Overview

• Passover 2025 marks the second consecutive year of wartime observance since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
• Fifty-nine hostages are still held in Gaza, with only 24 believed to be alive, as diplomatic efforts for their release see little progress.
• Families worldwide are leaving empty seats at Seder tables to honor hostages and those lost in the conflict.
• Israeli leaders are invoking Passover’s themes of liberation to emphasize national resilience and the urgency of securing the hostages' release.
• Jewish communities globally are adapting Passover rituals to reflect solidarity and remembrance, while grappling with the ongoing crisis.