In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court, it was claimed that although Osher Ad markets itself to the ultra-Orthodox community and professes its kashrut to be Mehadrin, it sold a chametz product at its Petah Tikva location during Passover, leading the siblings to eat chametz on the holiday.

The statement of claim asserts "The defendant is a supermarket chain that directs its advertising and services to the ultra-Orthodox sector. The chain prides itself on the Mehadrin kashrut of its products and frequently promotes itself as being tailored to the ultra-Orthodox public."

According to the suit, on April 15, 2025, during the Passover holiday, the brother went to the Petah Tikva branch. "Plaintiff 1 relied on the defendant, as it states that it operates with rabbinic approval and under the supervision of Mehadrin kashrut authorities, and purchased, among other items, a 'gnocchi' product, based on the reasonable and required assumption that it was a kosher for Passover product. No sign on the product shelf or in any other location indicated that the product was chametz."

The siblings prepared and consumed the gnocchi at home. Subsequently, the brother examined the packaging and noticed that wheat flour was listed among the ingredients. "Upon learning of this, the plaintiffs were overcome with astonishment and profound shock. The mere realization that they had consumed chametz during the Passover holiday – an event representing a severe violation of their religious conscience and way of life – caused them intense feelings of distress, insult, and deep sorrow."

The lawsuit claims consumer deception and further, according to the Chametz Law (Prohibition of Chametz), any business owner is prohibited from publicly displaying chametz products during Passover. It was also claimed there was negligence, a violation of autonomy, a breach of disclosure duty, and mental anguish involved. Osher Ad did not provide a response.

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Why couldn't the sages simply refer to the Torah to resolve the dispute by confirming the correct date? Remarkably, the Torah omits the specific date of Shavuot, unlike other holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Passover, which have clearly defined dates in the Jewish calendar. Shavuot, marking the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai, is unique in that its precise date is not recorded in the Torah. What, then, does the Torah provide?

The Torah states that the giving occurred "in the third month after the children of Israel left Egypt," meaning Sivan, but it offers no specific day. The only guidance is to "count fifty days" from the day following the first day of Passover. However, because Hebrew months can be either full (30 days) or short (29 days), the lengths of Iyar and Nisan that year could result in multiple possible dates.

Both months might have been short, both full, or one of each, meaning the Torah could have been given on the 5th, 6th, or 7th of Sivan. Further complicating matters, the Torah does not confirm that the Torah was given on the fiftieth day, only that this day is a "holy convocation" when "no work shall be done." Thus, it's a day for rest and celebration – but of what exactly? The Torah remains silent.

The debate over Shavuot's precise and official date might seem like a technical matter of calendar calculations, but it holds a deeper significance. The lack of clarity may reflect a deliberate intent to prevent the Jewish people from tying the Torah to a single day. The Torah is a timeless guide, eternally relevant, and Jews are meant to embrace it anew daily, as expressed in the blessing "who gives the Torah" in the present tense, not "who gave the Torah" in the past.

Yet one question persists: Why didn't the Torah clarify that Shavuot is the day of the giving of the Torah? Why did it take the sages to later define it as "the time of the giving of our Torah"?

Rabbi Sacks explains that Shavuot carries an additional layer of meaning that might have been overlooked if it were solely associated with the giving of the Torah. Every mention of Shavuot in the Torah is linked to agricultural practices, such as the omer offering, roasted and fresh grain, the wave offering, and the first fruits. Additionally, in Emor portion, right after mentioning Shavuot among Israel's festivals, the Torah addresses the commandment of pe'ah – leaving a portion of the field for the poor – and leket, the gleanings for the needy. This indicates that Shavuot also celebrates the Land of Israel. Rabbi Sacks suggests that Shavuot honors two divine gifts: the Torah and the Land.

Thus, the three pilgrimage festivals reflect three phases of the Jewish people's redemption from Egypt: Passover recalls their enslavement and exodus, Sukkot commemorates the 40 years of desert wandering, and Shavuot marks their entry into the Land of Israel.

The link between the Torah and the Land of Israel is clear: the Torah's commandments are fully realized in the Land. Hence, one holiday celebrates both. Today, with the Jewish people's return to their homeland after 2,000 years of exile, during which they safeguarded the Torah's teachings worldwide, it can again be declared, "From Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of God from Jerusalem." The surge in Shavuot night study sessions in recent years proves this, as tens of thousands of Israelis – secular, traditional, religious, and ultra-Orthodox – engage in their own way with the Torah's timeless messages, given thousands of years ago.

