My grandfather, Rabbi David Stavsky, of blessed memory, had a family custom from when he was a child in the Lower East Side. Beginning in 1948, his family would conclude the Seder with the singing of Hatikvah, and to this day, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren meticulously observe this modern minhag.
The Seder commemorates the Jewish people’s ancient journey from slavery to sovereignty. After many hours reenacting the exodus from Egypt and telling the stories of G-d’s miraculous salvation of our nation, we stand up and sing Hatikvah. This dramatic capstone of everyone’s favorite night of the year is a powerful expression of our own place in the long chain of tradition and story of the Jewish people, and a reminder that we still must have hope for the final deliverance.
This Pesach will be the second year of a wartime Seder and so our “Hope” for Hashem’s protection will be even more pronounced. In addition to praying and hoping for the return of our hostages and the healing of our wounded soldiers, there is a final prayer I am hoping for.
It’s my hope that when the war finally ends, we extend full sovereignty over our entire Land of Israel. It is time to take further steps towards strengthening the security and settlement of the People of Israel in the Land of Israel, which will only be achieved when we extend our sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Only when Israel claims what is rightfully ours, will we fulfill the dream, the Hatikvah, that began in 1948.
