OPINION:
Passover is the holiday of remembering — of telling our children who we are, where we come from and what we have survived. This year, however, the Exodus story doesn’t feel ancient. It feels close.
Once again, we are celebrating Passover under the shadow of crisis, with threats from Iran and rising antisemitism around the world.
Yet Passover arrives with its timeless message: Even on the darkest nights, God is preparing redemption.
The Israelites walked out of slavery with nothing but faith. They didn’t know where they were going or how long it would take. They knew only that God was calling them forward, and they answered. That choice is the heart of Passover and the heart of Israel today.
The attacks from Iran have shaken families. Soldiers are exhausted. Parents put their children to bed wondering what tomorrow will bring. Still, Israelis know fear does not get the final word.
The Jewish people have faced enemies in every generation: Pharaoh, Haman, Rome, the Inquisition, the Nazis, Hamas, Iran. We have stood at the edge of the sea, unsure whether the waters would part. Still, we are here — not because we are stronger or larger but because we refuse to give up hope.
Passover reminds us that the Exodus was not a passive miracle. The Israelites had to take the first step into the unknown and trust that God would meet them on the journey.
We cannot control the threats around us, but we can choose how we respond. We can keep building. Keep helping. Keep believing that the story is not over — and that God is still guiding us toward freedom.
At the Seder, we read: “In every generation, they rise up against us — but the Holy One, blessed be he, saves us from their hands.” These words are not meant to frighten us but rather to strengthen us. They remind us that our story has always been guided.
Passover does not promise an easy journey. It promises a meaningful one. It promises that God walks with us through every plague, every desert, every uncertainty. It promises that darkness is never the end of the story.
This year, may we celebrate Passover with courage, choose faith over fear and trust that the God who brought us out of Egypt is still with us today.
YAEL ECKSTEIN
President and global CEO, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Modi’in, Israel
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