Israelis mark Passover in shadow of war: 'We cannot celebrate together'

[0:00] This year, Easter and Passover coincided not only with each other, but with the war in Iran. [0:06] And that led to subdued holidays in Israel. [0:08] Gatherings were restricted in size, and access to Jerusalem was severely limited. [0:13] Producer Carl Bostic and Nick Schifrin have this report on Passover in Israel under fire. [0:19] This year in the Holy Land, the holidays turned into tests of faith. [0:28] Residents in Matula, Israel's northernmost town, rush inside whatever reinforced room offers seconds of safety. [0:34] The sirens of incoming Hezbollah rockets or missiles provide only 15 seconds of warning. [0:43] What sounds like distant booms, outgoing Israeli air defense on the first day of Passover. [0:49] We are not safe. [0:50] We cannot celebrate together like each year, every year. [0:55] It was a missile hit here. [1:02] This is the car. [1:03] Damage no more. [1:04] Miriam Hood shows producer Carl Bostic the aftermath of a Hezbollah strike just last week. [1:10] This car on her street, full of pockmarks, her hotel pierced by shrapnel. [1:16] She owns the base Shalom. [1:17] She says Passover doesn't feel as it should. [1:20] Is there a reason to celebrate right now? [1:22] No. [1:23] No reason. [1:24] We are not celebrating today. [1:26] We stay home. [1:27] No family. [1:28] Holy Week is supposed to help inaugurate spring, but for many of the faithful this year, that [1:33] joy was missing, and instead weeks of war left emptiness. [1:38] What should have been a full Western Wall was instead deserted because of restrictions on [1:42] group gatherings during the war. [1:44] In northern Israel, with Lebanon in the distance, that means a town largely evacuated. [1:49] One of Matula's residents, who stayed behind, is both spiritual guide and protector. [1:59] Israel Pachter is a reservist on duty and a rabbi in Matula. [2:03] He helps residents hold on to their spirit and their homes. [2:07] The end of this street, it's Lebanon. [2:10] And Hezbollah also thought it's a very good idea to start with us, and he started. [2:17] During the war with Iran, Israel says Hezbollah fired more than 2,100 drones and missiles into [2:25] northern Israel. [2:29] Rockets, fire, whatever it's going to be, we are here to protect our community, me and [2:34] my friends, and we do it 24 hours a day. [2:40] We first met Pachter two years ago, when he and his wife Sarah were evacuated following [2:44] the October 7 terrorist attacks in the 2023 war between Israel and Hezbollah. [2:48] Part of the winning is to keep our morality up. [2:53] Today, Israel has invaded southern Lebanon to create what it calls a security belt along [2:57] the border, so Matula's residents can remain if they choose. [3:01] Of course, it's not peacefully and quiet now like regular, and a lot of families went out [3:06] only for Pesach. [3:08] Many Matula residents fled here, Tiberias, 40 miles to the south, an ancient biblical city [3:13] on the Sea of Galilee, where scripture says Jesus walked on water. [3:17] And it's a temporary home for the displaced, to mark the moment the Jews gain freedom from [3:27] a vengeful pharaoh in Egypt. [3:29] Moshe Weinstein leads the Passover Seder with his family and Matula residents. [3:33] But one is missing. [3:35] His son, Omer, was killed in October 2024 by a Hezbollah rocket. [3:40] Omer was supposed to inherit the family farm from his father. [3:43] His gravestone overlooks the outskirts of Matula. [3:48] If I had stayed in the synagogue and prayed 24-7 for a son like Omer, I wouldn't have received [3:54] one. [3:54] Across the table from him, his son-in-law, Moshe Wagshal. [3:59] This is the husband of my son-in-law, my daughter. [4:03] And the Wagshals continue the family business on the same land, where the family has lived [4:08] more than a century. [4:09] Despite being there for five generations, have you ever thought about getting Matula? [4:14] We returned after the war. [4:19] Our daughter asked us not to return. [4:32] We promised her that at the first siren we would leave, and we haven't kept that promise. [4:47] The current war started, and we stayed in Matula. [4:50] Because on this holiday that marks Jews' escape from bondage toward the biblical promised land, [4:55] they hold on to their homes in the face of war. [4:59] For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Nick Schifrin. [5:11] Support journalism you trust. [5:13] Support PBS News. [5:15] Donate now, or even better, start a monthly contribution today.