A Powerful Passover around the Jewish World

Hear directly from Jews around the world about what makes their Passover unique, vibrant, and meaningful.

By The JDC Team | April 18, 2024

On Passover, we celebrate the resilience and freedom of Jews everywhere. In that spirit, we bring you these Passover reflections — a world of voices sharing their hopes for deliverance and freedom.

The former Soviet Union (FSU)

Rita R., 93
Retired teacher and JDC client
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

What does Passover mean to you?
Passover is one of my favorite holidays. It’s as if everything inside blossoms and nature itself is filled with bright colors — every tree and bush blooms with renewed vigor. After a difficult winter, everything comes to life again, freed from the cold, snowy weather. This is so similar to what is happening to us today. It’s not for nothing that this holiday is called the holiday of awakening, the holiday of spring, and the holiday of liberation. Of course, for us Jews, Passover is a significant time, each year reminding us of who we are and how many trials we had to endure in order to be a free people today.

What’s your favorite Passover memory?
I have several vivid Passover memories, and they are connected with different periods of my life. I was just a child, but to this day I remember my family’s special traditions. On Passover, my grandfather put on his tallis (prayer shawl), went into his room, and closed the door, while my mother made me go play with other children so that I wouldn’t see what was happening. No one was allowed to look at this sacrament, but childish interest and curiosity overcame me so much that I secretly sneaked up to that room and watched him through the crack of the door. It was like some kind of magic. Grandfather lit candles, covered his face with his hands and, swaying back and forth, read the prayers.

My grandfather did not live to see the end of World War II, and after our evacuation to the North Caucasus, my grandmother, mother, and I returned to our native Zaporizhzhia. So, though it was very difficult to survive then, we tried never to miss celebrating Passover. Grandma always prepared different dishes, so my friends always gathered at our house. She loved to treat everyone with different delicacies. Though it was difficult at the time, my mother always ordered kosher chicken at the market, and then my grandmother surprised everyone with dishes that were simple, but special. She had a signature dish — jellied meat in broth. No matter how many times I make it according to my grandmother’s recipe, it never turns out quite like hers. She was an excellent cook.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.
I have been a member of the JDC-supported Hesed Michael social welfare center here in Zaporizhzhia for a long time, and every year, for every holiday, we receive different holiday presents, treats, or food packages. If it’s Passover, we always get matzah. Not a single year has passed when JDC and Hesed haven’t provided us with matzah. There is no way to celebrate Passover without it, and for me, it’s very important. This is a cherished tradition for all of us Jewish community members! And traditionally, we get together with other clients and go to the synagogue for Passover. To be there on Passover is a real miracle, an amazing atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

When you consider the challenges Jews around the globe are facing — the crisis in Ukraine, the war in Israel, and rising global antisemitism — how do you connect the themes of Passover to the Jewish world today?
Terrible events are happening both in Israel and here in Ukraine. There is fear everywhere and the death of innocent people. We’re all facing these difficulties, but we continue to be strong and, again and again, wait for peace and a miracle. Still, Passover gives us hope. Every year, I believe that liberation will come, as it did then, thousands of years ago. It’s as if the hand of Moses will lead us today, and all innocent people will be freed from endless fear, persecution, and grief. We are all like those trees that must finally be filled with strength and come to life. And we will! The Passover holiday will fill us all so that we can truly live again — and feel free!

Latin America

Priscilla Salomao, 40
Administrative Manager, Alianza Israelita
Asunción, Paraguay

What does Passover mean to you?

For me, Passover means always remembering the vulnerability of our people, as well as the strength we have when we are together.

What’s your favorite Passover memory?

My greatest memory is from when I was a little girl, and at school the teachers would hide the chametz, and we would look for it and burn it. And then all of us would make a Passover gift that would later be given to a family in the community. Since I love matzah, I’d wait all year long to eat the special meals that we made. In the spirit of l’dor vador, I now prepare these dishes with my daughters.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.

The Jewish community of Paraguay is very small and therefore very supportive. Everyone is treated equally and can participate in festivities, no matter their financial situation. The Maot Jitim project, through donations from community members, seeks to prepare kosher dinner for all families who otherwise couldn’t afford to have a Seder. Our volunteers assemble and deliver these meals with great love and respect.

For me, Passover is about remembering the vulnerability and strength of our people, we must also look forward and remember that, together, we will prevail. Many have tried to destroy us throughout history, but no one succeeded, and no one will succeed as long as our global Jewish community is one. We are united and strong.

Jonathan Karszenbaum, 41
Executive Director, The Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina

What does Passover mean to you?

