TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – As the festival of Passover approaches, Israelis across the country are undertaking their annual preparations for one of Judaism’s most significant holidays. This year, however, the traditional rituals of liberation and family unity are infused with heightened meaning and anxiety. The nation faces unprecedented security threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups, and the pain of an unresolved hostage crisis looms over the holiday.
A Nation Under Siege: Passover’s Added Significance
The 2024 Passover season arrives in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre—the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas terrorists, operating under the explicit direction and armament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, breached the southern border, murdering and abducting civilians in a coordinated act of extraordinary brutality. The massacre has been followed by an extended war—known as the Iron Swords War—across multiple fronts, including Gaza and Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria.
This context transforms the usual Passover preparations into acts of resilience. As Israeli families scour homes of chametz, soldiers and civilians alike also prepare for the realities of continued rocket attacks and attempted infiltrations. Sirens and drills are part of daily life from Ashkelon in the south to Kiryat Shmona in the north, making the message of deliverance from oppression more contemporary than ever.
Hostages and Hope: An Empty Chair at Every Table
The ongoing hostage situation in Gaza has left entire communities gripped by anxiety and sorrow. Over 130 civilians remain captive, including children, women, and elderly, enduring months of separation and documented abuse. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a national campaign to maintain public awareness and morale, has asked all Israelis to leave an empty chair at their Seder tables in solidarity with those still held in Gaza.
Government and military officials, while continuing to negotiate under international pressure, have insisted that Israel cannot accept false equivalence between its innocent hostages and the convicted terrorists whose release is persistently demanded as ransom. The moral asymmetry remains central to Israel’s public diplomacy as the festival of freedom approaches.
Security Mobilization and National Logistics
Ensuring the safety of the population during Passover is now a national-scale operation. The Home Front Command coordinates with local authorities to manage shelters, security at public Seder events, and the rapid distribution of food aid to evacuees and communities affected by the war. Special mobile Passover kits are sent to IDF units and displaced families. Roadblocks and surveillance increase along border regions, and missile defense systems remain at heightened alert, especially against threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Humanitarian Outreach Amid Hardship
Despite the adversity, the festival’s tradition of charity endures. Charitable organizations, together with governmental bodies, are mobilizing thousands of volunteers for kimcha d’pischa—distributing matzah, wine, and Seder essentials to families in need. The war’s interruption of agriculture and commerce has created new vulnerabilities, but Israelis have responded with historic levels of giving and communal support. Many urban communities have adopted families from border regions, providing temporary homes and a sense of normalcy.
Passover on the Frontlines
For Israel’s conscripted and reserve soldiers, Passover will be commemorated under extraordinary circumstances. Military rabbis and unit commanders have organized thousands of Seders at bases and frontline positions. The IDF ensures full observance of traditional rituals, even as soldiers remain on high alert. Messages of encouragement from Israel and abroad are being distributed, bolstering spirits and reinforcing the sense of collective purpose.
Education and Commemoration
Schools, synagogues, and youth groups are this year reframing the story of Exodus in light of current hardships. Teachers and rabbis emphasize historical parallels: just as ancient Israelites were shielded and delivered, so must modern Israelis defend themselves and support one another against relentless attempts at destruction. National broadcasts and community events are dedicating prayers and Haggadah passages to the hostages and fallen soldiers.
International Repercussions and Advocacy
The global Jewish diaspora, and Israel’s allies, have rallied in support. The U.S. administration and multiple European leaders have conveyed solidarity, linking Passover’s themes of freedom and survival with Israel’s struggle against hate-driven terrorism. Meanwhile, Iran and its proxies—including Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Shi’ite militias—continue to frame their assault as a campaign to erase the Jewish state.
Israel’s public diplomacy is engaged at full force, refuting narratives that equate state defense with terrorism and calling attention to the ongoing hostage crisis. Officials stress that the cost of peace cannot be paid through the release of unrepentant murderers, nor can Israel compromise its security while under existential threat.
Culture of Defiance and Hope
The commemoration of Passover in 2024 resonates with profound symbolism. Rituals once seen as expressions of identity and memory now embody fortitude and resistance. Each home scoured for chametz, each matzah baked, each cup drunk at the Seder table is an act of cultural survival. New educational initiatives encourage children and adults alike to see themselves as part of a continuous tradition of resistance to oppression and pursuit of national freedom.
Looking Forward: Endurance in the Face of War
As Israel marks another Passover, the nation faces acute sorrow, growing hardship, but also enduring resolve. The empty chairs at Seder tables underscore a pain that only the safe return of hostages can heal, yet they also serve as reminders of a people that has endured and survived, despite millennia of existential threats.
In the face of relentless attacks, Israel prepares for Passover as it has throughout its history: with open doors, a commitment to freedom, and unswerving unity. The events of the war, and the tragedies of October 7th, have tested but not broken the social fabric. The story of the Exodus—central to the holiday—proves once again living, relevant, and real.
For Israel in 2024, Passover is not only a remembrance of deliverance but a reaffirmation of the nation’s right to defend itself, to demand justice, and to persist. As the world watches, Israelis prepare, commemorate, and persevere, declaring with every ritual act that they remain free, united, and unbroken.
