From Within

April 17, 2025 | Third Thursday Thoughts
Dawn LaRochelle, Executive Director

“And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within.” — Ian Charleson as Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire (1981)

To the tune of “Ma Nishtana,” kinda-sorta:

Q: Why was this Seder night different from all other Seder nights?

A: On all other Seder nights, I would have been enjoying a Seder meal with family and friends. On this Seder night, my husband and I drove seven hours to Lewisburg, PA in the freezing rain and sleet to cheer on my son, Peter, through chattering teeth at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic 10K Track Meet.

Peter’s ambitious goal was to cross the finish line in under 30 minutes (so, 4:50 minutes/mile), which would give him a shot at making the elusive College Track Nationals. His previous best 10K was 30:20, and trimming 21 seconds off his time was going to be no easy feat. Best, I reasoned, to manage my expectations and brace myself for a disappointing outcome.

Oh, me of little faith: THE KID CRUSHED IT! Despite the wet and cold conditions, Peter came in at an astonishing 29:37 – 22 seconds faster than his target time, 43 seconds faster than his last P.R., and the 4th best 10K time in the nation this year. It was, far and away, the most perfect race of his college career. Against all odds, my boy is Nationals-bound!

Cue my favorite scene from one of my favorite films, Chariots of Fire. Peter, to my chagrin, has yet to watch Chariots of Fire, but I have no doubt he would agree with Eric Liddell that the power to see the race to its end does, indeed, come from within. And even those of us who would pass out if we jogged around the block have powers that come from within.

Here at the Maine Jewish Museum, we celebrate the power of creative expression that comes from within… and often sheds light on what comes from without. Our upcoming May – June Art Exhibition Series, for example, includes Emily Hass’ no one leaves home unless . Haas uses archival architectural plans of Berlin buildings occupied by Jews and persecuted artists of the 1930s to explore identity, place, and culture’s loss, both of individual citizens and of a creative tradition. The exhibition title is borrowed from Somali-British poet Warsan Shire’s “Home,” which has become a rallying cry for those who work to alleviate the suffering of today’s refugees. Our own beloved local poet, Anna Wrobel, will recite “Home” and co-host a conversation with Haas about her artwork and the impact of forced migration on people and cultures in a special Museum program on Thursday, May 15, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.

You can be among the first to see no one leaves home unless  along with Ron Faris’ Being There and Everywhere , Joanne Tarlin’s Turbulence, Fragility, Resilience, and Tigist Yoseph Ron’s YAYA  at our Exhibition Opening on Thursday, May 8, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Come mingle with artists and art lovers, enjoy wine and cheese with museum mavens and curious minds, and marvel at the power that comes from within. Seriously, the best way to kick off the weekend early (Thursday is the new Friday, you know!) is by getting your culture on at MJM.

Mainer Larry Rubinstein, an ordained rabbi and the former Director of the Young Leadership Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal, also knows something about the power that comes from within. Rubinstein was a key player in Operation Moses, a seven-week clandestine operation in 1984 that brought the “Beta Israel” – Ethiopian Jews – to Israel. This unprecedented undertaking was a three-way collaboration between the Mossad, the CIA, and the Sudanese State Security to smuggle nearly 8,000 Beta Israel out of Ethiopia, where they faced hardship and persecution, in a massive airlift to Israel. Operation Moses turned out to be the beginning of large-scale, official Israeli efforts to facilitate Beta Israel aliyah that continued for decades thereafter. And in The Hidden Exodus: The Story of Ethiopian Jews and Operation Moses on Thursday, May 29, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Rubinstein will be at MJM to walk us through his riveting personal story against the backdrop of one of the most remarkable rescue missions in modern history. An array of homemade Ethiopian and Israeli delicacies will follow the presentation and Q&A.

Wishing everyone a Chag Sameach, a Zissen Pesach, and lots of matzo crack (white chocolate-caramel-pistachio for me, please) as we close out Zman Cheruteinu (the time of our freedom). I will be hosting a mirror Seder this weekend to make up for the one I missed and reflecting on ways I can push back against different kinds of bondage and oppression to help create a more just and equitable world. Striving for a better future is a marathon, not a sprint or even a 10K – but regardless, the power to see the race to its end comes from within.

Warmly,

Dawn

Dawn LaRochelle
Executive Director