Each year, Jews the world over conclude the Pesach seder at the beginning of the holiday with the aspirational declaration ‘Next year in Jerusalem’. It almost makes us forget for a moment that this is just the start of the holiday. It’ll be at least another week of bread-free living (depending on where you live, that is).

Pesach – Our Safe Space

The Pesach seder is our safe space. In Egypt the Israelite slaves were commanded to celebrate their imminent liberation as the Egyptians endured Divine punishment for their years of cruel oppression. The people were even told to go out and publicly prepare for the celebration in public, rubbing the noses of the Egyptians in the idea that they, the slaves, would be leaving Egypt as a free people watched over by a ‘vigilant’ God. We commemorate that each year when we open the door for Elijah in the course of the seder, daring our enemies to disturb our holiday while we are under God’s protection in our safe space,

But are we really safe this Pesach?

The Paradox of Feeling Safe in Israel

To anyone who doesn’t live in Israel it sounds almost absurd. How is it that in a country facing real, visible threats— the sirens and rockets that plague us at all hours of the day and night — olim whom I meet still........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)