Rabbi Elie Kling heads the "Atid Chemed" program at the Chemed Academic College in Sdot Negev,.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to disrupt a Passover celebration held in an unusual location when Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz hosted a seder on the New York City subway Tuesday.

Damn they really did a Passover Seder on the subway? Watch what happens lol. #Passover #subway everyone is invited ! #koshadillz pic.twitter.com/kc2xDzwzic

— Kosha Dillz (BRING THE FAMILY HOME!) (@koshadillz) April 12, 2025

 Kosha Dillz, a successful Jewish and Israeli-American hip-hop artist with hundreds of thousands of social media followers, continued his annual tradition of holding Passover celebrations in non-traditional settings by setting up a Seder table on the New York subway.

The rapper uploaded videos of the celebration to his social media accounts, which were joined by clips from many passengers who enjoyed participating in the event. The festive gathering also received coverage from American media outlets and local television channels.

Dressed as Moses, Dillz poured wine for subway riders, distributed matzah, sang traditional songs, and energized the diverse group of passengers. Among them, unsurprisingly, were pro-Palestinian protesters who visibly objected to the celebration. One video captures a woman shouting "Free Palestine" while displaying her middle finger toward him. The viral videos show both the celebration and the attempted disruption.

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Tens of thousands of worshippers arrived Tuesday morning at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem for the traditional priestly blessing ceremony held during the intermediate days of Passover. This year's event, organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, holds special significance with the participation of hostages released from Hamas captivity, families of those still held captive, and wounded Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Among those attending was former hostage Eliya Cohen, who was freed from Hamas captivity after 505 days.

The Chief Rabbis of Israel, the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, and the Mayor of Jerusalem attended the ceremony. The event began at 8:45 a.m. with morning prayers, followed by the first priestly blessing at 9:30 a.m. The additional prayer service started at 10:15 a.m., with the main priestly blessing taking place at 10:30 a.m.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony at 10:40 a.m., participants held a special prayer for the return of all hostages still held in Gaza, for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, for the healing of the wounded, and for peace and security across Israel.

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Passover 2025 will begin on Saturday evening, April 12, 2025, the 14th of Nisan, 5785. The Seder night will take place on Saturday evening, immediately followed by the first day of Passover. The holiday will last seven days in Israel (eight days abroad) and will end on Friday evening, April 18, 2025, with the beginning of the seventh day of Passover, also known as the "Second Holiday of Passover." The holiday will conclude on Saturday evening, April 19, 2025.

Pay attention to the times. Here's how the Passover holiday entry and exit times will look in major cities:

Passover Holiday Entry and Exit Times (First Holiday)

Holiday entry – Saturday, April 12, 2025, 14th of Nisan 5785:

• Jerusalem – 7:44 p.m.
• Tel Aviv – 7:46 p.m.
• Haifa – 7:46 p.m.
• Beersheba – 7:45 p.m.
• Eilat – 7:42 p.m.

Holiday exit – Sunday, April 13, 2025, 15th of Nisan 5785:

• Jerusalem – 7:45 p.m.
• Tel Aviv – 7:47 p.m.
• Haifa – 7:47 p.m.
• Beersheba – 7:46 p.m.
• Eilat – 7:43 p.m.

Seventh Day of Passover Entry and Exit Times (Second Holiday)

Seventh day of Passover entry – Friday, April 18, 2025, 20th of Nisan 5785:

• Jerusalem – 6:30 p.m.
• Tel Aviv – 6:50 p.m.
• Haifa – 6:42 p.m.
• Beersheba – 6:47 p.m.
• Eilat – 6:34 p.m.

Seventh day of Passover exit – Saturday, April 19, 2025, 21st of Nisan 5785:

• Jerusalem – 7:49 p.m.
• Tel Aviv – 7:51 p.m.
• Haifa – 7:52 p.m.
• Beersheba – 7:50 p.m.
• Eilat – 7:43 p.m.

Why is the holiday called "Passover"?

