Persecution past and present

Elih Joffe, Grade 11, King David Linksfield

Persecution past and present

Pesach has always been about remembering – remembering slavery, remembering freedom, remembering our responsibility to tell the story of how the Jews became an incredibly powerful nation. But just like last year, as we gather around the seder tables across the world, we now have a constant thought in our mind that will forever change the dynamic of Pesach – when will our hostages next be able to feel the sense of freedom that we observe and feel on Pesach?

During Pesach we remember and share stories about the hardships that our nation has been through as we celebrate the freedom and liberation of the Jewish people. It’s important to remember that even though we went through 430 years of torture and brutality, we made it out because of trust in Hashem. In the present day, we must remember the hostages and the ongoing war, but we can never lose the faith that Hashem showed in us by granting independence to our nation on Pesach.

The events of 7 October brought unimaginable pain to our people, yet these events have resulted in me discovering an unexpected and intense pride and acknowledgement of my Jewish identity. When I walk outside wearing my yarmulke and tzitzit, I often feel apprehensive about the antisemitism and hate I may encounter. Yet despite this, I still feel like my most authentic self when I express my Jewish identity. These visible symbols of faith are essential to me during these challenging times. In the past two years, I have witnessed every Jew from diverse backgrounds coming together and uniting for the sole reason of getting our hostages back and removing the evil and hate from our world. While this Pesach we celebrate the freedom of Jews many years ago, I look forward to celebrating our hostages’ freedom soon.