The holiday of Passover (Pesach) commemorates God’s redemption of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt. During this 8 day holiday (7 days in Israel), we are Biblically commanded not to eat or own any chametz – food containing grain that can rise (Ex. 12:19-20). This means we avoid bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, and (if you’re an Ashkenazi Jew) rice and legumes. The prohibition is so strict that we must inspect and scrub every inch of our homes where even a single crumb may linger. Instead of bread, we eat matzah, a flat bread eaten by the Jews who had no time to wait for their bread to rise before leaving from Egypt.
One of the most celebrated Jewish holidays, even by those who aren’t traditionally observant, Passover kicks off with the first Seder*, a recounting of the miraculous story of the Exodus followed by a delicious feast. The Haggadah serves as the “script” for this special event, and questions are encouraged!
Highlights of the seder include:
Eating special handmade shmura matzah
Drinking four cups of wine
Dipping vegetables into saltwater
The youngest person at the table asking the Four Questions
May you have a zissen (sweet) and kosher Pesach!
* Jews in the diaspora customarily have two seders; Jews in Israel have only one
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