Every year, people co-opt Passover to push partisan agendas. This year, Jewish human rights groups are already promoting Passover Haggadah materials that urge people to put “social justice on your seder table” and confront “racism,” poverty, authoritarianism, and the climate crisis. Instead of letting the holiday change us, we keep recruiting it to endorse causes.

Predictable columns recast the holiday as a lesson in immigrant rights. Reform Judaism even encourages adding modern political symbols to the seder plate, like olives in solidarity with Palestinians, oranges to symbolize LGBTQ+ inclusion, fair-trade chocolate to represent labor rights, and acorns to honor American Indians.

I’m guilty of this myself. I once wrote a column arguing that including the “wicked child” at the Seder table symbolically rejects cancel culture, and an article arguing that the Exodus story defends free speech because Moses demanded that Pharaoh “let my people go,” and the Israelites merited redemption, in part, by preserving their language under slavery.

But politicizing religion risks overshadowing its personal and spiritual essence.

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Progressives do this. Conservatives do too. The right invokes the Bible to oppose abortion and defend traditional family values. The left invokes it to champion social justice.

Pope Leo XIV used a recent address to the diplomatic corps to insist that “every migrant is a person” with “inalienable rights” and to warn governments against using crime and trafficking as excuses to erode migrant dignity. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who in the name of God publicly called for mercy toward refugees after President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, has reentered the immigration fight by appearing at anti-ICE protests in Minnesota in January 2026.

Each side finds its cause, often citing contradictory verses to prove its case. Nehemiah 4:13-14 is used to justify border security by comparing it to defending Jerusalem’s walls, while Leviticus 19:34 is used to advocate for a more permissive immigration policy because it commands kindness toward the foreigner. Genesis 2:15 supports environmental policy because it presents humans as caretakers, while Genesis 1:28 speaks of dominion over nature and can be used to justify exploiting natural resources.

When religion is reduced to political ammunition, it loses meaning. It becomes performative instead of transformative.

Of course, faith can also be a force for moral clarity in public life. The Exodus inspired abolitionists. Rabbis marched for civil rights. But faith should do more than fuel activism. Faith is deeply personal.

It’s like the old ethical teaching about a person who spends his life trying to change the world, his country, his town, and his family before finally realizing he had to change himself first if he wanted to make the greatest impact. Passover makes the same demand. Before we use the holiday to fix the world, it asks us to confront our own demons.

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I have felt this tension at my Seder table. Instead of soul-searching, I mindlessly skim the Haggadah, muse about scientific explanations for the splitting of the sea and the ten plagues, or drift into politics. Anything but inner work.

But Passover is not about figuring out the world’s problems. It is about the bondage within ourselves. It is about allowing the story to transform us. The Haggadah commands each person to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt. It is not a metaphor for someone else’s struggle, for whichever political leader you think Pharaoh represents, or for whichever oppressed people mirror the Israelites. It is a challenge to confront our own constraints and pursue our own redemption, one good deed at a time.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe rebuilt Jewish life from the ashes of the Holocaust through this principle. As documented in “Letters for Life,” the Rebbe focused not on politics or ideology but on encouraging one positive act, one mitzvah, at a time to create lasting transformation. Psychology backs this up. Behavioral activation therapy, used to treat depression, shows how purposeful action can reshape the mind even before motivation arrives.

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The Seder reflects the same idea. The four cups of wine represent stages of breaking destructive patterns, embracing positive change, developing ethical awareness, and internalizing growth.

Through ritual and storytelling, we make our way toward liberation. We do not just remember the Exodus. We live it.

Even matzoh teaches us. Unlike bloated bread, it is flat and humble. It stands in stark contrast to a culture obsessed with image and ego. In a world that rewards puffed-up self-importance, matzoh reminds us that true liberation begins with humility. You cannot escape Pharaoh if you are still enslaved to your own ego.

We eat bitter herbs at the Seder not only to remember our ancestors’ suffering but also to confront our own, to taste the bitterness we carry and draw out what we have buried.

Egypt is not just a historical place. It is a personal metaphor. Mental chains are just as real as physical ones. Fear, shame, addiction, and resentment are our modern Pharaohs. The Seder gives us a spiritual roadmap to break free.

Faith is not meant to serve our platforms or confirm our political biases. It is meant to challenge us and transform us into better human beings.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) demanded Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., apologize on Monday for appearing on “Real Time with Bill Maher” because of the host’s “long history [of] anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Arab racism.”

“Your participation in Mr. Maher’s show came just days after you publicly criticized a Muslim public figure for associating with Hasan Piker, whom you accused of engaging in antisemitism, which he has denied,” a letter from CAIR read. “Meanwhile, Bill Maher has called Arabs dangerous to women, claimed that ISIS accurately represents most Muslims, argued that Islam itself is the ‘problem’ and never apologized or retracted these or other hateful remarks.”

The letter continued, “Given this record, your decision to appear as a featured guest on his platform — without publicly challenging or distancing yourself from his rhetoric — sends a deeply troubling message to your Muslim and Arab constituents. It suggests a double standard in which some forms of bigotry are condemned while others are overlooked or implicitly tolerated.”

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In a statement after releasing the letter, CAIR called on Slotkin to denounce her appearance and Maher in support of the Muslim community.

