R. Avi Strausberg on Pesah Sheini: Demanding a Seat at the Table

Ta Shma

I am lucky to live a life with no food sensitivities. I can eat what I want and I’m happy to be an “easy guest,” quick to assure hosts that I have no special food needs.
However, several years ago, in an attempt to identify the cause of my migraines, I found myself a person suddenly with many food sensitivities I was told to avoid. I went from being a person who could eat everything to a person who approached each meal with anxiety, wondering what food I would find to fill myself up. I was no longer the easygoing guest able to eat whatever was served to me.
Rather, in people’s homes, at conferences, in restaurants, if I was going to eat, I needed to advocate for myself. I needed to speak up and ask for what I needed. I found this experience very challenging: I felt uncomfortable identifying my list of food sensitivities; I felt awkward being on the receiving end of special accommodations. “I would make do,” I thought, “I would manage.”
What happened to being the “easy guest” I pride myself on being? This experience gave me a small window into so many other people’s lived experiences who are forced to advocate for their needs on a daily basis.