‘We are not free until all our people are free’: Hostages focus of Passover Seder

Rabbi Sanford D. Akselrad shared this message at Monday night’s Passover Seder at Congregation Ner Tamid: None of us are free until all of us are free.

Akselrad and Cantor Jessica N. Hutchings officiated over the communal Seder at the Henderson temple, which is Nevada’s largest Reform Judaism synagogue.

About 250 people attended what was billed as the largest Passover Seder in the Las Vegas Valley.

Passover, which celebrates the exodus of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, began Monday night and ends April 30.

At the center of Monday night’s meal was the hope that hostages taken by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 in Israel are soon given back their freedom.

Of the about 250 hostages taken that day, when Hamas launched its surprise attack in Israel, killing about 1,200 people, there are roughly 130 people still held captive in Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

Among the numerous tables at Monday night’s Seder was one empty table with posters of some of the hostages displayed.

Names like Chanan Yablonka, 42; Alon Lulu Shamriz, 26; Vivian Silver, 74; and others.

Nobody sat at this table, and that was intentional. The message was that the community was thinking of those who are not among us, those who are not able to enjoy their freedom.

“There are hostages that thankfully made it home, and there are hostages sadly that have died,” Akselrad said before the Seder began. “But for those who still can be returned, we pray, especially that they find their way, please God, soon to their homes that love them and care about them.

“We are not free until all our people are free,” Akselrad continued. “We have a special table set aside with some faces of various hostages as a reminder that our our prayers are not yet answered.”

Also in attendance was U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who has been a member of Congregation Ner Tamid for over 30 years and who once served as temple president.

“We’re trying to do every single thing we can with the State Department, with others, with our allies and partners in Congress to bring the hostages home, to get the humanitarian aid into Gaza to the people who need it, and to help Israel defend herself,” Rosen said.

Rosen said that after Monday night’s Seder, she would fly to Washington to be back on the Senate floor Tuesday for a vote on the $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine and Israel.

“I’m actually leaving tonight to go back to Washington, where we can vote on the supplemental package that’s going to provide that important aid to Ukraine, to Israel, to the Indo-Pacific and humanitarian aid in so many places,” Rosen said. “So tonight we’re going to celebrate here at home and tomorrow we’re going to celebrate freedom in Washington.”

Hutchings said Monday’s Seder was significant and different from past Seders because it felt that freedom couldn’t truly be celebrated while the hostages were still in captivity.

“It feels like it’s been over 200 days of Oct. 7, if that makes sense,” Hutchings said. “Every day is difficult and they’re on our mind. And we want them to be able to come home and be free, and nothing has felt right since then.”

Jolie Brislin, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Desert Region, which includes Nevada and Arizona, was also at Monday night’s Seder.

Brislin said that from Oct. 7, the day of Hamas’ attack, until Dec. 31, there was a 63 percent increase in antisemitic incidents locally.

“I’ve been at ADL now for 16 years, and I’ve never seen what I’ve seen in the past six months with the rise of antisemitism, with the rise of the rhetoric and the normalization of hate and Jew hatred,” Brislin said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com.