PASSOVER
A
pril 14, 1987, the first night of Passover, was the date freedom came
to my mother, Remy Sweet, who was enslaved as a domestic servant
far from her native land. For her, it was truly the most zissen “sweet”
Pesach.
“The day I finally had legal immigration status in this country is something
I will never forget,
” said my mom, who adds that all the experiences she over-
came on her own personal journey to freedom culminated on
that first night of Passover.
This date serves as a symbol of
my parents’ love, their hope for
a promising future and miracles
beyond belief. In short, this date is
my mom’s Independence Day.
EARLY LIFE
Before my mom was happily mar-
ried to my father, Ben Sweet, she was a young
woman in search of safety. Born and raised in the
Philippines, my mom was the eldest of nine kids.
She was reared in a home where food was scarce,
but love was abundant. She naturally had a sense
of leadership and maternal care for her younger
siblings.
35 years ago, my mom — a human trafficking
survivor — celebrated her first Pesach
as a free woman.
A Modern-Day
Passover Miracle
54 | APRIL 14 • 2022
“I was still living with [the
traffickers] when this
picture was taken.
I got to dress up and
play nice because they
were having company
over. I even made
the shirt I am
wearing myself.”
Rachel
Sweet
Associate
Editor