Passover for me is synonymous with family, of meeting at the Seder table and not only reading the Haggadah, but also telling family stories, asking questions, and enjoying each other’s company. Luckily, I still meet with my extended family — about 25 people — at a large table, with multiple generations and lots of conversation.

What’s your favorite Passover memory?

My favorite memory is my uncle Mario making matzah with butter and salt to give to my brothers, my cousins, and me, all while the Haggadah was being read.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.

In our house we read a Haggadah made by the Tnuah Habonim Dror (a Zionist movement) in the 1980s and 1990s. This has always made the Seder meaningful to us, within the Judaism that we live and practice each and every day.

I think it will be a Passover with a lot of sadness and pain, and our hearts will be with the families of the kidnapped and those who lost loved ones to this war. Passover is also a moment to remember that, in all times, Jews have faced persecution, such as the Shoah and the wars in Israel. We were (and are) lucky to sit at the Seder table and repeat a millennium-old ritual that has contemporary meaning.

Jessica Korenblum, 46
Welfare Programs Director, JDC Latin America
Buenos Aires, Argentina

What does Passover mean to you?

For me, Passover represents the opportunity for my whole family to get together and talk, especially with my children and nephews, about the value of freedom. Every moment of liberation, every victory, doesn’t last forever — we must defend it, respect it, and take care of it.

What’s your favorite Passover memory?

My favorite Passover memory goes back to my paternal grandmother, Rosa. Each year, as long as she was well, she hosted every family gathering. Everyone eagerly awaited her gefilte fish, year after year. I can recall to this day that cherished memory and feel my dear grandmother Rosa close by.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.

For me, my community is strongly related to the place in which I work. For more than 20 years, I have been working in community organizations in various roles related to working with vulnerable populations. Within my diverse work functions, having been able to organize and participate for years in several Passover Seders for people in highly vulnerable social situations is something I treasure in my heart. Over the years, I have seen and heard many people thank me for this opportunity to reconnect them with their family traditions, something that may have been totally lost, and that they were grateful to recover.

Passover reminds me of the vulnerability and strength that constitutes us as individuals and as a people. In highly complex times like the ones we’re living in, I believe that recognizing our vulnerability, even if it hurts, is fundamental and is the necessary condition to develop the individual and collective strength required to face what reality is presenting us with.

Africa

Dorith Benmoha, 60
Missions Coordinator and Administrator, JDC Morocco
Casablanca, Morocco

What does Passover mean to you?

Passover means so much in our culture — it’s a whole mixture of freshness, spring, and new things. For 10 days before the holiday, we clean, get rid of chametz, prepare for Passover — and then suddenly we feel this beautiful change on the first day of Passover. We feel everything as if it were new and fresh.

What is your favorite Passover memory?

My favorite memories are of the family gatherings, with beautiful Seder tables set with our traditional holiday foods, and I even remember that we didn’t have the normal Passover foods, since we had so little kosher food at that time in Morocco.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.

The most unique and famous tradition is on the last night of Passover, where we celebrated it during the Mimouna — an evening where all the family, friends and neighbors would visit each Jewish home, eat special foods, and just be close to each other, until dawn. It was really special.

Despite all the difficulties we are facing today, we still celebrate Passover in the same way, year after year, in Morocco and everywhere around the world. Nothing has changed and we will continue to celebrate. The only thing I’m sad to see is that, in the past, we had thousands of Jewish tourists coming to celebrate Passover in Morocco — today, we don’t see that as much, but no matter what happens, we will continue to go on. And with JDC as our partner — an organization I’ve been proud to be a part of for 42 years — I am sure of this.

Europe

Taly Mair, 49
Director, The Jewish Community of Athens
Athens, Greece

What does Passover mean to you?

Passover means resilience and freedom — two values that are very relevant and shouldn’t be taken for granted, even today.

What is your favorite Passover memory?

My favorite Passover memory is when I’d look for the afikoman as a child with my brother and cousins. I continue this tradition by hiding the afikoman for my children, nephews, and nieces.

Describe a Passover tradition unique to your community or region.

No Greek Seder is complete without prasokeftedes (leek patties). A Greek-Sephardic version might include ingredients common in Sephardic cuisine — like nuts, parsley, and dill — and may also include eggs and matzah meal to make them kosher for Passover.

Since the time of Moses, it’s been a challenge to be Jewish — and it still is, even in the 21^st century, even now that we have the State of Israel. But we are always hopeful and resilient: We can endure the worst hardships (slavery, massacres, hostages, etc.) and still survive and enjoy our freedom in Israel and around the world. I wish for an “exodus” for our hostages as soon as possible, and peace in Israel. Chag Pesach Sameach.

https://i0.wp.com/jdcorg-media.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Global_Passover_Reflections_BLOG_2024.jpg?fit=1800%2C1200&ssl=1