Choosing Hope on Seder Night

Over the past week, I have found myself thinking about the approaching Seder night.

For the Jewish people, the Seder is not just a meal. It is the night when our history, our faith, and our future sit together at one table. 

Parents look into their children's eyes and pass on a story that has carried us through thousands of years.

And this year, that story feels more real than ever.

Some Seders are remembered for generations.
Others fade quietly into history.

This year will not be forgotten.

Around the world, Jews will sit down to their Seders carrying heavier hearts. Israel continues to face real and painful challenges. 

Missiles streak across the skies of the Jewish homeland. Antisemitism has resurfaced in places where we once felt secure. 

Only days ago, a synagogue in Michigan was attacked. Thank G-d no lives were lost, but the message was felt.

And yet, in just a short time, Jews everywhere will sit at their tables and declare the same ancient words:

“In every generation they rise against us to destroy us… and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand.”

The question is obvious:

How do we celebrate freedom when the world feels so unsettled?

This question is not new.

Nearly two thousand years ago, it was already being lived.

In that generation, two Seders took place.

One was led by Rabban Gamliel, the leader of the Jewish people, in the city of Lod. The other was led by Rabbi Akiva in B’nei Brak.

Both Seders unfolded under the shadow of Roman oppression, after the destruction of the Second Temple.

But they told the story very differently.

Rabban Gamliel’s Seder focused on the pain. On the bitterness. On the maror. His message spoke to a people still bleeding, still grieving, still trying to make sense of loss.

Rabbi Akiva’s Seder told a different story.

Rabbi Akiva was the great optimist of Jewish history, the sage who could stand before the ruins of Jerusalem and laugh, because he already saw redemption being born.

At his Seder, the message was radical:

Even in the night, we tell the story of freedom.
Even in darkness, we celebrate the light within us.

Because the Jewish soul is never in exile.

Just days ago, in Jerusalem, our family experienced this truth in a way we will never forget.

Nearly 150 people gathered in a shelter to celebrate the Brit Milah of a newborn son. The family stood shoulder to shoulder. The blessings were about to be recited.

And then the siren sounded.

A missile had entered Israeli airspace.

For a brief moment, everything froze.

And then… the Brit Milah continued.

A Jewish child entered the covenant of Abraham while missiles streaked across the sky.

In that moment, everything became clear:

Jewish life does not pause for fear.

Even under sirens, we build.
Even in danger, we celebrate.
Even in darkness, we choose light.

That is the story of our people.

And thousands of miles away, the same story continues.

Every time a family lights Shabbat candles…
Every time a child learns an Alef…
Every time Jews gather around a Seder table…

We are continuing an unbroken chain.

This is what Rabbi Akiva saw.

Empires rise. Empires fall.
But the Jewish people choose hope.

This year, we face that same choice.

We can look at the world and see fear, tension, and uncertainty.
Or we can look deeper and see something else entirely.

We are living in a time of extraordinary blessings.

Jewish life is flourishing.
Israel continues to build and grow.
Jews who never sat at a Seder are discovering their heritage.

The same world can feel dark or full of light.

On Seder night, we train our eyes to see differently.

Like our ancestors standing at the sea, trapped, terrified, and yet already witnessing redemption unfold, we learn to see beyond the moment.

Jewish history has already proven Rabbi Akiva right.

We are an eternal people.
Serving the Eternal G-d.
And we will prevail.

Our pain does not silence our song.

It deepens it.

We sing Dayenu with more feeling.
We eat the Matzah with greater awareness.
We believe fully that redemption is coming.

For thousands of years, Jews have gathered around the Seder table through every chapter of history.

Empires have come and gone.

But we are still here.

Still telling the story.
Still lighting candles.
Still teaching our children.
Still believing.

And this year, perhaps we will feel it more deeply than ever.

We will think of our brothers and sisters in Israel.
We will think of Jews everywhere.
And we will remember:

No matter what the world looks like.
The Jewish people always return to the Seder table.

Because that is where our story lives.

And that is where our future begins.

So when someone asks you where you will be this Seder night, give them a simple answer:

I will be sitting with Rabbi Akiva.

Choosing hope.
Choosing faith.
Choosing the future of the Jewish people.

And if you don’t yet have a place for your Seder, our table is open.

It would be an honor to celebrate together as one family.

Wishing you and your family a meaningful Shabbat and a truly uplifting Pesach.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky