In many Israeli homes this year, the Passover Seder will unfold against the backdrop of yet another war for survival. For Israel’s bereaved families, the night is not only about tradition. It is about absence. With sirens once again becoming a staple of daily life and uncertainty lingering in the air, the reality of the conflict remains immediate and relentless. As children lean forward, eager and rehearsed, to sing Mah Nishtanah, this uncertainty is shaping the questions they ask and the answers parents struggle to give.

The Seder, at its core, is a night built around questions. But for Israel’s widows and orphans of war, those questions take on new meaning. A child may still ask, but the answer is no longer just about ancient history. It is about absence. About why a father is not at the table, why a chair remains empty. And for some children, those too young to remember or born into loss, the question is even more abstract:........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)