As Pesach approaches, many of us are once again preparing for a holiday built around movement. We plan and reminisce about journeys taken, tables set, families gathering from near and far. Pesach is, at its core, a story of departure, deliverance, and ultimately redemption. Of leaving what is familiar. Of stepping into uncertainty with faith that something better lies ahead.
And yet this year, for many in our community, that sense of movement looks very different.
Many families who had planned to be in Israel for the holiday have since changed those plans. Others hoped to travel, gather, or celebrate in ways that no longer feel possible. The reasons vary, but the feeling is shared: a quiet grief over plans altered, alongside gratitude for safety, connection, and resilience.
The story of the Exodus from Egypt reminds us that even our foundational narrative did not unfold neatly. The Israelites left Egypt in haste, with no time to prepare, no clarity about what awaited them. Freedom arrived not as a polished plan, but as a leap of faith in G-d to lead them on the right course. Uncertainty was not a detour but rather a part of the journey itself.
That reality feels especially present right now.
In my professional work, I speak daily with adult learners. Parents, caregivers, and professionals who are trying to move forward while life pulls in unexpected directions. Over the past year, and especially in recent months, I’ve noticed a shift in how people define progress. Many are no longer asking, ‘How fast can I move?’ but rather, ‘How can I keep moving forward without uprooting and dislodging everything else I hold together?’
For some, that has meant reconsidering how, when and if, they pursue graduate education.
Asynchronous online master’s programs are not about doing more at all costs. At their best, they are about preserving momentum without demanding presence in a single place at a single time. They allow learning to happen around work schedules, family obligations, and the emotional weight that comes with living through uncertain moments.
In moments like these, the value of online learning is not innovation for its own sake, but steadiness. It offers structure when much else feels unsettled, and a sense of forward motion that does not require putting the rest of one’s life on hold. For many learners, it becomes a way to remain connected to goals and growth—even when circumstances demand flexibility.
In that way, online learning echoes one of Pesach’s quieter lessons: that freedom can also mean finding ways to keep moving forward, even when circumstances limit where we can go.
Freedom doesn’t always mean crossing borders or boarding planes. Sometimes it means staying where you are and still choosing growth. Sometimes it means acknowledging that this season requires flexibility, patience, compassion for ourselves, and sometimes a leap of faith.
The Haggadah instructs us to see ourselves as if we personally left Egypt, but that doesn’t mean the journey looks the same for everyone, every year. The road out of Egypt was not a straight path. Rather, the Jewish people traveled forty years in circles through the desert. The Exodus was not a straight line, and neither is growth. Forward motion may mean adjusting expectations, letting go of certain plans, and choosing a pace that fits the reality of the moment.
As we gather around the Seder table, whether with large crowds or smaller circles, whether in Israel or closer to home, I hope we allow ourselves compassion. Compassion for plans that have changed, for paths that look different than we imagined, and for the possibilities that still lie ahead.
May this Pesach bring safety, resilience, and the courage to move ahead—even when the journey unfolds differently than expected. Wishing you and your families a chag kasher v’sameach.
Beth Chesir is Director of Student Success and Enrollment, YU Global, Yeshiva University. Beth supports students at online programs at Ferkauf School of Psychology, Cardozo School of Law, and the Sy Syms School of Business. Email Beth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
