Deliverance: Helping Israelis Home from the Hospital for Passover

Passover has always been a holiday centered around the home. Even in times of upheaval, the longing to sit around the family table, retell the story of our redemption, and hear the youngest voice recite the Four Questions remains as powerful as ever.

This year, for the second Passover of an ongoing war, that longing is felt deeply across a weary and traumatized nation. Fifty-nine hostages are still held captive in Gaza. Tens of thousands of individuals remain displaced from their homes in the north and south. Soldiers and civilians are still recovering from serious injuries sustained from the past 18 months of violence. Parents and children are separated by hospital corridors. And all of Am Yisrael — each one of us — carries the collective weight of grief, uncertainty, and exhaustion.

But this is also a time of hope. Across the country and around the world, people are rising to the moment. We see a remarkable outpouring of compassion, of giving, of volunteerism — especially around the holidays. From Israelis volunteering in their own neighborhoods to Jews and supporters arriving from abroad to lend a hand, we are seeing a modern expression of “kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol” — “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” That call echoes not just around the Seder table, but across the country.

At Yad Sarah, we are once again preparing to help thousands of families bring their loved ones home for the holiday. With our volunteers set to distribute some 10,000 pieces of medical and rehabilitative equipment in the days leading up to Passover, we are making it possible for patients to celebrate at home rather than in hospitals and rehab centers. Whether someone needs a hospital bed, a wheelchair, or a specialized device to ease breathing, we are working to ensure they can be surrounded by family — and by comfort — when they ask, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

For those who cannot return home, Yad Sarah is still there. Our hospitality suites adjacent to hospitals across the country are full of families who refuse to leave the bedsides of their loved ones — people who are receiving cancer treatments, recovering from surgeries, or navigating long-term rehabilitation. These homes away from home provide a warm, supportive environment during an otherwise difficult and isolating time.

In the north, where residents are slowly being given the all-clear to return after months of evacuation, many are coming back to homes that need to be restocked and refitted — especially families with relatives who are elderly or living with disabilities. Our branches, open throughout the country during chol hamoed, are ready to meet that need, staffed entirely by volunteers who give up their vacation time to serve others.

These acts of lovingkindness — often quiet, always powerful — are part of what uplifts this country’s long road to healing. At Yad Sarah, we believe in long-term support. When the cameras move on and the headlines fade, we remain. Recovery doesn’t end when the emergency is over. We are here for people in every stage of rehabilitation — physically, emotionally, and practically.

No one who needs help in Israel is ever forgotten.

As we prepare for the holiday of our freedom, may this Passover bring us all one step closer to peace, healing, and homecoming. May it be a time when we lift each other up — and in doing so, lift the entire nation.

To the volunteers, staff, and supporters who make this possible: thank you. You are the quiet heroes of Am Yisrael’s recovery.

Chag kasher v’sameach.