Chag Passover Sameach from the team at the Jewish Federation.
Dear friend,
From Cincinnati to Paris to Tel Aviv, as the sun sets this Monday, Jews around the world will gather for Passover seders, the annual ritual during which we recount our ancestors’ journey from bondage to freedom.
As you know, this holiday holds a special place in the hearts of many Jews as one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays. It brings families and loved ones together to reflect and discuss concepts of freedom and what freedom means to each one of us.
As we have intergenerational conversations around our seder table, we learn anew how the concept of freedom evolves through the lens of contemporary life. What does freedom mean to my sister, worried about her two teenage sons? What does it mean to my parents? At these seders, we consider the freedoms we have, the freedoms others lack, and the freedoms we take for granted.
This year, the painful turmoil in Israel and the Gaza Strip, and the divisions it has created, darken our Passover reflection. These are difficult times for local Jews, Muslims, Israelis, and Palestinians. The war resonates with each of us differently—emotionally and physically—but with all of us deeply.
The war has affected us in Cincinnati. The doubling of reported antisemitic incidents post-October 7 has stirred increased concern and alarm. Antisemitism has manifested across our region from Covington to West Chester and more. And we know we are not alone, that our Muslim neighbors have experienced significantly increased hate as well.
For us, recent antisemitism has reinscribed age-old slurs, libels, and biases we hoped were long extinguished. This casual hate speech threatens the freedom of all of us.
Our freedom erodes as we feel pressure to hide our Jewishness. I continue to wear my Star of David necklace. Yet we know there is a risk to being publicly Jewish these days, and we carry the weight of that knowledge. Just a year ago, expressing our Jewish identity felt simpler. At last year’s Passover seder, we did not have conversations with our children about whether it was safe to wear a Star of David or kippah. This year we will.
Our hope for the future is simple: for all our children to be safe and be themselves. We want real peace. We advocate for an environment free from fear; a society where peace and security are universal rights. We hope it won’t take a forty-year journey to get back to where we were last year, but we will persist, however long it takes.
This Monday, as dusk welcomes our seder, we will dive into multigenerational dialogues with our loved ones. Perhaps most importantly, in the year ahead, we will continue to bring freedom out from under the shadows of hate.
Wishing you and your family a joyous and meaningful Passover,
Danielle V. Minson
CEO
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
PS: Following last weekend's unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran, we are calling on the House to advance a supplemental aid package to provide $26.4 billion in vital support, including funds for essential defense systems. This package will also allocate additional resources to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to safeguard communities from antisemitic violence. Please consider contacting your representatives to stress the significance of this funding.
PPS: Follow our national organization JFNA’s updates, including on Iran, here.