Savannah’s Jewish community begins Passover with focus on safety amid global tensions
Local Jewish leaders say Savannah traditions continue despite global conflicts, emphasizing community and security during Passover
ALL VICTIMS SURVIVED. A HEARING IS SET FOR JUNE. PASSOVER BEGINS TODAY-A TIME FOR FAMILY, TRADITION, AND REFLECTION. BUT THIS YEAR, CELEBRATIONS COME AS TENSIONS CONTINUE TO RISE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WJCL 22 NEWS’ MADELYN COOPER IS LIVE AT THE JEWISH EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE WITH HOW THE COMMUNITY IS STAYING SAFE-WHILE STILL HONORING THE HOLIDAY. GOOD MORNING FRANK- IT’S THE FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY-AND LEADERS HERE SAY NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST-THEY WILL STILL CELEBRATE THE STORY OF FREEDOM. MANY FAMILIES ARE GATHERING FOR THE FIRST “SAY-DER”-A PASSOVER MEAL THAT RETELLS THE STORY OF THE EXODUS, WHEN THE ISRAELITES WERE FREED FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT- SOT: SAM FRIEDMAN, CEO OF JEWISH EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE AND SAVANNAH JEWISH FEDERATION “IT IS THE ANNUAL RETELLING OF HOW WE WERE SLAVES, AND NOW WE’RE FREE.” IT’S A STORY PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS- BUT ONE THAT FEELS ESPECIALLY RELEVANT RIGHT NOW. WHEN YOU FIGURE THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, OR THE YEAR BEFORE THE INCREASE IN ANTISEMITISM, THE CONSTANT, IT SEEMS LIKE CONSTANT WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THERE’S ALWAYS SIGNIFICANCE. THE IDEA THAT WE COULD LIVE AND BE FREE PEOPLE IN OUR OWN LAND IS AT THE CENTER OF THE PASSOVER STORY. AND THIS IS A HUGE PART OF OF THE CONFLICT THAT WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. SAM FRIEDMAN-CEO OF THE SAVANNAH JEWISH FEDERATION- SAYS WITH THE WAR IN IRAN TOP OF MIND- SECURITY IS ALWAYS PART OF THESE HOLIDAY GATHERINGS. ANY TIME THERE’S A JEWISH HOLIDAY, WE ALWAYS PLACE A GREATER EMPHASIS ON SECURITY. THE OBLIGATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS TO BE AWARE AND TO PROTECT OURSELVES. I THINK THE WAR IN IRAN RIGHT NOW IS CELEBRATE PASSOVER. THEY’RE THERE TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY’VE ALREADY BEEN IN A BOMB SHELTER SINCE THEY’VE BEEN THERE. BUT DESPITE THE WAR- LEADERS SAY SAVANNAH’S COMMUNITY BRINGS A SENSE OF COMFORT. I AM MORE COMFORTED BY THAT AND BY THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN SAVANNAH THAN I AM OF ANY SORT OF FEAR OF TERRORISM OR WAR AROUND THE WORLD. AND THROUGH IT ALL-THE TRADITION CONTINUES. THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THINK THAT IN 1733, IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JEWS WERE CELEBRATING PASSOVER. AND IN 2026, WE’RE STILL DOING IT” LEADERS SAY EVEN AMID GLOBAL TENSIONS, THAT MESSAGE REMAINS THE
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT Apr 1, 2026
Savannah’s Jewish community begins Passover with focus on safety amid global tensions
Local Jewish leaders say Savannah traditions continue despite global conflicts, emphasizing community and security during Passover
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT Apr 1, 2026
Jewish families in Savannah began observing Passover on Wednesday, a holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Many families gathered for the first Seder, a ceremonial meal that retells the story of the Exodus.”It is the annual retelling of how we were slaves, and now we’re free,” said Sam Friedman, CEO of the Savannah Jewish Federation and the Jewish Educational Alliance. Community leaders said the holiday’s message of freedom remains the same, even as concerns about conflict and antisemitism persist.”The idea that we could live and be free people in our own land is at the center of the Passover story, and it’s a huge part of the conflict we’re seeing right now,” he said.Security is a routine concern during Jewish holidays, Friedman said, and is heightened during the Iran War.”Any time there’s a Jewish holiday, we place a greater emphasis on security,” he said. “The war in Iran right now is definitely top of mind for everyone.”Friedman said some local families have loved ones in Israel. He described speaking with one family whose child had just arrived in Israel for Passover and had already taken shelter due to security concerns. Friedman said that amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, local relationships offer reassurance. He said he feels “more comforted by … the relationships that we have here in Savannah than … any sort of fear of terrorism or war around the world.”Passover continues through April 9. A list of community events can be found here.
Jewish families in Savannah began observing Passover on Wednesday, a holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Many families gathered for the first Seder, a ceremonial meal that retells the story of the Exodus.
“It is the annual retelling of how we were slaves, and now we’re free,” said Sam Friedman, CEO of the Savannah Jewish Federation and the Jewish Educational Alliance.
Community leaders said the holiday’s message of freedom remains the same, even as concerns about conflict and antisemitism persist.
“The idea that we could live and be free people in our own land is at the center of the Passover story, and it’s a huge part of the conflict we’re seeing right now,” he said.
Security is a routine concern during Jewish holidays, Friedman said, and is heightened during the Iran War.
“Any time there’s a Jewish holiday, we place a greater emphasis on security,” he said. “The war in Iran right now is definitely top of mind for everyone.”
Friedman said some local families have loved ones in Israel. He described speaking with one family whose child had just arrived in Israel for Passover and had already taken shelter due to security concerns.
Friedman said that amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, local relationships offer reassurance. He said he feels “more comforted by … the relationships that we have here in Savannah than … any sort of fear of terrorism or war around the world.”
Passover continues through April 9. A list of community events can be found here.