The name "Passover" derives from the verse in the Book of Exodus describing the plague of the firstborn, when God "passed over" (pasach) the houses of the Israelites and did not harm them while striking the firstborn of Egypt. Beyond that, the holiday marks the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, from slavery to freedom, and is one of the three pilgrimage festivals when Jews would ascend to the Temple.

Chametz checking and elimination times for 2025

Chametz elimination is the commandment to destroy all leavened products in our possession before Passover. The Torah commands not only to refrain from eating chametz during the holiday but also not to keep it in the house. The elimination is usually done by burning the chametz or disposing of it in a place that prevents its use. If chametz is found during Passover, Jewish law requires its immediate elimination. That is, it must be burned or thrown away to a place that nullifies the ability to use it, for example, flushing it down the toilet or throwing it in a public trash can.

Order of chametz checking and elimination:

• Chametz checking: Will be performed on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at night, after the stars come out.
• Chametz elimination (burning chametz): On Friday, April 11, 2025, until 12:40 p.m.
• End time for eating chametz: Saturday, April 12, 2025, until 10:30 a.m.
• End time for eliminating chametz: Saturday, April 12, 2025, until 11:35 a.m.

When can we go back to eating chametz?

Chametz can be eaten again only after the end of the seventh day of Passover – on Saturday evening, April 19, 2025, from 7:49 p.m. onwards (Jerusalem), depending on the city.

Passover cleaning tradition

An integral part of Passover preparations is the thorough cleaning of the house to remove all chametz. Beyond the halachic aspect, the cleaning tradition has also become a symbol of refreshment and renewal – not just physically but also spiritually, as preparation for the Festival of Freedom.

What needs to be cleaned for Passover?

The Shulchan Aruch states, "It is customary to scrape the walls and chairs that chametz has touched, and they have what to rely on." However, according to the strict law, it is important to be meticulous about cleaning places where there is a real concern for chametz: kitchen utensils and cabinets, the dining area, and when there are children in the house, also clean the places within their reach.

Other areas are not required to be cleaned for Passover. Even food utensils that one does not intend to use during Passover – there is no obligation to scrub them thoroughly, and a regular washing that doesn't leave visible chametz on them is sufficient, and then store them in a closed cabinet during Passover. The same applies to an oven that one doesn't intend to use during Passover; it's enough to check that there are no significant pieces inside and seal it with tape during Passover.

The names of Passover and their meanings

Festival of Matzot

Source of the name: This name also appears in the Torah, for example: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Aviv" (Exodus 34:18).

Meaning: The title focuses on matzot – the central halachic symbol of Passover. The matzot commemorate the bread that didn't have time to rise when the Israelites hastily left Egypt. Additionally, matza is considered "the bread of affliction" – simple and modest – that reminds us of the life of slavery and the humble beginning of the nation, before it became free. There is also a spiritual interpretation: matza symbolizes simplicity and purity, unlike pride (rising) represented by chametz.

Festival of Freedom

Source of the name: This name does not appear in the Bible but appears frequently in the words of the Sages, in liturgical poems, and in Jewish literature throughout the generations.

Meaning: The holiday symbolizes the journey from slavery to freedom – not just physically but also spiritually. It marks the beginning of the path to national, social, and religious independence for the Jewish people. In a broader perspective, the Festival of Freedom has become a universal symbol for human freedom and an inspiration for liberation struggles around the world throughout history.

Festival of Spring

Source of the name: The title appears in the Torah, in the Book of Deuteronomy: "Observe the month of Aviv and keep the Passover unto the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 16:1).

Meaning: The Torah emphasizes the connection between Passover and the spring season. Spring symbolizes renewal, blossoming, and growth – and parallels the idea of the Exodus from Egypt as a new beginning. In the agricultural era, Passover was also the festival that opened the harvest season, with the bringing of the Omer offering on the day after the holiday, which anchors it economically and agriculturally as well.

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The transcontinental letter has been signed by Jewish organizations from across Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and South Africa.

In the special message, the global Jewish signatories write: "We pray and hope that this upcoming Festival of Freedom will mark the beginning of the journey to liberty for our brothers and sisters who were kidnapped by the enemy. At our Seder tables, we will dedicate our thoughts and prayers to them, in the hope of seeing them return soon. We stand with and support their families, who are enduring an unimaginable ordeal."

