 Passover
Now we want to tell you about Pesach (Passover):
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.
These are Matzahs:
These are more foods that eaten as part of the Passover
seder:
Maror-Bitter Herbs (usually horseradish) symbolize
the bitterness of Egyptian slavery. The maror is often dipped in charoset to reduce
its sharpness. Maror is used in the seder because of the commandment
to eat the paschal lamb "with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." Some
prefer mild horseradish at the seder; others say that it doesn't
serve its purpose (to remind us of the bitterness of slavery) unless
it's hot enough to bring tears to the eyes. Karpas (celery)-Vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped
into salt water during the seder. The salt water represents the tears
shed during Egyptian slavery. The dipping of a vegetable as an appetizer
is said to date back to biblical times. It may now be identified with
biblical descritpion of the Hebrew slaves marking their doorposts at
the time of the first Passover. A bunch of hyssop was to be dipped
in the blood of the paschal lamb and used to strike the lintel and
the doorposts so that the tenth plague (death of the firstborn) would
not be visited upon their households. Chazeret (horseradish)-bitter Vegetable (often lettuce)
is often used in addition to the maror as
a bitter herb. The authorities are divided on the requirement of
chazeret, so not all communities use it. Since the commandment to
eat the paschal lamb "with unleavened bread and bitter herbs" uses the plural
("bitter herbs") most seder plates have a place for chazeret.
Some use a green vegetable (such as lettuce - as long as lettuce
is not also used for karpas), some use
the green top of a bitter herb, while some use a second bitter (such
as raddish) for the chazeret. Charoset-apple, nuts, and spices ground together
and mixed with wine are symbolic of the mortar used by Hebrew slaves
to build Egyptian structures. There are several variations in the recipe
for charoset. The Mishna describes a mixture of fruits, nuts, and vinegar,
for example. In order to enhance the symbolism of mortar, it is customary
in some communities to mix in a small amount of sand. The charoset
is sweet because sweetness is symbolic of God's kindness, which was
able to make even slavery more bearable. According to legend, the use
of apples in charoset stems from Pharaoh's decree that all male Hebrew
children were to be killed at birth. Mothers would go out to the orchards
to give birth, and thus save their babies (at least temporarily) from
the Egyptian soldiers Zeroa (Shankbone)-the Shankbone is symbolic of the Paschal lamb offered
as the Passover sacrifice in biblical times. In some communities, it
is common to use a chicken neck in place of the shankbone. Vegetarian
households often use beets for the shankbone on the seder plate. The
red beets symbolize the blood of the Paschal lamb, which was used to
mark the lintel and doorposts of the houses during the first Passover. Beitzah (egg)-the Roasted Egg is symbolic of the
festival sacrifice made in biblical times. On Passover, an additional
sacrifice (the Paschal lamb) was offered as well. The egg is also a
traditional symbol of mourning, and has been interpreted by some as
a symbolic mourning for the loss of the Temple. Since the destruction
of the Temple in the year 70 C.E., neither the festival sacrifice nor
the special passover sacrifice could be offered. It is also a symbol
of spring - the season in which Passover is always celebrated. In many
households, it is customary to use a brown egg on the seder plate.
The egg should be baked or roasted if possible.
The afikomen cover for Matza. We hide the matza
and the child who finds it gets a gift from their parents.
I like to eat Matzo in a instant coffee or to wet
the Matzo and to wrap with a towel, then the Matzo becomes very soft
and tasty!
 Famous Matza Cake
By someone close to Marsha no longer with us
Wet four matza with red sweet wine.
On a low fire add 200 grams of bittersweet chocolate
one half a cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa
a few tablespoons of the red wine.
Bring to a boil and add four egg yokes one after the other quickly
so they do not boil. Beat the egg whites with a cake mixer and
add to the chocolate mixture.
Spread the chocolate on each matza. Top with powdered sugar or
candies! Yummee and very recommended.
Enjoy.
Good-bye,
Marsha and the 6th grade of Ein Ganim Israel http://www.annieshomepage.com/passover.html
Some
information taken from this site.
Photos: Marsha Goren |
