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Originally appeared in jns.org on March 29, 2026

Joshua Berman’s new Haggadah tells the Passover story through the lens of ancient Egypt.

Passover celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman’s distinctive new Haggadah, Echoes of Egypt: A Haggadah, was inspired by his four trips to the Land of the Nile.

The visually rich Haggadah, published in Jerusalem by Koren Publishers, presents the Exodus narrative through the lens of ancient Egyptian culture. It sheds light on phrases and concepts in the Hebrew Bible, dispels the misconception that the Israelites built the pyramids, and includes museum-quality photographs of artifacts, idols and inscriptions for seder participants of all ages.

Berman, an Orthodox rabbi and professor in the Zalman Shamir Department of Bible at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, playfully described the roots of his fascination with Egypt and his desire to visit the land the Israelites left millennia ago.

“I think anyone who has been raised in America has a little bit of a streak of Indiana Jones and King Tut in him,” he said in a recent interview with JNS. “When you get into the Bible, you see the connection between Egyptian culture and things in the Torah. You begin to get the sense that there are a whole bunch of dots that can begin to connect to larger thematic points that the Torah is making.

“This had always been of great interest to me, and I had always wanted to visit Egypt. But I didn’t want to just go to Egypt and stare at pyramids. I wanted to go with someone who could make the connections.”

The opportunity came in January 2021, when Berman visited Egypt with American Egyptologist and Bible scholar Professor James Hoffmeier and a group of 15 Christian clergy and scholars. The rabbi, who always wears a yarmulke—even in Egypt—said it was reassuring to have “15 Christian bodyguards.”

Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman holds a copy of his new Haggadah, March 2026. Credit: Koren Jerusalem.

Visiting Egypt

Accustomed to visiting biblical sites in Israel, Berman immediately noticed a striking contrast with the archaeological remains he encountered in Egypt.

“The experience in Egypt surveying and going through the archaeological sites is unlike anything that we have here.”

He cited the example of touring the Elah Valley, the site of the biblical account of David and Goliath. Berman noted that there is “nothing to see,” whereas “in Egypt, it is all still there on the walls, in full color.”

Reflecting on his first visit, Berman said, “The things I saw were so remarkable. It is a blow-away experience.” He recalled thinking, “Jews have to see this!” After the Abraham Accords made travel to Egypt easier for Israelis, he led two groups there in each of the following two years, 2022 and 2023.

Berman acknowledged that one can gain some sense of the power of the pharaohs, or the labor of ancient slaves, through images in books. “But in coming to Egypt, suddenly what you are looking at shines a bright light on the text that you thought you knew.”

An important insight came to Berman while inside the tomb of Ramesses III in the Valley of the Kings.

“I saw an Egyptian incense censer depicted on the wall, and suddenly a passage in Numbers I had known for years came alive.”

Berman cited the verse read on Chanukah in which the tribal leaders bring an offering—“a vessel called a kaf with 10 units of gold, filled with incense.” He explained that the precise meaning of the term kaf has long been unclear. In modern Hebrew, kaf can mean a spoon or the palm of a hand, and commentators have suggested it may refer to a cup, bowl or shovel.

“We are standing in the cave, and Hoffmeier shows me Ramesses III offering incense to the deities. He is holding an elaborate vessel with a long gold rod. At the end of the gold rod is a sculpted gold hand holding a sculpted gold cup, from which waft out the odors of the incense. The way in which they offer incense is through this vessel.

“This explains the biblical verse. The idea behind it is that the Pharaoh wants to give something to the deity. But you can’t just hand the deity a cup. There is transcendence between God above and the human below. Using the cup demonstrates the desire to be close without violating the distance necessary between the divine and the human realm. It explains the verse and something we use in our own practice—the yad (Torah pointer). We have impurity in our hands but want to be close to the Torah.”

This discovery ultimately served as both the inspiration and the impetus for Berman’s Haggadah. “In that moment, I realized these visual keys to the biblical text needed to be shared.”

Encountering the Exodus

At its core, Echoes of Egypt invites readers to encounter the Exodus story within the world in which it first unfolded. By situating the Haggadah within the cultural landscape of ancient Egypt, the book offers fresh perspectives on familiar passages.