The letter continues: "We stand united with all our brothers and sisters who survived captivity, offering them our heartfelt support and wishing them physical and emotional healing. We salute the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces standing at the forefront of our nation's defense. On this holiday eve, our hearts are with the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones."

Jewish communities also extend holiday blessings to the people of Israel and urge unity: "We wish the people of Israel a holiday of freedom and hope. May we mark this Passover with unity and fraternity, find common ground, and draw closer to one another in the spirit of the holiday."

Jewish Agency Chairman Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog said: "On the eve of this Festival of Freedom, the Jewish Agency is leading a global Jewish call - our freedom, in the State of Israel and in Jewish communities around the world, cannot be complete while 59 of our sisters and brothers remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza. This transcends any political disagreement; it is our moral and national duty. Every Jew, in Israel and around the world, yearns for the moment they return home. We are committed to doing everything, now, to make that happen."

Jewish Agency Director General Yehuda Stone added: "In what may be one of the most challenging years in Israel's history, the Jewish Agency has made it a top priority to connect us all and harness the strength of the Jewish people to support Israel and safeguard the resilience of our global communities. There can be no healing until all our brothers and sisters held hostage in Gaza return home. With this letter, we remind ourselves that each and every one of us is part of a greater whole - and that everyone can and must be involved, contribute, and make a difference, to secure our shared freedom and hope in the spirit of the coming holiday."

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When Passover Eve fell on Shabbat, it was a rare occurrence, even in days when months were sanctified by sighting the new moon, and years could pass without this happening. Even today, with our fixed calendar system, Passover Eve falls on Shabbat only rarely.

This year (5785), Passover Eve will fall on Shabbat, and will not occur again until twenty years from now in the year 5805 (which will also feature a three-day Purim and Tisha B'Av falling on Saturday night). This unusual timing raises numerous practical questions about how to handle Shabbat meals and chametz removal.

Chametz removal

The Mishnah in Pesachim (49a) discusses the timing of chametz removal when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat. Rabbi Meir holds that chametz should be removed on Friday, while the Sages and Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok maintain it should be removed "in its time," meaning on Shabbat itself.

The Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch (444,1) ruled that chametz should be removed on Friday, though keeping some chametz for Shabbat meals is permitted. Any remaining chametz on Shabbat can be disposed of by flushing it down the toilet (Mishnah Berurah 21) or by pouring a spoiling agent on it.

In a standard year, chametz must be removed by the end of the fifth hour. When removal is moved to Friday, one might assume it could be removed anytime during the day, since chametz consumption remains permitted even on Shabbat. Nevertheless, the Mordechai, citing Rashi (Pesachim, end of Chapter 1), states that even when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat, chametz should be removed by the end of the fifth hour on Friday as a precaution to maintain consistency with regular years. The Shulchan Aruch (444,2) upholds this ruling.

In summary, when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat:

• Check for chametz on Thursday evening
• Nullify chametz after the check as usual
• Burn chametz Friday morning by the end of the fifth hour
• Don't nullify chametz on Friday (unless you don't plan to eat more)
• Nullify the remaining chametz on Shabbat before the end of the fifth hour

Handling Shabbat meals

When planning Shabbat meals, two options exist, each with challenges: using chametz foods and utensils or using kosher-for-Passover foods and utensils.

The most practical approach in modern times is to finish kashering the kitchen and storing all chametz utensils before Shabbat. On Shabbat itself, use kosher-for-Passover food with disposable dishes. Here is a practical schedule:

Friday Night Meal: Use pitas or non-crumbling bread with disposable dishes. If concerned about children carrying chametz throughout the house, eat an egg-sized portion of bread at the meal's beginning, then clear it away. For the blessing after meals, keep a small amount of bread (even in a plastic bag) on the table.

Shabbat Morning Meal: Rise early for prayers to finish in time to eat comfortably before the chametz deadline. After prayers, make Kiddush and enjoy a brief but satisfying breakfast with pitas or challah and accompaniments. Finish chametz consumption by the end of the fourth hour (approximately 10:00 a.m.). Today's variety of spreads, smoked fish, and pastrami allows for creating an honorable Shabbat meal even with these constraints.

Purchase only minimal amounts of bread for Shabbat. For leftover bread, pour a spoiling agent (like bleach or dish soap) over it and dispose of it in the toilet or outside garbage. Nullify the chametz by reciting "Kol chamira..." before the end of the fifth hour – around 11:20 a.m.

