HAPPY PASSOVER

Passover also known as Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most sacred and widely observed Jewish Holidays, celebrating the freeing of Israelites from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses in the 13th century B.C. This year Passover will be from sundown on Friday, April 15, 2022, to sundown on Saturday April 23, 2022. Jews observe the weeklong festival with a number of important rituals, including: a traditional Passover meal known as a seder which means “order” in Hebrew ; the removal of leavened products, known as chametz , from their home; the substitution of matzo for bread; the retelling of the exodus tale; discussions of freedom and social justice; and plenty of singing and eating. All of these rituals are performed in an order prescribed by a Passover-specific book known as a Haggadah, which means “telling” in Hebrew. The foods eaten at the Passover meal also carry historical significance and meaning, with usually six items symbolizing important aspects of the story of Passover: Maror: These are the bitter herbs, meant to symbolize the harshness the Jews were treated with when they were slaves in Egypt. Red horseradish is often used for this. Charoset: This is a mixture of apples, wine, walnuts and cinnamon and is used to represent the bricks and mortar used by the Hebrews to build the pyramids. Karpas: A vegetable, often celery, is used to represent hope and renewal. The karpas is dipped in salt water before eaten to represent the tears of the Jews when they were slaves. Zeroah: The shank bone on the plate symbolizes the Pascal Lamb whose blood was painted on the doors of the Israelites so that God would pass over the homes during the 10th plague (slaying of the firstborn). Beitzah: The hardboiled egg represents the circle of life. Matzo: Three pieces of matzo are stacked on a separate plate. The middle matzo is broken and one half of it is put aside as the afikomen, which the father will hide and have the children search for in return for a prize (or the children hide it and have the father search in some homes). The other half of the broken matzo will be used to make a Hillel sandwich, which includes the maror and charoset. For those who observe this holiday, have a joyous celebration!