As Jews around the world and Israelis of all walks of life face increasing vulnerability this Passover—driven by conflict, poverty, increasing antisemitism and trauma—the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is meeting essential needs and ensuring Jewish communities can celebrate Passover with resilience and hope.
From food, medicine and shelter to trauma support, employment training, and rebuilding projects, JDC is on the frontlines in Ukraine, Israel, and other global hotspots. Simultaneously, the organization is bringing people together to celebrate Passover traditions, distributing matzah and holiday food packages, and connecting Jews worldwide at a time of increasing isolation.
“As we gather around our holiday tables, we will call for all who are hungry to eat and share in our meal. This year, hunger is accompanied by ongoing war and strife, loss and uncertainty, and the plague of increasing antisemitism. At times like these, we at JDC remain steadfast in our commitment to being a global lifeline, delivering aid and solutions that save lives and strengthen communities. I pray that this Passover ushers in a time of hope, healing and better days,” says JDC CEO Ariel Zwang.
In Ukraine, which is now experiencing a fourth year of deadly conflict with unending blackouts and bombings, the country’s neediest Jews depend on JDC to ensure their survival and ability to participate in Jewish life and celebrate the Passover holiday. In addition to providing uninterrupted, life-saving care for tens of thousands of elderly, children, the newly impoverished, the internally displaced and refugees in Europe, JDC is distributing more than 39,000 boxes of matzah to the most vulnerable and other Ukrainian Jewish community members to ensure they can take part in the holiday.
JDC is making it possible for more than 10,000 people of all generations to participate in in-person and online Passover programs that include more than 100 seders at JDC’s Jewish community centers and Hesed social-service centers, which continue to be a source of humanitarian aid and Jewish life throughout the constant devastating conflict.
In Israel, in the wake of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ongoing war, millions of people are in crisis as they struggle with loss, trauma and unemployment. JDC is helping them and their communities to recover and rebuild, including during Passover.
Before the war, 1 million-plus vulnerable Israelis—elderly, people with disabilities, and children and families at risk—benefited weekly from JDC-developed social services. Now, even more people require critical interventions as new needs have emerged, and JDC has already helped more than 540,000 of the hardest-hit Israelis.
In Ofakim, where 52 people were murdered on Oct. 7, JDC launched the Mashiv Haruach (“Reviving the Spirit”) initiative to facilitate recovery programs and services. For example, JDC worked with the community to establish the House on Mishor, a community center designed to help residents heal from the trauma.
During this Passover, special holiday activities will be provided for children.
As global antisemitism takes an ongoing toll on Jews and Jewish communities, JDC is responding with a variety of resilience, security, and mental health initiatives. This past November, violent antisemitic attacks erupted in Amsterdam against visiting Israelis who were attending a soccer match. JDC immediately activated its emergency response team and worked through Maccabi Netherlands to provide support for the safe accommodation of Israelis as they awaited their expedited return home. The same month in Dubai, the murder of Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan shook the local Jewish community. JDC quickly set up mental-health sessions for dozens of community members to enable them to manage their fears and concerns.
In other parts of the world, JDC is working to ensure the most vulnerable Jews can celebrate Passover. In India, dozens of Jewish families will receive support so they can celebrate the eight days of Passover at home. Cuba’s Jewish community can participate in a seder, and holiday food packages will be provided to hundreds of vulnerable Jewish families in Venezuela.
JDC Passover Resources
The sense of community is integral to Passover, and so JDC invites the global Jewish community to send Passover greetings to vulnerable Jews in Ukraine and worldwide. To send a holiday message at no charge, visit: www.jdc.org/passover.
To bring global Jewish voices to seders, JDC is making available for free “A Special Reading for a Jewish World in Crisis,” which explores the meaning of matzah, and “Voices of Hardship and Hope,” featuring people in Israel, Argentina, and Ukraine who share how they are navigating today’s challenges with determination and faith. To download these Passover supplements, visit: www.jdc.org/passover.
JDC’s life-saving work and its Passover activities, including distribution of matzah by JDC’s Hesed social-service centers and Jewish volunteer corps in Ukraine, are supported by JDC’s partnerships with the Jewish Federations, Claims Conference, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, UJA-Federation of New York, individual donors and foundations.