Mincha and Third Meal: The third Shabbat meal can be eaten approximately half an hour after noon (around 1:15 p.m.). Mincha prayers can be recited from this time, preferably before the meal. This can be a substantial lunch to prevent excessive hunger at the Seder, but must be chametz-free.

Kneidlach (matzah balls) are permitted at this meal, and some Sephardic Jews use egg matzah. In such cases, begin the meal before the tenth hour – around 3:50 p.m. Take care not to eat too close to the Seder to ensure appetite for the ritual matzah.

Torah Study, Between breakfast's end and Mincha time, there are roughly two to two-and-a-half free hours. Communities should organize Torah classes for adults, youth, and children during this time, including parent-child learning sessions.

In this way we can use this special Shabbat to prepare for the Seder night, so that we can enter the Seder night both from studying the Haggadah, from rest, and from the holiness of Shabbat. God willing, may we rise from holiness to holiness, and merit to achieve true inner freedom.

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A remarkable Haggadah created by Jewish Brigade fighters for Passover, just weeks before Israel's declaration of independence, has recently come to light and will be auctioned today (Thursday) at the Brand auction house in Bnei Brak, alongside several other historically significant Haggadahs.

The Haggadah, printed in Germany, features powerful messages about the Holocaust and revival, uniquely combining comfort prophecies typically recited after the Ninth of Av with articles reinforcing Zionist ideals.

"We are heroes! The last generation of slavery and the first of redemption," they write. "Into swords, into spears, the mountains will disintegrate, the hills will break. But heaps upon heaps will rise from our granaries – beware," the text states. "Rise, desert wanderers, come out from the desolation. The journey is still long, the battle still great. Let us not be stopped by the corpses of the stragglers who perished in their work – we shall pass over the fallen."

"Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, from the house of slavery," is quoted from the Haggadah, followed by clarification – "From slavery to freedom, this first cup that we raise – what is it for? Because we were commanded to remember this day, the day of going from slavery to freedom, the day of the beginning and birth of a nation. And today – when we stand in the midst of it."

Another significant Haggadah at the auction is among the first to explicitly reference the Holocaust of the Jewish people. Published in 1940 at Kibbutz Shefayim, it contains a rare and early mention of the Holocaust. "Wherever I go I hear the voices of my brothers dragged like herds to slaughter, from burning pyres, from ruins, from cities and towns – altars for burnt offerings. The groaning of their destruction terrifies my nights and my eyes will never cease to see them and my heart will never stop crying abomination."

"Do you know what is happening today?" the writer asks and answers, "In Poland our people are slaughtered like sheep. Do you hear the knocking in the mountains in the silvery air? They are standing in the frost and digging graves for each other," it says. The following page shows a person tearing under a swastika while a town burns in the background.

A third Haggadah being offered for sale is the Haganah Haggadah, also published for Passover 5708 (1948), mere weeks before Israel's declaration of independence. Even then, it appears the fighters anticipated the coming independence, as the Haggadah features distinctly celebratory and Zionist themes. "Today you are going out in the month of spring – we raise the first cup to the king of the Seder, the Hebrew state."

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Galileo Galilei was persecuted because he thought forbidden thoughts; Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake because he held dangerous beliefs. In 17th-century Europe, free thinkers faced persecution. Scientists, philosophers, and religious dissenters risked their reputations, freedom, and even lives to challenge accepted norms. Many saw no future in the world they knew and sought escape to a new world across the Atlantic – America.

It's tempting to depict the journey from the Old World to the New World as a passage from darkness to light. But many migrants felt not that they were abandoning the past, but rather reenacting it. To them, Europe was Egypt, America the Land of Canaan, and crossing the Atlantic, their personal Exodus. This consciousness animated not just the early American settlers but the nation's founders over a century later. Many saw King George III as the embodiment of King Pharaoh, and Benjamin Franklin even proposed the crossing of the Red Sea for the Great Seal of the United States.

The Americans were not alone. When battling for national liberation, the Dutch saw themselves as the new Israelites, the modern-day Exodus story. The English shared similar sentiments, and as the philosopher Michael Walzer showed, many Western peoples struggling for freedom cast themselves as Hebrews defying their Egyptian oppressors.

