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From Passover to sirens: Why Jewish survival still demands action - opinion

From Jerusalem Post · (10h ago) English Positive tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The article reflects on the recent Israeli holiday period, marked by unusual events including sirens and security alerts, which coincided with Passover.
  • It draws parallels between the Passover story of liberation from oppression and Israel's historical narrative of survival against those who seek its destruction.
  • The author emphasizes that despite facing existential threats, Israelis have persevered, drawing strength from their history and faith, particularly in the context of Holocaust Remembrance Day and Independence Day.

This past holiday season in Israel was unlike any other, a period where the echoes of sirens and the reality of security alerts became an unsettling backdrop to the observances of Passover, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Independence Day. As Israelis, we have grown accustomed to moments of silence for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, but the pervasive "background music" of warnings and booms over the last three weeks has left an indelible mark.

And this promise is what has stood by our ancestors and us; for it was not only just one who rose up to destroy us. In every single generation, there are those who would seek our destruction, but the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands.

— Stewart WeissQuoting the Haggadah's 'V'hi She'amda' refrain, sung in a bunker during Passover, to illustrate the enduring theme of Jewish survival against adversity.

For many, like myself, a poignant memory will be praying Kabbalat Shabbat in a bunker on the Golan Heights, singing the Haggadah's "V'hi She'amda" – "And this promise is what has stood by our ancestors and us; for it was not only just one who rose up to destroy us. In every single generation, there are those who would seek our destruction, but the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands." This ancient refrain resonates powerfully with our modern experience, framing Passover not just as a historical commemoration but as a template for our ongoing struggle for survival.

What is Passover if not a template for what we have experienced over the last 100 years?

— Stewart WeissDrawing a direct parallel between the Passover narrative and Israel's modern history of struggle and survival.

The Jerusalem Post, as a publication deeply rooted in the Israeli narrative, understands this connection intimately. We see how the story of Passover, beginning in subjugation and ending in miraculous liberation, mirrors our own journey. From the horrors of the Holocaust, where the world largely stood by, to the hard-won establishment and defense of our state, our history is a testament to resilience. The sirens that call us to remember the martyrs of the Holocaust and the fallen of the IDF are not just mournful sounds; they are reminders of the constant vigilance required to ensure that "the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands" and that we continue to live history, not just read it.

Our survival was clearly in question; we were, in effect, slaves to the torrent of evil that swept the planet.

— Stewart WeissReflecting on the existential threat faced during the Holocaust and its connection to the broader theme of persecution throughout Jewish history.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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