Proper Seder Night: Lisano Tesfahon will celebrate for the first time in Israel • Me Weinbergen will celebrate with the grandchildren again • Dr. Nitai Reish will be carefully reunited with his family • And the brothers Saar and Uri Vilnai will leave the base • Special
Passover Seder
Photo:
Oren Ben Hakon
"This year we went to Laboratories for Freedom"
Lisano Tesfahon | Newcomer
About 2,000 immigrants from Ethiopia arrived as part of the "Create Israel" program, and they are preparing for the first Passover in Israel at the Jewish Agency's absorption centers.
Lisano Tesfahon (31), his wife Agranesh (24) and their two young children - Rachel (4) and Avraham (4 months) will celebrate Passover in Israel for the first time in their lives.
They immigrated from Ethiopia three months ago in Operation Israel.
Upon immigrating to Israel they were asked to stay in solitary confinement due to the corona practices, and immediately afterwards they were privileged to meet for the first time in years with their father, caused by Tesfahon.
He immigrated to Israel 15 years ago and waited many years for the immigration of his children and grandchildren.
"I feel as if this Passover my sister and I went out to freedom," says Lisano Jr. "to Israel Today," "We were privileged to be united with my father in Israel."
The chairman of the Jewish Agency, Yitzhak (Buzi) Herzog: "This Passover we pray that just as the State of Israel leaves laboratories for freedom, so will the Jewish communities around the world return to a routine of life soon."
By: Ilya Yagurov
"The children are happy"
Dr. Nitai Reish | Specialist Physician
Dr. Nitai Reish, 31, specializes in emergency medicine at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), while his wife Dina is a nurse in the emergency room at Shaare Zedek Medical Center. They are parents to two, Eitan, two and a half years old, and Gilad, ten months old.
"Last year was a sad Passover," he says, "only my wife and I celebrated, for the first time alone. We left the parents and siblings to do Passover each with himself."
"It was a challenging year for both of us as medical staff," he said.
He concludes that "compared to last year it is a feeling that the heart is opened and the children are already waiting to celebrate a holiday with grandparents and uncles. For the first time they will be a holiday with a relatively extended family."
By: Shlomi Diaz
"Happy to be home together"
Saar and Uri Vilnai An officer and a female soldier in the rescue brigade
One can count on the fingers of both hands the number of times Lt.
In each of the closures remained at the base for an extended period of time.
"The peak was 45 consecutive days at the base," he said.
He spent Pesach last year at the Magen outpost in Samaria.
"We sat the whole company around tables outside. There was an amazing atmosphere, but there was a pinch of homesickness."
The one who remained at home was his sister, Uri, who is now also a soldier in the rescue brigade.
Uri is happy that this year her brother will be at home - both because of the longing and because she will be able to share with him what she is going through as a young soldier in the brigade.
"I'm targeting an officer. It's good to have someone in the house to share and talk about what you went through."
By: Hanan Greenwood
"We had a difficult year"
I'm Weinbergen Holocaust survivor
Passover is one of the two most family and social holidays in Israel.
Therefore, in the year when every holiday was closed, the song "What has changed tonight" will have a special meaning.
I, too, Weinbergen (94), a Holocaust survivor from the Netherlands, celebrated last year's Seder night at the Juliana House in Herzliya in a very limited format.
“Every year on holiday we would sit in a big hall around a big table with a lot of people, but last year it was forbidden,” Weinbergen said.
"Because of Corona's limitations, last year a sheltered housing event was held on each floor separately, so on Seder night of my floor only 10-8 people attended."
She said, "During the Corona period and especially at first I hardly saw my son and grandchildren. It's hard, but it was a difficult year. Now everyone got vaccinated so it's much easier and happier. In February we already celebrated my birthday together in the park, they brought food and we had a party. "It's exciting that we will also celebrate Seder together."
By: Adi Hashmonai