0: Pekar Passover is coming up next week,
and based on the events of October 7th,
we will have a very different Seder and Passover than we normally do.
Our hearts and minds have been in Israel with the hostages, their families,
their haem, the soldiers,
and all the inhabitants of Israel for the last 194 days.
And they will continue to be there with them until all the
hostages are back home with their families.
194 is on my sweatshirts because today is the hundred and 94th days
since October 7th. It's not just as RABs and it's not just Jews.
Hostages being held captive by Hamas and Gaza
from many different religions and from many different countries.
Like many people. This year we'll be having an empty chair at our Seder,
symbolizing a hostage. In our case, it will be for Hirsch Goldberg, Poland,
who again, I know his parents, Rachel Goldberg and John Poland. Personally,
he likes the arts. He's a peace activist. And how ironic that he,
a piece activist who is at a festival for music,
for love and Harmony has been stolen for the last 194 days
and it hits very close to home.
Meaning Hirsch is very close in age to my oldest son
and having an empty chair.
There is not a symbolic act where it will be business as usual
and the city will go on,
but it will be a radically different Seder this year and very different
Passover and Passover experience for us with lots of family and friends
in Israel, including those currently serving in the IDF.
And again,
having an empty chair is one way to kind of highlight them and think of them.
And we're hoping that they're brought home before Passover.
We're hoping for a Passover miracle.