Notably, when Martin Luther King Jr. demanded full civil rights for all Americans regardless of race, he appealed to the American establishment with Moses' cry: "Let my people go." The metaphor had flipped; the American system, founded by those who saw themselves as breaking free from Egypt, was now perceived as the Egypt from which liberation was needed.

What happened? Here's what didn't – this was not about freedom-seeking leaders and activists reading, studying, analyzing, and interpreting the Exodus story. Rather, they were reliving it.

Every few years, the question resurfaces – "Is Exodus a story true?" That is, does the narrative we tell reflect actual historical events? Among archaeologists and historians, there is no consensus. Perhaps we should rephrase the query. We do not know if the Exodus story is real, but we know that historical events in the West have tried to mirror the Exodus story. Great stories are not measured by how accurately they depict the past, but by how they shape the future.

Two perspectives

The Exodus story, a spectacle of "blood, fire, and pillars of smoke," is a tale of wielding extraordinary power. But perhaps the greater drama is not of the story of power, but of the power of the story – its ability to magnetize human history and seduce those who encounter it into becoming consumed by it, ceasing to merely observe the story and beginning to be the story.

The proven power of the Exodus story is a significant component of the cultural patriotism Zionism sought to cultivate. The Bible is a national book, created by the Jewish people and tells their story, yet this very book shaped the consciousness of vast swaths of humanity. The opening passage of Israel's Declaration of Independence sees the Bible's universal influence as the Jewish people's greatest historical achievement: "In the land of Israel, the Jewish people came into being. Here their spiritual, religious, and political identity was shaped. Here they achieved sovereignty and created cultural assets for all humankind and gave the world the eternal Book of Books." 

In other words, we have a story, and all peoples are invited not only to study it, but to live it. 

Here are two perspectives on the Exodus story: one from within the story, and one on the story itself. From within, it depicts the ancient Hebrews enslaved in Egypt, rebelling, liberating themselves, and marching to freedom – a story of a solitary people navigating a world that seeks to subjugate and, at times, annihilate it. The second perspective is the inverse: The world draws inspiration from the Jewish people, and in moments when nations seek emancipation from their oppressors, they reenact the ancient Hebrew narrative.

It is almost impossible to reconcile these two perspectives: human reality is replete with base, violent impulses directed at Jews that we must defend against and insulate ourselves from. Yet simultaneously, human reality brims with the influence of Jewish ideas, and we have an ancient, biblical mandate to engage with the world and contribute to its repair. Can we hold both views concurrently?

An optical illusion

Not all can hold these two perspectives at the same time. On the far-Right, there are hyper-nationalistic Israelis who seek to withdraw from the world; on the far-Left, there are highly universalistic Israelis who seek to dissolve into it. These two groups are homogeneous; their value systems are built on a single foundational tenet – unbridled nationalism devoid of universal humanism on the extreme Right; universal humanism untempered by nationalism on the post-Zionist Left. Most Israelis are not homogeneous, but rather, hybrids – humanistic and nationalistic concurrently.

One of the profound processes unfolding in Israeli society in recent months is the shared realization of the great optical illusion to which we had fallen victim. We thought Israel was divided in two – nationalists versus universalists; the Right is nationalist, the Left is universalist, and the tension between them is tearing Israel apart. But this is an optical illusion. Throughout months of war, we keep rediscovering that Israel is not divided into two, but three: the mainstream of Israeli society is hybrid.

When we believe the optical illusion that Israel is divided into two, the hybrid Israelis perceive themselves as the moderate, compromising fringe of one of the two groups. But when divided into three, the hybrid Israelis understand that they are not the fringe of either group, but rather, a group unto themselves – not just Israel's largest, but one capable of uniting and leading it.

The paradox of Passover

The emerging Israeli hybridity amidst the harsh war we are embroiled in is also one of the great hopes arising from it. Israeli hybridity is, in essence, Jewish hybridity, which we encounter in the paradox of Passover. On the Seder night, we recount the story of solitary people in a hostile world, one of whose messages is that in every generation, there are those who rise to destroy us – a story that cultivates suspicion of the world and the inclination to withdraw from it. Yet it is this very story that has been embraced by the world and become a universal tale. The paradox of Passover is the paradox of Israel.

