Passover brings renewed significance amid global turmoil, says local rabbi

When Passover begins at sundown Monday, the Jewish holiday of remembrance and celebration will feel much different this year than in previous years.

“It’s the first time in 80 years that it’s observed in the context of such deep trauma and fear which Jews throughout the world are experiencing,” said Rabbi Shalom Bochner of B’nai Isael Jewish Center in Petaluma, which is home to the oldest Jewish community between San Francisco and Portland.

Bochner reflected last week, during a phone interview, on how much has changed since Oct. 7 when Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage during a terrorist attack.

The ensuing war between Israel and Hamas, now in its sixth month, has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza where more than 30,000 Palestinan civilians have been killed and countless more are on the brink of famine. The conflict has also exposed deep political divisions between Israel and its allies and threatened to spark other conflicts between Israel and at least one of Hamas’ supporters.

Bochner said the themes of rebirth and triumph over suffering ingrained in the Passover ritual are more important now than ever.

“The increase in hate and violence and tensions across the world ... the need for that hope and peace has never been more clear,” he said.

Passover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Based on the Hebrew lunar calendar, it is a springtime holiday that begins on the first full moon after the spring Equinox.

It is marked with a ritual, called a Seder, that includes a meal and reading of the Haggadah, an account of the Exodus story.

The B’nai Israel Jewish Center will mark the second evening of Passover on Tuesday with a community Seder at the Petaluma Women’s Club, followed by a child-centered family Seder on Wednesday.

Traditionally, the Passover Seder has been a more intimate, home-based gathering with friends and relatives, but Bochner said that’s changing.

“It’s becoming more and more common for a community to host a group Seder ... for the ability to celebrate with more than just family and friends,“ he said.

Hosting the Seder on the second night allows those who want to, to continue their home-based ritual on the first night.

Bochner said this year’s event will include specific readings, poetry and songs that “reference the challenge of this moment.”

Bochner took over the Petaluma congregation just nine months ago after 10 years as a rabbi in Modesto.

He said it’s been a very “intense and difficult” time to take on a new leadership role, but that the holidays and traditions continue despite the turmoil in the Middle East and the increase in hate and violence the broader Jewish community is experiencing.

“I made a pledge on Oct. 7 to myself that I will not give up hope. I will magnify the hope,” said Bochner. “The ... Seder is our reminder of the potential to make it a better world.”

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Graue at 707-521-5262 or jennifer.graue@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @JenInOz.