Vaccinated Israelis ready for freer Passover

Many Israelis this year are swapping screen time with the family, for in-person Passover celebrations.

That’s after Israel's health ministry announced that half of the country had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

And many are feeling safer because of it. They’re now packing food markets for last-minute shopping for their ‘seder’ dinner.

BOAZ SHUNARY: "Yeah, all the family is getting together, last year we were all alone talking to our parents through you know the screen. So it's a big difference.”

At Passover last year, Israel was locked down and families were confined to their own homes.

But now - there are scenes like these: In Jerusalem, Ultra-Orthodox men gather in person to ritualistically burn heaps of leavened bread and read from the Torah as Passover approaches.

ULTRA ORTHODOX JEWISH MAN, AVRAHAM: "Thank God we are going to celebrate Passover with the family, good people and religious men. With god's help we will go out from the pandemic, I hope people will be healthy."

Israel’s vaccine rollout - the fastest in the world - has helped the country get to this point… even as it remains mired in political deadlock following a fourth inconclusive election in two years.