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As we ready our homes and our tables for Passover, we have much to celebrate as a people. In the United States and much of the world, we are free to practice a faith that brought us out of Egypt. We can take pride in the creation of a Jewish state. And in the wake of our forebears' struggles, we have emerged as a relatively prosperous people.

When we sit at our seder tables Monday evening, perhaps leaning on pillows to mark our emergence from slavery, our dishes will be piled high with traditional Pesach foods: the charoset symbolizing the mortar used to build the pyramids, the bitter herbs symbolizing our losses and our pain; and the matzah ball soup, brisket and kugel symbolizing our abundance and our pride in our heritage.

But freedom brings responsibilities. As we recall the pain of those who came out of Egypt, we need to stop and recognize that there are still people throughout the world who are oppressed and who need our help. Many are hungry in our own community.

When we open our doors to invite all who are hungry to come in and eat, why not let that act be more than just a symbolic phrase borrowed from the Haggadah? Why not open our hearts to just one person?

You don't have to host a seder to invite a guest to dine. By contributing the cost of just one seder meal to Mazon: a Jewish Response to Hunger, you will allow a hungry person to eat.

The Jewish hunger-prevention organization is asking us to honor the tradition of feeding the hungry as we commemorate Passover 5757. Started just 11 years ago, Mazon helps support kosher feeding programs, food banks, relief and development projects in Israel and in disadvantaged countries.

Before we celebrate our freedom, let's remember that there is little freedom for those who suffer from poverty and hunger. By alleviating their pain, we can take greater delight in our own feast. Send checks to Mazon, 12401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 303, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1015.