Passover

Illustration: Omer W.

Passover begins in March or April, on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Most Jews celebrate Passover for eight days, but Jews in Israel, and Reform Jews in other countries, celebrate it for seven days.

Passover is an important Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews and their safe flight across the Red Sea of Exodus.

In order to encourage the Egyptians to allow the Hebrews to leave Egypt intends to, God killed the first-born child in every Egyptian home but passed over the homes of the Israelites, to protect themselves, Hebrews are told to mark their dwellings with lamband's blood so that God can identify thus pass over them that day.

The word 'Pesach' comes from a Hebrew root meaning "pass by" or "to spare". The word 'Passover' comes from a English-Pass'over. It called Passover because God passed over the Hebrews houses when he killed the first-born. The word Passover also refers to the passing over of the Israelites from slavery to freedom.

The celebration of the holiday begins after sundown on the 14th of Nisanvernal, the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, about the time of the equinox. We celebrate the holiday for eight days and partake of a ceremonial meal, known as the Seder, on the first two nights. The Seder consists of prescribed foods, each of which symbolizes some aspect of the ordeal undergone by the Hebrews during their enslavement in Egypt. During the Seder the narrative of the exodus is recounted and prayers of thanksgiving are offered up to God for his loving protection. The readings, songs, and prayers of the Seder are contained in the Haggada.

Throughout the holiday the Orthodox Jew must abstain from eating leavened bread, substituting unleavened bread, usually in the form of matzo. These matzoth recall the unleavened bread eaten by the Hebrews during their flight because they had no time to prepare raised bread. They did not have time to let their bread rise. They made flat, unleavened bread instead. Therefore, Jews eat matzahs instead of leavened bread during Passover. Orthodox Jewish tradition prescribes that, during Passover, meals be prepared and served using sets of utensils and dishes reserved strictly for that festival.

On Passover we make a big meal and we eat many kinds of food like eggs, celery, the head of the fish, potatoes, and more.

from Nitzan:
The Passover with my family is very interesting and fun. On Passover we arrange the table and sit around. We read the legend of Passover and bless the food. In my family after the meal we eat chocolate cake.

Here is a recipe of chocolate cake:

Materials:

Chocolate
Eight eggs
Four glasses of bulge flour
Baking powder
Two glasses of water
3/4 glass of oil
Rum for taste
Two and half glass of sugar
Seven spoons of cocoa

Method:

Take the white of egg and mix in the mixer.
Afterwards add a glass and half of sugar and mix, till the foam hard.
Put the whipped white in bowl.
Take the yolk (yellow of egg) and one glass of sugar, mix in the mixer.
Add two glasses of water, 3/4 glass of oil essence of rum, and four glasses of flour.
Add gradually and Put in the oven on two hundred degrees for 45 minutes.
Melt the chocolate on the gas on little flame and put it on the cake.
Add candies for decoration.

Matzah cutlet – For Passover because we do not eat bread

Ingredients:

Matzahs
Vegetables (any type)
Eggs
Margarine

Preparation:

Wet the matzahs and cover the matzahs with a wet towel.
Divide the matzahs into two.
Heat the frying pan and put some margarine on it.
Beat the eggs.
Take each half matzah and roll some vegetables in it.
Drip the matzah roll in the beaten eggs and fry them.
When the matzah gets a light pink color the cutlet is ready.