Jews worldwide last week gathered for the annual Passover Seder, the traditional holiday meal commemorating the biblical Exodus from Egypt. The festival, often celebrated by those who do not identify as religious, marks the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery under the Egyptian pharaoh. The story recounts how, through miraculous interventions, God freed Jews from bondage and eventually brought them to the Land of Israel – where they established Jerusalem as their national and spiritual capital.
The liturgy recited during the Seder – the Haggadah – ends with the phrase, “Next year in Jerusalem,” a yearning found in the oldest printed versions of the text such as the Birds’ Head Haggadah (ca. 1300). In total, Jerusalem is mentioned at least 20 times in the book.
Nevertheless, during the Disney Channel‘s airing of a short Passover special on the program In the Nook, the traditional Jewish mantra was replaced with, “Next year in the Holy Land.” While the 5-minute segment was for the most part accurate, going so far as to quote from the Haggadah in Hebrew, the important reference to Jerusalem was excluded.
.@DisneyChannel’s mini-talkshow ‘In the Nook’ replaced “Next year in Jerusalem,” traditionally recited during the #Passover Seder, with “Next year in the Holy Land.” Disney, why are you rewriting Jewish tradition and excluding this reference to the ancient Jewish capital? pic.twitter.com/dC0WJr5zS8
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 6, 2021
For 2000 years, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem. In fact, when praying three times daily, Jews to this day do so facing in the direction of the city. And with the rebirth of the modern-day Jewish state, the Israeli government considers Jerusalem its capital, a claim recognized by numerous countries including the United States, the country where Disney Channel is based.
Moreover, Israel’s historical capital is not just mentioned during Pesach, but in every prayer on every holiday, wedding and even after meals. Why is Disney Channel seemingly hiding this reality, which some may construe as diminishing the central importance of Jerusalem in Judaism and Jewish history?
In conjunction with other Jewish organizations, HonestReporting has requested that the network clarify its position.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/Dassi Berkowitz
