April 1st, 2026 marked the first Passover since October 2023 where there wasn’t an empty chair, a yellow ribbon or any hostages in Gaza. This holiday is supposed to be a reminder about our freedom and escaping slavery in Egypt but Passover has had a different meaning over the last few years as not everyone was free or able to celebrate. We couldn’t celebrate our freedom because individuals filled with hate and rage have deliberately been antisemitic and have openly attacked Jewish houses, synagogues, and people just for being Jews.
I remember waking up on October 7th and watching the news that showed people from Israel and other nations being taken from their homes, cars, and the Nova Music Festival. This was the first time I had heard of an antisemitic attack since the Holocaust, and I remember reaching out to my friends in Israel asking how they were doing and if there was anything I could do to help. Every day since the war started, I woke up and read the news, I would listen to the testimony of released hostages about their experiences, and I would share the stories I heard to educate others who maybe weren’t familiar with what was going on.
A year after the war started, I was sitting with my youth group while we learned from Noa Reuveni, whose friends were taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7th, that we have to make sure the faces of the hostages on the many posters not just in Israel but around the world, don’t just become a number and a face on a poster. We need to tell their stories so no one forgets who they are.
Things never really stopped or got better after this conflict. The numerous attacks on college campuses, the attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence during Passover in 2025, Bondi Beach in Australia, and attacks on synagogues like Temple Israel made me question why some people would hate us just for being Jewish. This question carries weight and makes it hard not to give up hope even when it feels like everything’s crashing down.
The one thing that stuck with me from all of this is the less we express our Jewish identity, the more we allow antisemites to win. The more antisemitism becomes normalized. The less it’s heard about. We have to be proud of our ancestors as they fought for what we have today, the ability to openly be able to express our Jewish identities.
Observing Passover reminds me that sometimes we take being Jewish for granted, like lighting Shabbat candles, saying prayers, or having Challah, braided bread every Friday night. Having Matzah during Passover reminds us that we may not always have the luxury of time or freedom. So whether or not you do a Seder, keep Passover, eat kosher, eat Matzah, or eat bread, it’s okay, but what isn’t okay is to forget to tell the story as it’s essential for our existence. If we aren’t a community that’s there for each other, we won’t survive.
I may not have been alive during the Holocaust or in Israel on October 7th, but I do know that there will always be antisemitism, but it’s how you handle it. I have always been and will continue to be proud of being Jewish. I will never be ashamed or worried about being Jewish even after experiencing antisemitism because that’s how you let the bully win. Observe the holidays and traditions even if you’re not being supported by the people around you, like many of the hostages did because they’re proud to be Jewish. We have to work hard every day to fight misinformation and antisemitism because never again is now and what you do matters for the future of our existence as a Jewish people.
