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| Even as a Christian, I know the story of Passover. Anyone who has seen the movie The Ten Commandments is familiar with the story commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. Passover is an 8 day observance and a time of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders. The story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah, the Book of Exodus |
| Pesach, the Hebrew name for Passover, starts on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. In 1999, Passover starts on the eve of March 31st. It is one of the most widely observed holidays in the American Jewish community. Preparation for this holiday includes extensive cleaning and removal of all yeast foods or hametz (meaning leaven in Hebrew). Any food that contains some hametz is considered hametz and is prohibited during Pesah. This would include such things as bread, pasta, cereal and cookies. |
| The Seder is a special meal prepared following the Haggadah. The seder has several parts including the lighting of candles, special prayers, the telling of the passover story, and the asking of the four questions. The four questions are: Why do we eat matzah? Why do we eat maror (bitter herbs)? Why do we dip the karpas in salt water and the maror in the charoset? Why do we lean? The answers are: Because we left in such a hurry we didn't have time to let the bread rise. To remind us of the bitterness of slavery. The salt water represents our tears, the charoset the mortar used in building Paroah's storehouses. To mimic the practice of the Romans, who leaned to the left to keep their right hand free, to show we are free. |
| The centerpiece of the table is the Seder plate which contains five foods that have special meaning for this holiday. The Haroseth is a mixture of chopped walnuts, wine, cinnamon and apples that represent the mortar the Jewish slaves used to assemble the Pharaoh's bricks. Parsley symbolizes spring and dipping it in salt water is a reminder of the tears of the Jewish slaves. The roasted egg is another symbol of spring. The shank bone symbolizes the offering of the sacrifical lamb. And finally, the bitter herbs is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. |
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