Chag Sameach?

Dear ModernMaccabis,

I apologize for the extended delay in sending out new material, as other facets of my life have required more attention as of late. I wanted to take this opportunity with the Passover celebration to share my thoughts on the occasion and how it pertains to our current reality. 

One of the main differentiators between living in Israel as opposed to the US is the shared religious and cultural fabrics that exist here in Israel. As the Passover holiday approached, I expressed the common “chag sameach!” to almost everyone- from my coworkers to the bus driver as I walked off the bus. I could hear it being yelled in the bustling shuk as Israelis frantically bought their last minute items from vendors eager to sell their produce before closing down for the extended holiday break. This is simply one example of the way in which I feel my best Jewish life is lived here in Israel. 

However the very phrase “chag sameach” seemed, yet again, extremely out of place considering the reality we still find ourselves in. Where, for the second year now, Israeli and Jewish hostages are being held in captivity at the hands of Hamas. 59 to be exact. Those that are still alive are now approaching 560 days in captivity. 

“Chag Sameach?” What do you mean “happy” holiday? What are we celebrating exactly? The story of our people being freed from the hands of a cruel and oppressive regime? No, that can’t be right, because there are 59 people being held under a cruel and oppressive regime right now. Maybe the ability to come together as families and commemorate the story of our peoples’ freedom? Well, 59 families are still waiting for that opportunity once again. I understand that the default is “chag sameach”, I’m just not sure it truly captures the feelings of our nation. 

One of the most influential components of this situation is the political element, and there’s plenty of opinions regarding how to best get our hostages home. A growing portion of the public believe that the hostages should be brought back immediately, calling for a ceasefire that might  hinder the ability to achieve military goals (about 70% of the Israeli public currently resonate with this opinion). Contrarily, there are those that believe that only military pressure and an IDF presence in Gaza, given Hamas’ repeated ceasefire proposal rejections and dehumanizing hostage release performances, will lead to their eventual defeat and return of the hostages. My take, however, is that regardless of which position you align with, this year’s “chag sameach” doesn’t hold true to its meaning. How can we commemorate the freedom of the Jewish people when that freedom is currently being used as a weapon against us?

I’m interested in hearing your opinions on the parallels between the current situation and our holiday tradition. Whether you want to discuss the politics or just want to share your thoughts, I’d love to have a conversation. Feel free to email me at jacob@modernmaccabi.com. 

To conclude, I hope that you were able to experience Passover in the way you felt was most meaningful for you, whether a large family gathering or something more intimate. Let us all continue to pray for our hostages and the safety of our soldiers doing everything they can to bring them home. The time has come to let our people go!

P.S. I’m always looking for new material, so if you have a topic you’d like to learn about, a discussion you want to expand upon, or an idea for content, please be sure to share with me.