Passover Traditions

Passover is known by many names--”Festival of Freedom,” “Feast of Unleavened Bread”--but whichever is preferred, it commemorates the liberation from slavery and the exodus of the Jewish people from ancient Egypt.

“It’s the holiday that teaches us to appreciate our freedom, but to do that, you need religious discipline,” said Rabbi Gershon Johnson of Temple Beth Haverim, a Conservative congregation in Agoura Hills.

Called Pesach in Hebrew, Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan, and is observed starting Friday evening. Outside Israel, the holiday is commonly celebrated for eight days.

Activities center around the home, family and food, although some synagogues have special morning services during the week. Synagogues sometimes hold a community or congregational Seder on one evening.

A highlight of Passover is the Seder, a ritual meal served in the home the first two nights. The dinners tend to be large, with some families inviting their non-Jewish friends to enjoy the unique experience.

The Passover story:

More than 3,000 years ago, a cruel Pharoah came into power in Egypt and forced the Jews into servitude, ordering that every Jewish boy be killed. One mother saved her baby by floating him down the river in a basket. The Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, named him Moses and raised him as an Egyptian prince.

God later told Moses to ask the Pharaoh to let his people go. Pharaoh didn’t listen and so God punished the Egyptians with 10 plagues, cuminating with death to the firstborn. Moses told the Jews to paint their doors with the blood of a sacrificed lamb so the angel of death would “pass over” the Jewish homes.

When Pharaoh’s own son died, he freed the slaves. The Jews quickly left Egypt, not even waiting for their bread to rise. Egyptian soldiers pursued them to the Sea, which parted for the Jews’ eventual safe passage to Canaan.

The Seder:

This communal dinner includes prayers, songs and stories from a special prayer book called a Haggadah. Alongside the Seder plate, containing symbolic foods of Passover, is a bowl of saltwater for dipping vegetables and three pieces of matzo covered with a special cloth.

The meal is supposed to be eaten in a reclining position--as a reminder of the comforts of freedom--hence, a cushion is placed on everyone’s left side.

During the evening, adults drink four glasses of wine symbolizing the promises God made to Moses: that God would bring the Jews out of Egypt, deliver them from slavery, redeem them with an outstretched arm and make them a nation.

An extra place setting is reserved for the prophet Elijah, who Jews believe will come to announce peace among all the world’s peoples. His wine cup is filled, but left untouched. The door is opened after the meal so Elijah may enter.

In practice, families may vary in how strictly they follow the ritual or in how they handle each tradition.

Passover foods:

Before Passover, many families rid their homes of forbidden foods: those made with grain, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats. Common examples include bread, cereal, pasta and even some liquor. More traditional families will transfer these forbidden foods, called hametz, to a non-Jewish family through a formal bill of sale, to be reclaimed after Passover.

Only flour-like matzo meal and potato starch are used in cooking and the only processed foods that are allowed are those that been prepared under special supervision. Special utensils and dishes are used during Passover.

Favorite dishes:

chicken

brisket

turkey

gefilte fish (mixture of chopped fish)

potatoes

carrot tsimmes (carrot dish)

chicken soup with matzo balls

Passover cake made with honey and matzo meal

angel food cake

macaroons

The 14 steps of the Seder:

1. First cup of wine blessed

2. Hands washed

3. Vegetable dipped in saltwater

4. Middle matzo broken and hidden, called the afikomen

5. Passover story told, four questions asked, four types of children (wise, wicked, innocent and the child who does not know how to ask) described and second cup of wine drunk

6. Hands washed before meal

7. Blessings said over the matzo

8. Bitter herbs tasted and dipped in haroset

9. Matzo and bitter herb sandwich eaten

10. Meal eaten

11. Children search for afikomen ; winner gets prize

12. Blessings sung after meal, third cup of wine drunk, door opened for the Prophet Elijah

13. Psalms sung, fourth cup of wine drunk

14. Traditional songs sung

Next Year in Jerusalem

The Seder plate:

Roasted lamb shank (representing the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover)

Roasted hard-boiled egg (a reminder of ancient festival offerings in Jerusalem)

Horseradish (a reminder of the bitterness of slavery)

Bitter herbs, such as romaine lettuce, (a reminder of the bitterness of slavery)

Fresh greens, (as a symbol of springtime and rebirth)

Haroset (symbolizing mortar used by Jewish slaves to build Egyptian temples and cities)

Note: There are two traditions concerning the Seder plate. Some plates have five items, combining horseradish and bitter herbs, while others have six items.

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Sources: “Passover” by June Behrens, “The Passover Journey: A Seder Companion” by Barbara Diamond Goldin, “Festival Day: A History of Jewish Celebrations” by Chaim Raphael, “The Complete Book of Jewish Observance” by Leo Trepp; Researched by STEPHANIE STASSEL / Los Angeles Times