Searching for Meaning in a Post-Oct. 7 Pesach

JNS.org – As the night sky of the Middle East lit up with a deadly barrage of drones and missiles being shot down on the night of April 13-14—halting Iran’s genocidal intent in its tracks—it was clear to all that this war has never been about Gaza or the Palestinian cause. There is something much bigger at play.

In this video, I explain how the Passover seder provides a frame of reference for understanding Iran’s recent attack, the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the vicious antisemitism that has awoken across the globe—unlocking the mystery of Jewish history and the secret of Jewish identity.

Pesach is the key to making sense of our world amid the utter bewilderment and shock Jews have experienced since Oct. 7. The barbaric attacks themselves. The Iranian bombardment. The massive surge in global antisemitism. Israel’s ongoing demonization. The global obsession with the Jewish state.

I hope to offer a framework of the meaning of the turbulent times we live in, and to give Jews in Israel and the Diaspora a sense of purpose and direction amid the chaos and uncertainty—a theory of Jewish identity that informs Israel’s national security, but also explains Jewish destiny and identity to a new generation of Jews asking burning questions.

Let this Pesach be a watershed moment for all of us. Let us rediscover the clarity, understanding, moral vision and spiritual memory that we need to navigate this post-Oct. 7 world.