1 month ago
JERUSALEM (AP) — Every year, Alon Gat’s mother led nan family’s Passover ceremony of nan liberation of nan ancient Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. But this year, Gat is struggling pinch really to reconcile a vacation commemorating state aft his mother was slain and different family members abducted when Hamas attacked Israel.
Gat’s sister, Carmel, and wife, Yarden Roman-Gat, were taken hostage successful nan Oct. 7 attack. His woman was freed successful November but his sister remains captive.
“We can’t observe our state because we don’t person this freedom. Our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers are still successful captivity and we request to merchandise them,” Gat said.
On Monday, Jews astir nan world will statesman celebrating nan weeklong Passover holiday, recounting nan biblical communicative of their exodus from Egypt aft hundreds of years of slavery. But for galore Israelis, it’s difficult to fathom a ceremony of state erstwhile friends and family are not free.
The Hamas onslaught killed immoderate 1,200 people, while astir 250 others were taken hostage. About half were released successful a weeklong cease-fire successful November, while nan remainder stay successful Gaza, much than 30 of them believed to beryllium dead.
For galore Jews, Passover is simply a clip to reunite pinch family and recount nan exodus from Egypt astatine a repast known arsenic nan Seder. Observant Jews debar grains, known arsenic chametz, a reminder of nan unleavened breadstuff nan Israelites ate erstwhile they fled Egypt quickly pinch nary clip for mixed to rise.
But this twelvemonth galore families are torn astir really — aliases moreover if — to celebrate.
When Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be’eri, Gat, his wife, 3-year-old daughter, parents and sister hid for hours successful their rocket-proof safe room. But fighters entered nan location and killed aliases abducted everyone inside, isolated from for his begetter who hid successful nan bathroom. His mother was dragged into nan thoroughfare and shot.
Gat, his arms and legs bound, was shoved into a car pinch his woman and daughter. During a little stop, they managed to flee. Knowing he could tally faster, Roman-Gat handed him their daughter. Gat escaped pinch her, hiding successful a ditch for astir 9 hours. His woman was recaptured and held successful Gaza for 54 days.
Passover this twelvemonth will beryllium much profound arsenic state has taken connected a caller meaning, Roman-Gat told The Associated Press.
“To consciousness upwind upon your look pinch your eyes closed. To shower. To spell to nan toilet without permission, and pinch nan full privateness and privilege to return arsenic agelong arsenic I please pinch nary 1 urging me, waiting for maine astatine nan different broadside to make judge I’m still theirs,” she said successful a matter message.
Still, Passover will beryllium overshadowed by heavy sorrow and interest for her sister-in-law and nan different hostages, she said. The family will people nan vacation pinch a low-key meal successful a restaurant, without celebration.
As difficult arsenic it is successful times of pain, Jews person ever sought to observe holidays during persecution, specified arsenic successful attraction camps during nan Holocaust, said Rabbi Martin Lockshin, professor emeritus astatine Canada’s York University, who lives successful Jerusalem.
“They couldn’t observe state but they could observe nan dream of freedom,” he said.
The situation affects much than nan hostage families. The war, successful which 260 soldiers person been killed, casts a protector complete a usually joyous holiday. The authorities has besides scaled backmost festivities for Independence Day successful May successful ray of nan temper and fearing nationalist protests.
Likewise, nan Muslim beatified period of Ramadan, capped by nan three-day Eid feast, was a sad, low-key affair for Palestinians. Over 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 cardinal group person been displaced by nan fighting, and Hamas wellness officials opportunity astir 34,000 group person been killed successful nan Israeli offensive.
The scenes of suffering, devastation and hunger successful Gaza person received small attraction successful Israel, wherever overmuch of nan nationalist and nationalist media stay heavy focused connected nan aftermath of nan Oct. 7 onslaught and ongoing war.
After respective months of fits and starts, negotiations connected a woody to merchandise nan remaining hostages appears astatine a standstill — making it improbable they will beryllium location for Passover.
The hostages’ symptom has reverberated astir nan world, pinch immoderate successful nan Jewish diaspora asking rabbis for prayers specifically for nan hostages and Israel to beryllium said astatine this year’s Seder. Others person created a caller Haggadah, nan book publication during nan Seder, to bespeak nan existent reality.
Noam Zion, nan writer of nan caller Haggadah, has donated 6,000 copies to families impacted by nan war.
“The Seder is expected to thief america to relive past slavery and liberation from Egypt and to study its lessons, but successful 2024 it must besides inquire modern questions astir nan confusing and traumatic coming and astir important, make dream for nan future,” said Zion, emeritus personnel of nan module of Jewish studies astatine nan Hartman Institute successful Jerusalem.
The revised Haggadah includes excerpts from hostage families urging group not to dislike contempt their pain. It offers a guideline for navigating nan mixed feelings during nan holiday, while posing existential questions astir nan Jews and nan authorities of Israel.
Some families opportunity it’s excessively achy to observe astatine all.
The woman of Nirit Lavie Alon’s boy was abducted from nan Nova euphony festival. Two months later nan family was informed by Israel’s subject that Inbar Haiman, a 27-year-old graffiti artist, was dead, her assemblage still successful Gaza.
“It’s intolerable to observe a state holiday,” said Alon. Instead of being pinch family this year, she’s going to walk a fewer days successful nan desert. There will beryllium nary closure until each of nan hostages are back, including nan remains of those who were killed, she said.
Ahead of Passover, immoderate families are still holding retired dream their relatives will beryllium freed successful time.
Shlomi Berger’s 19-year-old daughter, Agam, was abducted 2 days aft nan commencement of her service work on nan separator pinch Gaza.
Videos of her bloodied look emerged soon aft nan Hamas attack, 1 showing an equipped man pushing her into a truck, different showing her wrong nan conveyance pinch different hostages. The only impervious of life he’s had since was a telephone from a released hostage, wishing him happy day from Agam, who she’d been pinch successful nan tunnels, he said.
Still, he refuses to springiness up hope.
“The Passover communicative says we travel from slaves to free people, truthful this is simply a parallel story,” Berger said. “This is nan only point I judge that will happen. That Agam will get retired from acheronian to light. She and each of nan different hostages.”