The Haggadah begins with two essays—one on how the Torah departed from ancient political thought, and another on “how the Torah transformed Egyptian propaganda.” It then presents a traditional Koren Haggadah, with text translated by Jessica Sacks and explanatory notes by Berman.

A photograph on page 38 of the storage cities of “Pithom and Ramses” includes Berman’s note: “There is a persistent misconception that our ancestors were the builders of the pyramids.” He explained that “the Egyptians ceased building pyramids around 1600 BCE, long before the era of Israelite slavery.” The image shows “vast mudbrick storage facilities, built on an area equal to 15 American football fields.”

Berman said that because he did not set out to produce a thematic or line-by-line commentary, he “didn’t have to say something about everything.”

He also expressed appreciation for the team at Koren Publishers, who secured permissions for the images and developed the layout, which he described as “extremely tricky,” given the need to present Hebrew and English text alongside images on a single spread “without turning the page—not easy to pull off!”

Berman, the author of numerous books, recently launched a podcast, The Bible Bar, in which he and fellow scholars guide listeners through the Bible one chapter at a time.

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Originally appeared in jns.org, March 24, 2026

Although players will not compete in the Billie Jean King Cup event in Bosnia, they will retain their ranking level for next year.

The Israel Tennis Association (ITA) has announced that Israel’s women’s national team will not participate in the Billie Jean King Cup tournament in April, citing security concerns related to travel and the current regional situation.

Israel had been scheduled to compete against Bosnia in the Europe/Africa Group II event. According to the ITA, concerns centered on both the security situation in Israel and the players’ safety while traveling abroad. Officials also noted sensitivities about competing in a destination perceived as less friendly toward Israel at this time, as well as the participation of teams from several Muslim-majority countries, including Egypt and Morocco.

The Billie Jean King Cup, formerly known as the Fed Cup, is the premier international team competition in women’s tennis and is often referred to as the “World Cup of Tennis.” This year’s competition features a record 148 nations competing across four regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe.

Israel previously hosted the Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I tournament in Eilat in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

The ITA said it considered hosting this year’s event in Israel but determined it was not feasible given the current security circumstances.

Ronen Morali, captain of Israel’s team, said, “This was the right and wisest decision under the current circumstances. Following the concerns expressed by the players, most of whom are very young, and due to the understanding that we will not be harmed professionally by the move, we decided to submit an official request to the ITF not to participate in the tournament.”

The International Tennis Federation accepted the ITA’s formal request to withdraw.

Morali noted that, if the trip had been scheduled to take place now, “The Israeli security authorities would not have authorized us to go.”

He added, “Our responsibility is first and foremost to protect the players’ safety and security.”

Jonathan Erlich, captain of Israel’s Davis Cup team and a former Israeli doubles player, faced similar security challenges in September 2025, when Israel competed against Canada in a Davis Cup World Group I tie in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The matches were played without spectators at the Scotiabank Centre due to security concerns.

Erlich supported the women’s team’s decision. “I think they made the right decision. Going to a country that in normal days we not been loved so now will be too risky.”

David Wiseman, founder of the Facebook page Follow Team Israel, which highlights stories about Israeli and Jewish athletes and has more than 160,000 followers, said security considerations increasingly affect Israeli participation in international competitions.

“The unfortunate reality is that this is the world we live in. There are too many geopolitical considerations when an Israeli sports team competes around the world,” Wiseman said.

He cited recent examples in which Israeli athletes were unable to participate in international events.

In January 2024, Israel’s rock-climbing team and its top climber, Ayala Kerem, were barred from competing in the Dock Masters 2024 competition in Utrecht, Netherlands, due to concerns about potential security threats.

In October 2025, Israeli gymnasts, including Olympic medalist Artem Dolgopyat, were denied entry visas to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Originally appeared in jns.org, March 19, 2026

Home Front Command and “purple” initiatives help vulnerable populations access shelters, information and essential services.

As Iranian and Hezbollah missile attacks continue across Israel, people with disabilities and the elderly face unique and often overlooked challenges—from reaching shelters in time to coping with overstimulating environments once inside.

