Marking Passover in Ukraine and Israel

This Passover, Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) organized a Women’s Seder in Lviv, reflecting on the holiday’s poignant themes. The seder explored the traditional journey from slavery to freedom while contemplating the role of women in the Exodus story and the power of ancestral memory. This year’s Seder took on added poignancy as it coincided with a national day of mourning for the victims of the recent missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. Participants shared their collective grief and found strength in tradition and togetherness.

In Jerusalem, Project Kesher Israel’s (PKI’s) newest LGBTQ group gathered not only to observe tradition but to challenge and expand it. Michal Kireva, a future rabbi and PKI intern, led a powerful study session that explored the Haggadah through a feminist and queer lens. Together, participants examined the absence of women in the Exodus narrative and connected the theme of liberation to the LGBTQ experience of coming out and embracing one's identity. In addition, Rabbi Olya Weinstein, CEO of PKI, participated in Passover-themed interviews on KAN, Israel’s public radio. Listen to the broadcasts here (in Russian): Haggadah & Song of Songs.