Pesach, or Passover, the oldest holiday, celebrates the beginning of the Jewish people.

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Pesach, or Passover, the oldest holiday, celebrates the beginning of the Jewish people. It was on Passover three thousand years ago, under the first full moon of spring, that the Israelites escaped from Egyptian slavery. During the weeklong holiday, which falls on the fifteenth of Nisan (late March to mid-April), Jews remember the power and importance of this event by eating special foods linked to the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom.

After the Pharaoh told Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt immediately, the left as fast as they could carrying whatever they could, including dough that didn’t have time to rise (Matzah). The Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his soldiers to stop the Israelites. As the Hebrews got to the Red Sea, they heard the thunder of Pharaoh’s army behind them. Miraculously, a strong wind came up to part the sea, and the Israelites walked on the floor of the sea with walls of water on either side. After they crossed safely, the water closed and the Egyptians drowned.

The Seder

The Seder is a dramatic yet playful meal rich with stories, food and song. Seder means order, and a book called the Haggadah (The Telling) takes everyone through the fifteen steps of the evening celebration that retells the story of how the Jews became free people. The ceremony begins by reliving slavery and ends by imagining what the world will be like when all people are free.

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The Seder Table

The Seder table looks like a dinner table, places are set for everyone (including all the children) and in front of the leader’s place (the leader can be anyone in the family) there is a large ornate plate that displays the five important symbols of Passover.

        On the plate there is: -

  1. MAROR – These are bitter herbs, eaten to remember the bitterness of Egyptian bondage. The power of the herb, which is often horseradish, is astounding.
  2. HAROSET – This is a brownish, unappetizing mixture, which is deceptive because it is ...

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