HAPPY “PESACH”!

Passover (sometimes called “pesach”) is the oldest Jewish festival, commemorating a story from the book of Exodus.When Pharoah refused to let the Jews out of slavery, ten plagues were unleashed upon Egypt.In the last one, the Angel of Death killed every first-born child, but the Israelites were “passed over.”The “Seder” occurs the night before Passover and follows an order handed down through the centuries: there’s the retelling of the Exodus story, eating the traditional foods and finally, prayers to welcome Elijah the Prophet and the singing of Passover songs.

-Dating from the first century, the Haggadah is the book used at the Seder that contains the story, prayers and songs, and explains Passover symbols.

-The number “four” appears frequently in the Haggadah; it’s considered a mystical number and also represents the four promises God made to the Israelites.

-Matzoh—or unleavened bread — is key to the Passover meal.It represents the hasty flight from Egypt, in which the dough had no time to rise. The idea of removing“leaven” is sometimes considered a metaphor for removing pride from the soul.