liberation.
4. Gratitude Accounting
Sit with a journal and make a list of your freedoms and responsibilities. Create two columns:
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Freedoms I exercise: In this column, write down all of the ways you are free. Think of things like travel, speech, assembly, worship, work, and relationships.
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Actions to extend these freedoms to others: For each of the ways you are free, think of an action you can take to ensure others have that same freedom. Consider actions like donating, volunteering, speaking out, or signing a petition.
End with this commitment:
“Eternal One, my freedom is incomplete while others remain bound. Guide my hands to work for justice, my voice to speak for the silenced, my resources to support the struggle for liberation. Make me worthy of the freedom I’ve been given by using it in service of freedom for all.”
5. Broken Chains
Turn your Shabbat evening ritual into a focused reminder of liberation. Set your table with an empty chair for those who are not free to join. Place a piece of torn cloth or a broken chain next to the empty plate as a symbol of their liberation. Ask your guests to come prepared to share a story of liberation, and share these stories before the meal. Consider stories of family immigration, released prisoners, or freedom movements. Let children ask questions. During the meal, ask: “What would you do with one more day of complete freedom?” Listen to each answer.
Close the meal with this blessing:
“May we who feast remember those who fast against their will. May we who speak freely remember those who are silenced. May we who sleep safely remember those who cannot rest. Blessed is the Source of Justice, who plants the seed of freedom in every human heart and calls us to tend it until it blooms for all.”
Carrying Freedom Forward
These rituals for celebrating freedom remind us that our daily choices matter and that Jewish tradition calls us to be partners in tikkun olam, or repairing the world.
Start small. Choose one ritual to do. Notice how it changes your awareness and actions. Then expand from there. Here's to our collective liberation—may we all be free to enjoy life, safety, and happiness.