On Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the Jewish festival of Pesach, or the Passover, saying that it "renews, every year, the initiatory journey of the Jews to meet freedom and the promised land," and "the parable of the Passover remains a lesson in the power of faith, which is passed down from generation to generation," according to AGERPRES.
The message of the chief of state was delivered by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor to a ceremony at the Choral Temple in Bucharest.
"On the occasion of the Passover holiday, it is my great pleasure to send congratulations to the leadership and to all the members of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, accompanied by warm wishes for peace, health and good coexistence. A festival of rebirth and communion, the Passover renews, every year, the initiatory journey of the Jews to meet freedom and the promised land. The parable of the Passover remains a lesson in the power of faith, which is passed down from generation to generation," President Iohannis said in his message.
He also conveyed "the full appreciation for the responsibility with which the Jewish communities in Romania have responded to the call of the authorities to comply with the health care measures imposed for our protection and of those suffering in this difficult period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic."
"Although social distance forces us to adapt to the way we mark our great holidays, I am convinced that the Passover tradition will continue to inspire courage, patience, solidarity and spiritual fellowship with loved ones. Hag Pesach Sameach!"
Passover this year started on Saturday. The holiday takes place annually according to the Jewish religious calendar, between 15 and 23 Nisan (March 27 - April 4, 2021), the month marking the beginning of the Jewish ecclesiastical year.
Celebrated by the Jews every spring for over 3,300 years, the Passover symbolises the deliverance from Egyptian captivity and the exodus of the Jews led by Moses and their 40 years of desert pilgrimage.
Beyond its special significance to the Jewish people, the feast of Passover has a universal connotation of celebrating liberation, regaining human dignity.