On Passover night, we pass down our traditions and collective memories to future generations. Few nations not only remember but relive events from thousands of years ago. The Seder, with its enduring power and grandeur, has transcended time and space, surviving thousands of years of Jewish exile.
For the People of the Book, the Haggadah remains our most published text, its voice echoing across generations. More versions of the Haggadah have been produced than any other sacred Jewish work.
The entire evening revolves around a conversation – questions and answers. This Q&A format unfolds not in a study hall but around the Seder table and is woven into the fabric of family life. For thousands of years, across countless lands and cultures, we have transmitted our common story around the family Seder table.
The first Seder
The very first Seder marked the emergence of our identity not just as a nation but as a family. On the night of the exodus, we were commanded to offer the Passover sacrifice. The time frame for eating this sacrifice was very short; it had to be consumed by midnight. Additionally, the meat could not be removed beyond its original building. Hence, the most natural arrangement was for each family to bring its own offering, assuring that the meat would remain at home and that it would be finished on time. As the Torah portrays, “a lamb for each household, a lamb for each family.” The Passover offering was an intimate, family-centered experience.
Centuries of slavery had corroded Jewish family life. Slaves, crammed into squalid quarters, rarely sustain stable family structures. They have little control over their children, who can be sold or bartered like mere possessions. Making matters worse, as Pharaoh could not bear the sight of a Jew, he unleashed his fury on our infants, decreeing that they be cast into the Nile. Tragically, history has repeated itself, and this gruesome crime continues to be inflicted on our people.
ARTIST EDWARD Poynter’s depiction of the Israelites fleeing Egypt. Below, the Children of Israel on their 40-year journey in the desert. (credit: WIKIPEDIA)
That we still managed to preserve our families and gather for the Seder, even under the crushing weight of slavery, was a testament to our resilient spirit and unbreakable faith.
One father
Additionally, on that first Passover night, we coalesced into one family by realizing that we shared a common father. We all know the famous declaration Moses delivered to Pharaoh: “Let My people go.” While this demand was ultimately spoken to Pharaoh, it wasn’t the first message God instructed Moses to convey. That initial demand was more personal: “Let My firstborn child go, or I will take your firstborn.”
On the night of the exodus, as the plague of the firstborn struck Egypt, we realized that God was not only our creator and redeemer – He was our father. If we all shared a common father who defended His children, then we were not merely a people; we were a family.
The book of family
Family identity as the backbone of Jewish identity did not begin on the night of the exodus. The entire story of Genesis is the story of a family, one that wrestled with the timeless struggles of family life: tensions between spouses and siblings, disputes over inheritance and legacy, the challenge of preserving unity, and the responsibility to protect and sustain one another. Our national history, long before slavery and redemption in Egypt, began not with a kingdom or a formal structure but with a family taking shape.
Every year, the Seder rebuilds our family identity. We gather with our families, ask our children questions, and pass down our story, reminding ourselves that the Jewish nation is, at its heart, a Jewish family.
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Family living apart
We have always seen ourselves as a family, even when we lived far apart. Our family identity was at the heart of our survival. When we lost the outward signs of nationhood – sovereignty, land, an army, a flag – we held fast to a shared family identity that bridged the continents that divided us.
Jewish family identity didn’t just unite scattered Jews – it demanded that we treat one another as family rather than as mere members of a nation. Family members are meant to show greater care and concern for one another, to demonstrate deeper devotion and sacrifice. As Maimonides writes when emphasizing the value of charity (Hilchot Matnat Aniyim 10:2): “All of Israel, and those who join them, are like brothers, as it is said: ‘You are children of Hashem, your God.’ And if a brother does not have mercy on his brother, who will have mercy on him?”
One big Israeli family
Though we have lived as a family for centuries, something about life in Israel makes us feel even more like a family, both for those Jews who live in Israel and for those who have yet to make it home. We hear it often: One of the joys of living in Israel is the sense of being part of a family and treating one another as such. We feel more willing to step out of our comfort zones for one another, whether it means offering help to strangers, opening our homes, or simply engaging in heartfelt conversations with people we hardly know but with whom we share so much.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why living in Israel strengthens our family identity, but part of it may be that most Israelis are relatively recent immigrants. Very few can trace their presence in Israel beyond three or four generations. At some point, we all arrived here, often without our entire family; in place of the natural family history we left behind, we found ourselves forming a new, collective family identity in this land.
