Pesach is a time of remembrance and reflection, a sacred moment when the Jewish people gather to recount their ancestors’ journey from bondage to liberation. Through the words of the Haggadah, we do more than retell a story; we relive an epic of struggle, resilience and redemption. These timeless themes not only speak to our past, but echo powerfully into our present. Today, as Israel finds herself enmeshed in a brutal war with Hamas, the meaning of Pesach feels more urgent, more poignant and more personal than ever.
The two themes that follow explore the intersection of Pesach and the current Israel-Hamas war – a conflict ignited by the Simchat Torah Massacre (the most devastating Jewish pogrom since the Shoah). The first theme focuses on the liberation and the ongoing struggle for self-determination, drawing parallels between the Exodus and Israel’s fight for security. The second examines the power of historical memory, exploring how the collective remembrance of past hardships shapes Jewish identity and informs the present. Together, these perspectives offer a deeper understanding of how the ancient story of Pesach still matters – perhaps now more than ever.
Pesach, Hamas, and the Eternal Struggle for Liberation
As Jewish communities around the world gather to celebrate Pesach, we tell the ancient story of our ancestors’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. We recall the plagues, the defiance of Pharaoh, and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. But beyond the rituals and symbolic foods, Pesach is fundamentally about liberation — about a people’s journey from oppression to self-determination. Today, that story feels more relevant than ever in the shadow of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
For many Israelis and Jews worldwide, this war is not just another geopolitical conflict. It is a modern chapter in an age-old story of survival against those who seek our destruction. From Pharaoh to Haman, from the Romans to the Nazis, Jewish history is marked by periods of persecution and existential threats. Hamas, an organization openly dedicated to Israel’s destruction, represents yet another force attempting to deny Jewish self-determination and security. Just as the Israelites had to fight for their freedom, so too does modern Israel face a struggle for its right to exist in peace.
Of course, the story of Exodus also teaches us about resilience. It took forty years in the desert before the Israelites reached their homeland. Freedom is rarely achieved in a single moment — it is a process, one that requires faith, courage, and determination. Israel, too, faces a long road ahead. But just as the Israelites overcame, so too will the Jewish people continue to stand against those who seek them harm.
Pesach reminds us that while oppression may rise again and again, so too does the spirit of those who seek to live in freedom. Just as we celebrate the redemption of the past, we must also commit to ensuring the security and future of the Jewish homeland, no matter the struggles that lie ahead.
Pesach, the War, and the Power of Historical Memory
Every year at the Pesach Seder, we are commanded to retell the story of our ancestors’ suffering and redemption “as if we ourselves had been there.” We eat bitter herbs to remember slavery, matzah to recall affliction, and four cups of wine to celebrate freedom. Pesach is not just a historical commemoration; it is a deeply personal re-enactment, an exercise in collective memory that reminds us who we are and where we come from.
This year, as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, that memory feels heavier. For many, the images of hostages, rocket attacks, and bloodshed bring forth echoes of past traumas — the Shoah, the pogroms, the wars of 1948 and 1973. Jewish history is filled with moments where safety was shattered overnight, where existential threats loomed, and where resilience was the only option.
But just as the Exodus was not only about suffering but also about hope, so too must we frame our present challenges. Pesach teaches that no oppression is permanent, no exile lasts forever, and no people are doomed to live in fear. The Jewish people have always emerged from darkness into light, from slavery into freedom, from destruction into renewal. This war will end. The pain will remain, but so will the will to build, to protect, and to hope.
Pesach is a reminder that history is not just something to remember — it is something to learn from. As we sit around the Seder table, recounting the journey of our ancestors, let us also ask ourselves: What kind of future do we want to create? How do we ensure that our struggles today lead to redemption tomorrow? The answer, as always, lies in our ability to remember, to endure, and to hope.