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Shachar Gafni is a successful developer known for his work with NASA and Intel. But he is also an independent researcher studying the Exodus from Egypt and has put forth a hypothesis that goes against the grain. 

Q: You've often spoken about the use of digital tools in archaeology. Could you elaborate on that? 

"Public archaeology is a global trend. It's about conducting research using the tools available online, which are mostly free of charge. It used to take an entire career of digging through archives to come across a significant find, but today Google Earth's satellite photos make it easy and quick, along with scanning antiquities maps in which Google has invested.

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"For instance, a researcher from Israel can study ancient Persian culture and virtually visit these sites without ever getting on a plane. Experts and aficionados can identify ancient buildings and walls under sand or grass. Besides the information tools available online, there are also tools for sharing information that lead to the establishment of learning and research communities."

Q: Could such amateur archaeology possibly lead to an irresponsible rewriting of history? 

"We are living in the age of information, and at any given moment a traditional tool from the industrial age is giving way to new tools. I agree that in this age everyone can decide what the truth is for him. I also agree that there is a danger in fake news, but a greater danger is the phenomenon of echo chambers.

"Meaning, those same social media algorithms that show us more of the same [content matching our] opinion and prevent broader thinking. This is one of the underground factors that has been dividing our society for years, turning discourse more extreme. I believe that every need to verify information against fake news has a technological solution, and indeed there are already projects working in that direction, such as Fact Protocol."

Q: Doesn't technology that backs up facts – and powerful search engines and artificial intelligence – also challenge academic research? 

"Google and its services are tools and scientists themselves are already leading the revolution these days, so we will see them create more and more collaborative community solutions for publishing articles and more use of artificial intelligence. 

"As for my current findings – my predecessors used to go to the library, while I turned to Google and research databases available online. I even used artificial intelligence. 

Q: So what is it that you found exactly? 

"When I was 10 years old, my family and I met a historian – Avigdor Shachan, who theorized that when Israelites left Egypt they turned toward the West, that is they walked in the Sahara desert in Africa, and not in the Sinai Peninsula. 

"This stayed with me and during the first coronavirus lockdown I delved deeper into the subject and discovered that in his book 'Bambara', researcher Joseph Eidelberg also put forward a hypothesis that said that the Israelites marched in Africa after leaving Egypt. 

"Eidelberg also suggested that an oasis called Selima, located in northern Egypt to the West of the Nile is one of the stops the Israelites made on their journey, called 'Elim.'

"In an advanced internet search on the Selima Oasis, I found that it is a water source located on an ancient trade route between Egypt and Africa, known as the Darb al-Arbaʿīn, which translates to 'route 40.' I also came upon a map from 1533 and noticed a landmark on the map named Marah, [which was mentioned in Scripture as] station before Elim".

Q: Marah, where the water was said to have been bitter until Moses threw a log in, making it sweet. 

"That's right. Another map from 1818 indicated the place, this time as 'Mour', and said that the water there was too bitter to drink. Not only that, the place lay along the same ancient trade route, and the next stop from north to south was Selima – and there the Torah says the water was fit for drinking. 

"During my research, I learned that Flavius Josephus spoke of young Moses, who – being the prince of Egypt – led a daring military operation against the Kush in southern Egypt. His surprising move was to lead the army along the same road parallel to the Nile. That is, Moses knew the road. Moreover, the Torah says that Moses had a Kushite wife, and ancient Midrashim say that he indeed was connected to a Kushite queen from southern Egypt before he came to Midian."

Q: These are all fascinating, but how did you go from several minor details to the conclusion that the Israelites must have wandered in Africa? 

"There are also ancient maps that show a place called Sukkoth on that same ancient trade route. Is this a coincidence? Although Scripture says that Sukkoth was the first stop, and here it is essentially the last stop, perhaps they set out toward Sukkoth."

Q: If the Israelites went south from Egypt, how could they have crossed the Red Sea? 

"It is agreed upon by many researchers that the modern-day Red Sea is not the biblical Red Sea. Throughout history, they have tried to offer different interpretations. Eidelberg, and later Shachan, made an original and interesting claim that the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea – and the drowning of Pharaoh's army – happened because of the Israelite's boldness and ability to improvise. He theorized that the Israelites sabotaged the dams that guarded the drainage basin of the Nile. The raising of the dam allowed the Israelites to pass, and its subsequent breach created a tremendous flood."