The war has intensified the already tangible sense of family in Israel, forcing us to live, grieve, and stand together as one extended household. We have operated beyond the usual boundaries of nationhood, helping one another and ensuring that families survive under the crushing strain of war.
Israelis are seen protesting judicial reform, in Tel Aviv. (credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Democracy or family?
Two years have passed since social strife tore our nation apart; and even after a war for survival, we still haven’t found the recipe for national unity. Much of the strife revolves around the question of how democracy should be wielded. Can a slim majority impose its will on the rest of society? How do we navigate opposing policies without descending into toxic discourse and corrosive dialogue? Ironically, democracy is pulling us apart from within.
Perhaps the path to unity begins with redefining our terminology. Perhaps we shouldn’t define Israeli society as a democracy. Democracy is merely the political system through which we conduct government and decide common policies. As the fairest form of governance, democracy should guide Israel, but our deeper identity must be that of a family, not merely a political system.
Family members have greater tolerance for one another and do not focus solely on their own needs. They don’t impose solutions on each other but instead seek to build consensus. Democracy is a contest; family is a compromise. The Passover Seder should instill in us a more acute sense of family, guiding us toward a softer discourse and a more tolerant and understanding vision of what it means to be a family living jointly in Israel.
Family and loss
Finally, as you sit around the Seder table with your family, please keep in mind all the families in Israel whose Seder is incomplete because of loss. From the families of hostages to the bereaved families, from the families of wounded soldiers to those who have borne the weight of hundreds of days of reserve duty. We have all felt the pain, struggle, and loss that this war has imposed on our families. If we are a nation that sees itself as a family, let us remember those families that have carried such a heavy burden throughout this war.
The writer, a rabbi at the hesder Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush, was ordained by YU and has an English literature MA from CUNY. His books, including his most recent, To be Holy but Human: Reflections upon my Rebbe, HaRav Yehuda Amital (Kodesh), are available in bookstores and at www.mtaraginbooks.com.
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili"
Please urgently remove this fake hotel from your website. It is a scam and it is deceiving many customers. It is advertised on all social networks as a scam! very important – report on fraud house and scam that in your website and cheat people and customers! – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief
The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili" the name of here company is : Ltd Alpaka
405375419
Located at: Nucubidze St N57, Tbilisi, Georgia/Nucubidze Street 57, 0177 it smells terrible, The walls in the room are peeling, I took pictures, there is mold and dampness throughout the room the beds are really uncomfortable, like in a pre-trial detention center, your whole back hurts when you sleep on them and they almost break because they are so thin! the WI FI doesn't work at all, The room was very dirty and filthy, and when you ask her to move you to a room she says everything is taken, even though all the rooms are empty and open! I arrived at this horrible place, this horrible house, at 1:00 AM, after two hours of sleeplessness, I asked for my money back, a blonde girl of about 50 years old named “Anna” told me that she wanted the money in cash right away, otherwise she would not let me out of the hotel, she told me that I would not be able to sleep in their bed, at 3 AM I went to look for an ATM to withdraw money, because I could not find one, after searching for a whole hour, in the Tbilisi cold, I returned to her at midnight to look for an ATM, but she did not give me my suitcase and passport, so I came back the next day and gave me the money in cash, she did not give me an invoice either, do not come near! They are deceiving the public, booking and all hotel websites! This is not a hotel, it is a very dirty, old house and it smells very bad. Search on youtube "never go there – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City Georgia of Ana Chuchulashvili the house hotel from hell" , don't go " to “Hotel Delisi” on YouTube or "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia " or"HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat" He was caught on tape speaking badly and illegally taking a passport and suitcase.
That she took the suitcase by force, she also stole 3 expensive shirts from me for a total of 250 GEL, I demand compensation of 128 GEL for the two hours of hell I suffered there + 250 GEL for the shirts she stole from me
I have videos where she only wants money in cash so she doesn't pay taxes and doesn't agree that I pay her with a credit card, and she also doesn't want to give me my suitcase and passport.
1. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia
2. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Address
3. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Rooms
4. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Amenities
5. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Offers and Deals
სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო, ქურდის „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილის“
მსოფლიოში ყველაზე ცუდი სასტუმრო, საშიშია, ახლოს არ მიხვიდეთ! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის! ეს ძველი, ჭუჭყიანი სახლია, ოთახში ტარაკნები და მწერებია, სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო – ადგილის მენეჯერი თაღლითი და ყოფილი ნარკომანია, სახელად „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილი“, კომპანიის სახელია: შპს ალპაკა
405375419
მდებარეობს: ნუცუბიძის ქ. N57, თბილისი, საქართველო/ნუცუბიძის ქუჩა 57, 0177, საშინელი სუნი აქვს, ოთახში კედლები აქერცლილია, სურათები გადავიღე, ოთახში ობი და ნესტია, საწოლები ნამდვილად არაკომფორტულია, როგორც წინასწარი დაკავების იზოლატორში, მთელი ზურგი გტკივა, როცა მათზე იძინებ და კინაღამ იმსხვრევა, რადგან ძალიან თხელია! Wi-Fi საერთოდ არ მუშაობს, ოთახი ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი და უწმაწურია და როცა ოთახში გადაყვანას სთხოვ, მიპასუხებს, რომ ყველაფერი დაკავებულია, მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ ყველა ოთახი ცარიელი და ღიაა! ამ საშინელ ადგილას, ამ საშინელ სახლში, ღამის 1:00 საათზე მივედი, ორსაათიანი უძილობის შემდეგ, ფულის დაბრუნება ვთხოვე, დაახლოებით 50 წლის ქერა გოგონამ, სახელად „ანამ“, მითხრა, რომ ფული ნაღდი ფულით უნდოდა, თორემ სასტუმროდან არ გამიშვებდა, მითხრა, რომ მათ საწოლში ვერ დავიძინებდი, დილის 3 საათზე ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად წავედი ფულის გასატანად, რადგან ვერ ვიპოვე, მთელი საათის ძებნის შემდეგ, თბილისურ სიცივეში, შუაღამისას დავბრუნდი მასთან ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად, მაგრამ ჩემოდანი და პასპორტი არ მომცა, ამიტომ მეორე დღეს დავბრუნდი და ფული ნაღდი ფულით მომცა, ინვოისიც არ მომცა, ახლოს არ მოხვიდეთ! ისინი ატყუებენ საზოგადოებას, დაჯავშნის და ყველა სასტუმროს ვებსაიტს! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის, ეს ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი, ძველი სახლია და ძალიან ცუდი სუნი ასდის. YouTube-ზე მოძებნეთ "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The worse hotel in the world" , არ წახვიდეთ "Hotel Delisi"-ში YouTube-ზე ან "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia" ან "HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat". ის ვიდეოჩანაწერში მოხვდა, სადაც ცუდად საუბრობდა და უკანონოდ იღებდა პასპორტს და ჩემოდანს.
მან ჩემოდანი ძალით წამართვა, ასევე მომპარა 3 ძვირადღირებული პერანგი სულ 250 ლარად, მე ვითხოვ 128 ლარის კომპენსაციას იმ ორსაათიანი ჯოჯოხეთისთვის, რომელიც იქ ვიტანჯე + 250 ლარი იმ პერანგებისთვის, რომლებიც მომპარა.
მე მაქვს ვიდეოები, სადაც ის მხოლოდ ნაღდი ფულით ითხოვს ფულს, ამიტომ არ იხდის გადასახადებს და არ ეთანხმება, რომ საკრედიტო ბარათით გადავუხადო, ასევე არ სურს ჩემოდნის და პასპორტის მოცემა.
"ב-7.10 נחטפה כל המשפחה שלי, אני, בעלי דוד, ושתי בנותינו אמה ויולי, אז בנות 3 בלבד", פתחה את נאומה שרון, אשתו של דוד קוניו החטוף בעזה. "דוד בעלי, אהבת חיי, והאבא של הבנות שלי, עדיין שם. התאומות ואני חזרנו ביום החמישים ושתיים. אמה ויולי שלנו חגגו חמש, בלי אבא שלהן. בשבוע הבא הן ילכו לגן חובה, והן יודעות שאבא לא יהיה איתן ביום הזה. הן יודעות שאבא שלהן שם. לפני כמה ימים, כשהשכבתי אותן לישון הן שאלו אותי 'אמא, את בטוחה שאבא יחזור?'".
"יש הצעה לעיסקה על השולחן, שחמאס כבר אמר לה כן", המשיכה. "האמריקנים רוצים שהחטופים יחזרו. הרמטכ"ל אומר שחייבים ללכת עכשיו לעיסקה. העם, אתם, כל אחד מכם, כאן בככר, במהלך היום בצמתים, בכל מקום, במספרים אדירים, כולם צועקים איתנו, כולם רוצים את החטופים בבית. אז למה אני לא יכולה להגיד לבנות שלי שאני בטוחה שאבא שלהן יחזור?"