In response, the Home Front Command and a range of civil society initiatives are working to ensure that vulnerable populations remain safe, informed and supported.

For many, the obstacles are immediate and practical. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may not hear warning sirens. Those with mobility impairments may struggle to access shelters. People with autism can find crowded, noisy spaces overwhelming.

“The most important thing is planning ahead and knowing the safest place,” said Tami Durst, the Home Front Command’s professional academic officer and desk commander for people with disabilities. “It is proven that following the guidelines and getting to a shelter on time saves lives.”

The Home Front Command has adapted its emergency guidance to reach diverse populations, offering materials in multiple languages, including English, Russian and Amharic, and tailoring content for different disabilities.

Services include sign-language training videos with subtitles, phone alerts using repeated vibrations or flashing lights for those who are deaf, and simplified, illustrated materials for people with intellectual disabilities.

“Booklets have illustrations and simply explain things such as what a missile is,” Durst said.

The agency conducts daily Zoom sessions for people with disabilities, partnering with organizations such as ALUT (autism), Elwyn (multiple disabilities) and Migdal Or (visual impairments).

In Israel, families can call 104 for assistance or request group briefings.

Shavvim volunteers operating the Purple Hotline, March 2026. Credit: Shavvim.

Nonprofits play key role

Beyond government efforts, nonprofit organizations are playing a critical role.

Access Israel estimates that roughly 25% of Israel’s population—about 2.6 million people—are individuals with disabilities or older adults who may need assistance during emergencies.

Shavvim, an advocacy and media platform focused on disability issues, estimates that more than 1.6 million Israelis live with disabilities, a number that has risen sharply since Oct. 7, 2023, due to injuries and trauma.

Both groups operate initiatives known as “purple” campaigns, a reference to the color associated with International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Access Israel’s Purple Vest Mission mobilizes trained volunteers to assist individuals in reaching accessible shelters, relocating to protected housing when necessary and obtaining essential supplies during prolonged emergencies.

“Emergencies do not affect everyone equally,” said Michal Rimon, founder of the Purple Vest Mission and CEO of Access Israel. “For people with disabilities and older adults, it takes more time to reach safety; even a few seconds can mean the difference between safety and tragedy.”

Jamie Lassner, executive director of Accessibility Accelerator and a volunteer with the initiative, said the program’s impact lies in preparation.

“They understand accessibility, they understand disability, and they act with urgency, compassion and dignity,” she said. “That preparation is no longer theoretical. It is saving lives.”

Shavvim operates a “Purple Hotline,” offering emergency assistance and rights-based support for people with disabilities and their families.

The hotline grew out of an operations center established after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, fielding calls from individuals unable to reach shelters, access medication or evacuate safely. It also assisted newly injured reservists in navigating rehabilitation systems and the families of children with complex needs.

“We received calls from wheelchair users who couldn’t get to a safe room, from people needing food or medicine, and from parents struggling to care for children with special needs during constant alerts,” said Idan Motola, founder and CEO of Shavvim.

The hotline, relaunched on March 1 after a previous pause, has assisted more than 4,500 people to date. Among its efforts, volunteers distributed hundreds of tablets to children with autism spending extended periods in shelters.

Motola said hotline operators were called, inter alia, by families without protected spaces and from those unable to obtain medication or food, calls from parents of children with complex needs who could not evacuate safely, and from newly injured reservists encountering Israel’s rehabilitation and welfare systems for the first time.

“We received calls from wheelchair users who couldn’t get to a safe room or shelter, and from people with food requests, those with husbands on reserve duty, those needing to buy medicine and people needing help babysitting kids while they ran an errand. We also got requests for tablets for families of children with autism spending a lot of time in the shelter. We gave out 250!”

Shirly Pinto Kadosh, Israel’s first deaf member of Knesset and a longtime advocate for accessibility, said the initiative addresses critical gaps.

“People with disabilities in Israel still face dangerous barriers during war and daily life alike,” she said. “The Purple Hotline is meant to ensure that no one is left alone when systems become impossible to navigate.”

As the war continues, organizers said the goal is not only to respond to immediate needs but to build lasting systems of support that extend beyond times of crisis.

