Choosing Freedom and Agency Within Bondage

The fact that 59 hostages are still held in Hamas captivity after more than 550 days and that war, death and destruction continues has made this Passover one of the most excruciating many Israeli as well as Diaspora Jews have experienced. How can we celebrate this holiday of freedom with whole hearts given the horrific conditions and abuses of their bondage?

I have been involved in hostage release efforts from the beginning as both a family member (having a cousin who was held in captivity and then executed by Hamas – Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l) and as part of the broader public insisting that the hostage issue is core to who we are as a country and society. As enormous as the relief and gratitude are for every returned hostage, it’s impossible to feel a sense of dayeinu – it would have been enough – until everyone is home and the war is over.

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Rebecca Bardach is a writer and practitioner in building Jewish-Arab shared society in Israel, with thirty years of experience in migration, conflict and development issues. You can follow her on Substack Between Despair and Determination. She is a periodic blogger for The Times of Israel, and contributor to Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post, and is currently working on a book. Originally from Berkeley, CA, she has lived in Jerusalem with her family for more than two decades. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

1. Bills & Resolutions

**UPDATE**: On 4/6/25 the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions announced that it was postponing the hearing/vote, scheduled for 4/9/25, on S. 558, the “Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025“ (introduced 2/13/25 by Scott, R-SC, and having 40 bipartisan cosponsors).

(PEACE THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS!) H. Res. 320: Introduced 4/9/25 by Schneider (D-IL) and 3 bipartisan cosponsors, “Encouraging the Department of State and civil society to further the Abraham Accords by encouraging peace and tolerance in education.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

(EXEMPT ISRAEL & UKRAINE FROM US TARIFFS) S. 1364: Introduced 4/9/25 by Cortez Masto (D-NV), “to exempt articles imported from Israel or Ukraine from duties imposed under the Executive Order entitled ‘Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits’.” Referred to the Committee on Finance. Also see: Cortez Masto press release – BREAKING: Republicans Block Cortez Masto’s Efforts to Exempt Our Allies Israel and Ukraine from Harmful Tariffs;

(TARGETING ACADEMIA) HR 2686 [bill text]: Introduced 4/7/25 by Malliotakis (R-NY), Stefanik (R-NY) and Tenney (R-NY), “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose penalties with respect to civil rights violations by certain tax-exempt educational institutions,” aka the “University Accountability Act“. This bill was introduced in the last Congress as HR 8914. Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. Also see: Malliotakis Reintroduces the University Accountability Act; Stefanik, Malliotakis Reintroduce Legislation to Impose Penalties on Antisemitic Universities; Bill would fine schools $100k or more for failing to protect religious students (Jewish News Syndicate 4/8/25)