Q: If so, where exactly did this occur?

"I believe that the biblical Red Sea is located in Egypt, in a valley West of the Nile, known as the Faiyum Valley. In ancient times it was called 'Pi-yum', meaning 'the house of the sea', and indeed there is a lake in the valley whose waters are fed by the Nile through a canal that to this day the Egyptians call Al-Yosef, meaning the Joseph Canal.

"I came across a textbook in civil engineering that analyzed the canal and said that had the dams of the canal been breached, the damage would be enormous. Moreover, the engineer who authored the book said that the location seemed to him most suitable for the story of the crossing of the Red Sea to take place precisely because of this reason. I suppose my theory is the only one that has the approval of an engineer, a certified hydrologist. The map I found shows where the Israelites were trapped between the sea and Pharaoh's army."

Q: Another fascinating aspect of your theory is the claim that Mt. Sinai was actually a volcano. 

"Eidelberg suggested a mountain named Emi Koussi in the Sahara, located west of Egypt and south of Libya. Why a volcano? The Song of Deborah says, 'The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord.' And Habakkuk says, 'And the everlasting mountains were shattered.' The Book of Exodus, Chapter 24 says, 'Like a consuming fire atop the mountain.' Deuteronomy, Chapter 4 says, 'And the mountain burned with fire up to the midst of the heavens.' And Moses saw the angel 'in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush.'

Q: One of the counterclaims, however, is that Emi Koussi has been extinct for millions of years. 

"Yes. An advanced scan of the area found another mountain, further south, called Jabal Marra, located in Sudan. It is more fitting because it was active about 3,500 years ago, and its eruption was special. This mountain erupted in a so-called 'Plinian' fashion, which is when the smoke and fire form a tall column that can reach a height of 20 kilometers [12 miles], definitely something that can be seen from afar in the desert."

Q: And how did the Israelites return from Africa to Canaan then? Certainly not back via Egypt. 

"No. My predecessors claimed that the Israelites marched to the south of the Red Sea and crossed on foot from Bab-el-Mandeb to present-day Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and from there marched north. I hypothesize that they crossed the sea in ships. I located an ancient seaport in the Eritrean region called Adulis, on which a Greek historian wrote that it was founded by slaves who escaped from Egypt.

"An adventurous traveler from a later period said that the head of the settlement was named – surprisingly – Moses. Moreover, in the Ki Tavo portion there are warnings of what would happen to the Israelites if they disobeyed God. There is a detailed list of calamities that would befall them, and one of them is 'And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships.' Why mention the ships all of a sudden? These threats are mentioned to the Israelites while they are in the desert."

Q: Although the Exodus is one of the cornerstones of Judaism, no archeological find has been able to fully confirm or refute the account. As someone who comes from the field of high-tech, would you say technology can lead to the truth? 

"Sure, but we must remember that the only archaeological find that confirms the existence of the House of David is one accidental inscription from Tel Dan. The only find that confirms the existence of the Israelites from around 1,200 BCE is an Egyptian inscription that describes a military campaign – the Merneptah Stele. 

"That is why it is difficult to make an absolute determination based on what they did not find, and on the contrary – the rarity of the above-mentioned findings requires modesty and humility. The large amount of findings supporting the route of the Exodus from Egypt to Africa does not allow the likelihood of this to be ignored."

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Q: The consensus among scientists is that the story of the Exodus is a myth. The majority do not support your theory and even call it pseudo-science. 

"I have yet to meet someone who holds on to a certain opinion for years and gives it up easily. Moreover, many researchers are not familiar with the theory of Joseph Eidelberg and Avigdor Shachan.

"My findings offer a reasonable possibility for the path of the Israelites. I publish them on a website called lostexodus, and allow the public to help find additional clues.

"Furthermore, it is a bridge between the secular and the religious. I've had the opportunity to talk with many secular people, and it is unfortunate that many of them do not remember the stories of the Hebrew Bible. On Seder night, they hurry to get to the eating part and miss the story of the birth of our nation.

"On the other hand, there are religious people who are not exposed to the fundamental skeptical view at the base of the world of science, including the science of history and the study of the Bible. This is a world of institutionalized skepticism in which every finding is debated over and over again, out of love for sources and a passion for new discoveries and insights."

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