Passover

How It May Come Up:

1. The Seder I went to last night was great...I had the best matzo ball soup of my life
2. What does that yellow cap on Coke bottles indicate?
3. Potato bread is among the most awful things I have ever tasted, I really can’t take anymore of this no bread business. 

 

Overview:

      Passover is the Jewish celebration of the “passing over” of the Israelites by the tenth plague that God inflicted upon the Egyptians during the Israelites’ enslavement. According to the Torah, the Jews were instructed to spread the blood of a lamb over the front door of their house in order to be exempt from the oncoming plague, the killing of all the firstborn in Egypt. After the plague, the Pharaoh of Egypt let the Jews out of slavery, leading to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The Israelites fled the land hastily, getting out before the Pharaoh could change his mind.

      The current Jewish celebration of Passover reflects the hardships the Israelites had to go through during their exodus. During Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating leavened bread, which is bread made with yeast or other fermentation agents. In it’s place Jews eat matzo on Passover. Corn syrup is also forbidden, which creates an even more significant restriction on the diets of Jews for the holiday (and explains the odd color caps of Coke, which are for 8 days produced using sugar instead of corn syrup).

      The beginning of Passover traditionally includes a feast called the Seder. The Seder is not only intended to ring in the beginning of Passover, but to also allow Jews to reaffirm their faith as well as celebrate it with their families. The Seder is a very ceremonial dinner, beginning with the setting of the Seder plate which contains six symbolic components: Maror and Chazeret (bitter herbs), Charoset (a fruit and nut paste), Carpas (vegetables), Zeroah (a lamb shank bone or other animal bone), and Bietzah (a roasted egg). Kosher wine and matzo are also present at the Seder. Another ritual of the Seder is the reading of the Magid (the telling), which is a re-telling of the exodus story. The Seder concludes with prayers and hallel (singing of Jewish hymns). 

 

Talk About It:

• Matzo, which has a cracker like consistency, has to be unleavened and can only be baked for 18 minutes.
• Before the holiday begins Jews remove all bread from their homes because it is forbidden to even own any over the holiday.
• Over the course of the Passover Seder four cups of wine are drunk representing the various states of freedom involved in the exodus. 

 

How I Really Feel:

      Passover is one of the most important times of the year for Jews, as its observance stands as a testament not only to the challenges the Israelites had to face in escaping from the Egyptians, but also as a testament to the blessings they’ve received in their freedom. I really enjoy the Passover seder because I get to spend time with my family and our close friends. 

 

For more information check out these links:

• Laws of Passover
• Special Passover Recipes

 

 

By: amf5151