The Verity Courier
Passover
By Ron Estes
23 April 2024
22 April, marks the first day of the Jewish religious celebration of Passover, commemorated with great pomp and ceremony the Israelite escape from slavery in Egypt. In
the Biblical book of Exodus, Moses describes his leading the Israelites
from Egypt, where they had reportedly been slaves for 430 years, across
the Nile to the Sinai peninsula where they would roam the desert for 40
years before finding their way to Canaan.
It
is incomprehensible that with all the great minds practicing the
religion of Judaism, there is no recognition that a century of research
has found no evidence relating to the existence of Israelite slaves or
Exodus activity.
Archaeologists
and Egyptologists deny the veracity of the Exodus story. No evidence
has ever been discovered in Egypt, or elsewhere, to support the fact of
Israelite presence in Egypt or their Exodus from Egypt. In addition,
exhaustive archaeological surveys throughout the Sinai region have
thoroughly discredited the possibility that any population movement as
massive as the Exodus described by Moses ever occurred in the Sinai.
The
Egyptians kept meticulous records of everything, even the number of
bushels of wheat they harvested each year. But there is not one single
note of any kind in Egypt of the presence of Israelite slaves.
As
Jews across the world celebrate Passover, the Exodus from Egypt and
the beginning of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Jewish writers and
thinkers are reflecting on the holiday's significance in current events.
With the U.S.-Israeli chill making headlines, this week is a unique
opportunity for American Jews to reflect on the role of Jews in American
politics, the status of the Jewish state, and the American President’s
attitude toward the Jewish community. The significance of this Passover
may carry more weight than most.
At
Sinai Temple in west Los Angeles, there are row after row of seats
marked off with blue ribbon. Each represents a hostage taken during the
October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. The congregation has removed
the names of those released. Still, more than 130 seats remain set apart
to remember those who remain captive.
This
year, Jews around the world celebrate Passover in a moment of profound
trauma and discord brought on by the October 7th attack and the ongoing
war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Supporters of the war in Gaza are
separating themselves from those who oppose it. They no longer sit
together.
Passover is often celebrated on the first night with a special family meal called the seder.
At the seder, foods of symbolic significance commemorating the Hebrews'
liberation are eaten, and prayers and traditional recitations are
performed
For many Israelis, it’s hard to celebrate an occasion focused on freedom when some of their compatriots are still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. The hostages’ plight has reverberated worldwide, with some families in the Jewish diaspora asking rabbis to give them additional prayers for this year’s Seder. Others have created a new Haggadah, the book read during the Seder, to reflect current realities.
Many Seder tables, in Israel and elsewhere, are expected to have empty seats, representing those killed or taken hostage on Oct. 7, as well as soldiers unable to return home for Passover. Light a candle for your Jewish neighbor during this Passover.
Ron Estes served 25 years as an Operations Officer in the CIA Clandestine Service.