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Originally appeared in chabad.org on march 18, 2026

Sheina Vaspi came to the Milano Cortina Games as a one-woman Israeli delegation, but never felt alone

She was one athlete, representing one country, in five events. Two of them fell on Shabbat.

Sheina Vaspi, Israel’s sole representative to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, did not ski in the women’s downhill on the Games’ opening weekend, nor in the slalom on the final Shabbat of the competition. For the 24-year-old native of Yesud HaMa’ala in Israel’s Galilee region, not skiing on Shabbat—even in such a prestigious event as the Paralympics—is not really a “decision.”

“More than Israel has kept the Shabbat, the Shabbat has kept Israel,” Vaspi told Chabad.org from her room at the Paralympic Village ahead of her second Shabbat there last week. “In a sport like skiing, you need that protection from Hashem.”

The slalom, Vaspi’s favorite event, was scheduled to begin on Shabbat. In the days before, Vaspi said she had been quietly hoping for a heavy snowstorm on Friday night—one severe enough to push the race to another day. The storm never came. Instead, she spent the morning in her room at the Paralympic Village celebrating Shabbat.

In the three events she did compete in, Vaspi missed a gate in the super-G (super giant slalom) and was disqualified, and finished 12th out of 15 in the super combined standing, a condensed competition format held in one day, combining one short run of a speed event—either downhill or Super-G—with one run of technical slalom.

Each result was absorbed with the same matter-of-fact composure she brings to the far larger obstacles she has faced.

Megillah in Paralympic Village

Vaspi lost her leg in a car accident when she was 3 years old. She picked up skiing at 16, a relatively late start even for non-disabled athletes and an especially unlikely one for a girl from a country with a single ski area. Her first time on snow was at Israel’s Mount Hermon, encouraged by her relative Amit Mizrahi, an Israeli alpine skier and volunteer for what is now the Shevet Foundation.

She has since put in the work to close that gap, spending four seasons training in Winter Park, Colo., and several months in Chile. The Milano Cortina Games marked her second Paralympics appearance; her first was in Beijing in 2022.

“For me, it is special to be here,” she said. “Others at this level came from countries with a lot of winter sports and have a lot of experience.”

Wherever Vaspi has trained or competed, Chabad-Lubavitch has been part of her support network. In Colorado, she spent four seasons going to Rabbi David and Nechama Araiev of the Ohr Avner Community Center in Aurora every Shabbat. “They were my second home there,” she said. In Chile, Chabad was similarly supportive during a three-month stretch.

“Everywhere I go, Chabad has been totally amazing,” she said. “They help me with organizing kosher food, Shabbat, and to just sit and talk in Hebrew. There is something familiar wherever I go.”

Rabbi Eli Edelkopf drove five hours to read the Megillah in the Paralympic Village for himself, his wife, Vaspi, and her physiotherapist.

The most recent example came on Purim. Vaspi mentioned to her contact at Chabad of Milan that she was hoping to hear the Megillah read in the Paralympic Village, a five-hour drive from Milan.

The contact reached out to Rabbi Eli Edelkopf, director of the European Jewish Development Fund. He agreed without hesitation, driving five hours each way to make it happen. Edelkopf read Megillah in the Paralymic Village for himself, his wife, Sheina and her physiotherapist, a Israel-born Jewish woman from Colorado.

On the way, at Vaspi’s request, Edelkopf stopped to pick up a kosher microwave and a volume of the letters and correspondence of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, known as Igrot Kodesh. He also brought homemade hamantaschen and mishloach manot.

Vaspi was speechless. She couldn’t believe the Edelkops made the trip especially for her, and her Israeli physiotherapist who joined them.

The microwave, said Vaspi, was a lifesaver. While she had access to plenty of kosher food, she had no way to heat it.

Vaspi was excited to have her parents watch her compete, but the war with Iran made that impossible.

“I keep it all in perspective,” she said. Nevertheless, she was happy that her sister made it, after a journey that took 36 hours instead of the usual three.

Looking back on her unlikely journey, Vaspi has one takeaway message: There’s no reason to compromise on your Judaism. “Go after your dreams and believe in yourself,” she said. “You can do anything.”

Sheina Vaspi

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