“The double standards that American Muslims face, even from a senator who represents one of our nation’s largest Muslim populations, are truly remarkable. If consistency means anything to Senator Slotkin — and if she believes hate against any of her constituents is unacceptable — she must denounce Bill Maher’s bigotry and apologize for embracing him,” CAIR said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Slotkin’s office for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to HBO for comment about CAIR’s statements on Maher. 

Slotkin appeared on Maher’s show Friday night, when the two discussed several topics including the ongoing war with Iran. Slotkin voiced her disapproval of President Donald Trump launching military strikes against Iran, while Maher criticized the Democratic Party’s nearly uniform opposition to the war despite Iran’s past actions.

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“Iran has been attacking the West for a long time, including the ally that is our most important ally in the world, and that is Israel. It’s not NATO,” Maher said.

Slotkin also appeared on an “Overtime” panel with Maher, Stephen A. Smith and Laura Coates. During the episode, the panel discussed the growing level of antisemitism in the Democratic Party when Slotkin defended not taking money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

“Long before October 7, I stopped taking AIPAC money, not because of Israel or any other issue like that, but because they were giving money to people who had been participating in January 6th… AIPAC, they give money to both Democrats and Republicans and people who had been involved in inciting January 6, they were giving money to,” Slotkin said.

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Maher called out the Democratic Party for refusing to push back against influencers who “don’t know s—” and “learn everything about Israel on TikTok.”

“Their leaders are not standing up and saying, ‘Kids, you don’t know what’s going on here. Every war Israel has fought is a war of defense,'” Maher said.

EXCLUSIVE: Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned about the growing dangers of antisemitism and attempts to undermine the relationship between Christian and Jewish communities.

Her remarks followed her four-day visit to the U.S. for the “Be Best” First Ladies’ Summit, attending at the invitation of First Lady Melania Trump.

In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, she said extremist elements on both the far left and right continue to promote antisemitism despite the historical record of where it leads and are seeking to undermine Israel and divide support within the Christian community.

“Israel has never had a prime minister like my husband, who during every visit to the United States makes it a point to meet with leaders of the Christian community, embrace them, listen to them, and maintain a close and genuine relationship as true partners and friends,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“Their courage in standing firm against the enemies of Israel is worthy of appreciation. They are our [unofficial] ambassadors, and I hope our partnership will continue to grow and strengthen,” she added.

Netanyahu said that in July, Israel hosted the president’s close adviser and White House Faith Office head, Paula White-Cain, for a special event attended by both her and the prime minister, which was broadcast to millions of Christian viewers worldwide.

Following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, killing of 1,200 people in Israel, antisemitism surged globally, including in the U.S.

Sara Netanyahu was raised in Israel by her parents, Shmuel and Hava Ben-Artzi. Her father, a Bible scholar and educator, instilled in her an appreciation for the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel.

“The Holocaust was a moment in history that cannot and will not be repeated,” Netanyahu told Fox News Digital, against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Israel military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly threatened to commit genocide against the Jewish state.

Post-Oct. 7 attacks include the May 2025 killing of two Israeli Embassy staff in Washington by Elias Rodriguez, who allegedly shouted “Free Palestine!” upon arrest, and a June attack by Mohamed Sabry Soliman that wounded 12 at a pro-Israel rally, later killing one victim.

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Incidents also rose after Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, described by Netanyahu as a preemptive move against Iran and its terror proxies.

Investigators said Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, accused of attempting a March 12 attack on a Michigan synagogue, was radicalized by Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, a federal probe last month found some faculty “legitimized and amplified antisemitism” during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Encampments spread on campuses, often demanding divestment from Israel-linked institutions and Jewish organizations.

On March 20, the Trump administration sued Harvard, alleging it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students and enabled antisemitism.

“We are in an existential war — a war of good versus evil — against a force that seeks to destroy Israel and the world,” she said.

“Leaders of the Iranian regime have publicly burned the flags of Israel and the United States. They have called Israel the ‘Little Satan’ and America the ‘Great Satan.’”

She continued, “Israel has never had a better friend than Donald Trump. Together with the [Israeli] prime minister, they are reshaping the Middle East and creating an opportunity for a new future for the entire free world,” she added.

During her U.S. visit, Netanyahu met with multiple first ladies, delivered a speech at the U.S. State Department, held talks with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., engaged with technology and AI companies and hosted a large meeting with parents of children serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

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Netanyahu attended the “Be Best” First Ladies’ Summit, a global technology conference of first ladies hosted by Melania Trump, focused on expanding access to distance-learning technologies for children and teenagers.

Netanyahu, a child psychologist who works three times a week at the Jerusalem municipality, has immersed herself in the issue.

The visit also carried economic implications, leading to expanded dialogue with Microsoft and Meta at the global level.

Netanyahu told Fox News Digital that companies expressed interest in advancing investments worth tens of millions of dollars to implement advanced AI models for remote learning among children and youth — particularly in Israel, where educational continuity has been disrupted by the security situation.

“Israel is a leading country among advanced Western nations — in morality, values and certainly technology. Israeli innovation impacts people around the world every day in fields such as cybersecurity, fintech and agriculture. We contribute our knowledge and build strategic partnerships that bring Israel closer to its allies,” she said.

“There is strong appreciation for Israel worldwide, and when countries recognize our contributions, they choose partnership over extremism and hatred,” Netanyahu concluded.