The World Jewish Congress-Israel and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations hosted the 8th annual pre-Passover Model Seder on Tuesday in Tel Aviv, bringing together dozens of foreign ambassadors and other diplomats for an evening of reflection and solidarity.
This year’s event took on a solemn tone as family members of four hostages in Gaza shared the stories of their loved ones who have been held in captivity by Hamas for over 6 months. Their presence added a poignant reminder that while many Jews around the world will be celebrating the holiday of freedom, 133 hostages will not be able to. They urged the guests in the room to use their platforms, whether large or small, to advocate for the release of the hostages and to reunite families.
Or and Ayelet Sella, who had nine family members taken hostage on October 7, spoke about their last relative in captivity, Tal Shoham. “On this Pesach, celebrating our ancestors' liberation from oppression, I wish I could stand rejoicing in the liberties we hold dear. However, my family's reality is a cruel contrast. Our loved ones have been taken captive from their own homes, denied basic humanity and freedom by Hamas,” they said.
Sharon Lifshitz spoke movingly of her father, Oded, 83, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. She stressed that until days before the October 7 assault, her father had driven residents of Gaza to hospitals in Israel to receive medical treatment, adding that he always believed in coexistence and the need for peace. Additionally, Udi Goren, cousin of the late hostage Tal Haimi z”l who was murdered in captivity and whose body is being held by Hamas, as well as Eli and Omri, the father and brother of hostage Idan Shtivi, also spoke about their plea to bring their loved ones home.
WJC’s Representative in Israel & ICFR Director General Dr. Laurence Weinbaum welcomed the guests and thanked the members of the families of hostages “for having the strength and equanimity to share with us their excruciating pain.”
WJC-Israel Chairperson Hadassa Getsztain then took the stage, stressing that “this year, the words we will recite will feel a lot more relevant and urgent. Our struggle for freedom has once again become a reality for us today. We won’t have to imagine how we left Egypt because this year we will actually feel it. This year we ourselves are living it.”
The Seder was presided over by Eddy Breuer, a professor of Jewish history at Hebrew University, who provided insights into the traditions of Passover, calling it the “quintessential Jewish holiday.” Among those present in the audience who received special words of welcome were Col. Richard Kemp, a Royal Army officer who is well known for his articulate support of the Israeli cause, and ICFR board members Amb. Mordechai Palzur, a Polish-born child survivor of the Soviet gulag whose distinguished diplomatic career began in 1950, and the celebrated human rights champion Professor Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
