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An Episcopalian bishop warns his congregation against holding Christian Passover seders
(JTA) — For years, a growing number of Jews have issued the same public request ahead of Passover: Christians, please don’t hold your own seders glorifying Jesus.
Now, some Christian clergy are passing that same message onto their followers. Last week, the Episcopal bishop of Missouri, the Rev. Deon K. Johnson, posted an open letter to his diocese saying that Christian seders are “banned” because they advance supersessionism, or the belief that Christians have superseded, or replaced, Jews as God’s chosen people.
In his letter, Johnson explicitly forbade his congregation from “hosting, holding or celebrating Christian seders.”
“In our own time, the proliferation of Christian Seders on Maundy Thursday has taken root in parts of Christianity,” Johnson wrote, referring to the Thursday before Easter, which falls this year on April 6 and commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper. “Christians celebrating their own Haggadah outside of Jewish practice is deeply problematic and is supersessionism in its theological view. Christian communities hosting Seders is additionally problematic because it contributes to the objectification of our Jewish neighbors.”
Christian seders are linked with the popular notion that the Last Supper was itself a seder, a belief that scholars have disputed because the seder as we know it was developed decades after Jesus’ death. “To put it bluntly, Jesus certainly celebrated Passover, but neither he nor his disciples ever attended a Seder, any more than they drove a car or used a cell phone,” wrote Rabbis Yehiel Poupko and David Sandmel in Christianity Today in 2017.
Last year, Bishop Jennifer Reddall of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona echoed that idea when she also warned against holding Christian seders.
“Jesus did not eat matzah ball soup or gefilte fish, sing Dayenu, or say ‘next year in Jerusalem,’’’ Reddall said. “For Jesus, the seder would have consisted of a lamb sacrificed in the Temple and eaten in Jerusalem, not a brisket cooked in Nashville.”
Photos of Christian seders on social media show elements that would be out of place at a traditional Jewish seder, such as bread or Christian symbols such as the cross. Such seders are also held by Messianic Jews – a movement that believes in the divinity of Jesus, often has ties with explicitly Christian organizations and is roundly considered non-Jewish by actual Jewish groups.
Those posts have sparked backlash from Jews who describe them as an affront. In 2020, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg tweeted, “Jesus didn’t have a seder, Christianity is not Judaism, please respect us and our traditions.”
And in a viral Facebook post written last year, Talia Liben Yarmush wrote that Christians should feel welcome to attend seders hosted by Jews, but that hosting a Christian seder “is an awful thing to do.”
“Please don’t do it,” Yarmush wrote, “You have your own holidays. You have rich and beautiful traditions. I promise to respect them. Please reciprocate.”
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The post An Episcopalian bishop warns his congregation against holding Christian Passover seders appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Israel Court Extends Detention of Gaza Flotilla Activists
Activist Saif Abu Keshek, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla detained by Israel, sits at a magistrate’s court for a detention extension hearing in Ashkelon, southern Israel, May 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
An Israeli court has extended by two days the detention of two activists arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Greece, their lawyer said on Sunday.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were detained by Israeli authorities late on Wednesday and brought to Israel, while more than 100 other pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete.
A court spokesperson confirmed that their remand had been extended until May 5.
The governments of Spain and Brazil issued a joint statement on Friday calling their detention illegal.
The activists were part of a second Global Sumud flotilla, launched in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships had set sail from Barcelona on April 12.
Israeli authorities requested a four-day extension of their arrest on suspicion of offenses that include assisting the enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a terrorist organization, and the transfer of property for a terrorist organization, said rights group Adalah, which is assisting in the activists’ defense.
Hadeel Abu Salih, the men’s attorney, said that the two deny the allegations. Their arrest was unlawful due to a lack of jurisdiction, she told Reuters at the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court after the hearing, adding that the mission was meant to provide aid to civilians in Gaza, not to any militant group.
Abu Salih said that Abu Keshek and Avila were subjected to violence en route to Israel and kept handcuffed and blindfolded until Thursday morning.
Asked for comment, the Israeli military referred Reuters to the Israeli foreign ministry, which said that staff were compelled to act to stop what it described as violent physical obstruction by Abu Keshek and Avila. All measures taken were lawful, it said.
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Israel Initiates Project to Counter Drone Threats in Sweeping Military Upgrade Plan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/POOL/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israel is moving forward with a new initiative to counter drone threats, as part of a broader strategy to expand military capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign defense suppliers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The drone project, ordered several weeks ago, is already in development, with officials preparing to review its initial progress. While details remain limited, the effort reflects growing concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial systems in regional conflicts.
Netanyahu framed the initiative within a wider defense doctrine centered on “strengthening and independence,” emphasizing the need for Israel to maintain a decisive military edge. He noted that Israel is acquiring two squadrons of advanced fighter jets, including the F-35 Lightning II and the F-15IA, to reinforce its air superiority.
“These aircraft strengthen Israel’s overwhelming air superiority,” he said, referencing recent military operations as evidence of that advantage. He added that Israeli pilots are capable of operating at long range if necessary.
Alongside procurement, the government is planning a major expansion of domestic defense manufacturing. Netanyahu announced that Israel will allocate an additional 350 billion shekels ($95 billion) to the defense budget over the next decade, aiming to produce more of its own armaments and reduce dependence on foreign countries.
He also pointed to future ambitions to develop advanced aircraft domestically, describing the effort as potentially transformative for Israel’s defense industry.
The drone defense program, though still in early stages, is expected to become a key component of this strategy. Netanyahu acknowledged that the project will take time to fully develop but stressed that it is actively being pursued.
Despite the evolving nature of the threats, he reiterated Israel’s long-standing objective of maintaining military superiority across all domains.
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Iran Presents US 3-Step Plan to Move from Ceasefire to End of War
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran has reportedly submitted a new draft agreement to the United States outlining a three-stage framework aimed at de-escalating regional tensions and restructuring oversight of its nuclear program, according to reporting from Al Jazeera.
The proposal was allegedly delivered via Pakistan and combines military, maritime, and nuclear commitments with a long-term regional security vision.
The first phase calls for transforming the current ceasefire into a permanent end to hostilities within 30 days, alongside a regional non-aggression pact that would include Iran’s allies and Israel. It also proposes steps such as gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing maritime restrictions on Iran, and reducing military activity in surrounding waters.
The second phase focuses on Iran’s nuclear program. It reportedly includes a freeze on uranium enrichment for up to 15 years, followed by a return to limited enrichment at 3.6%, in line with earlier international agreements.
The draft explicitly rejects dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. It also outlines possible arrangements for existing uranium stockpiles, including export or reprocessing, and calls for a structured sanctions relief mechanism tied to compliance milestones.
The final phase envisions broader regional engagement, with Tehran proposing a strategic dialogue between Iran and Arab states to establish a comprehensive security framework across the Middle East.