Passover 2024

Pesach Holiday Guide

Pesach Throughout History

For most of the twelve hundred years after the Exodus, the major ritual of Passover was to bring a lamb to the Bet Hamikdash - Temple in Jerusalem as an offering in commemoration of the sacrifice made by every Hebrew family who, on that last night of Egyptian slavery, marked their door post with the blood of a lamb. At the Temple, the lamb was first slaughtered by a Kohen, priest. Part of the animal was offered as a sacrifice, and then the family who had brought the animal gathered to eat the remainder. During the celebratory meal, parents and children engaged in a lengthy discussion of the Exodus, fulfilling the Torah’s command that parents tell their children the story of how God freed the Jews. This long-ago meal is the origin of the Pesach Seder, a word that literally means order. Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E., Jews no longer offer animal sacrifice. The Seder now serves as the commemoration of Yitziat Mitzrayim, going forth from Egypt. By participating in the Seder, one fulfills the commandment, incumbent upon each of us in every generation, to regard ourselves as though we, too, were liberated from Egypt.

Bread and leavened products, chametz, are forbidden throughout the holiday of Pesach and matzah is eaten in its place. Chametz is any food containing flour that has fermented, such as breads, cakes, and pasta, or dough made from wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats.

The matzah reminds us that the Hebrews left Egypt in such haste their bread did not have time to rise. The sun on the backs of the Israelites baked flat matzah as they fled. During the weeks before Passover, homes are systematically cleaned, and all bread and other chametz (leavened products) is removed.

About Pesach

The holiday of Pesach, or Passover, begins in the evening on the 15th of the Hebrew month Nissan (this year, the 22 of April) and commemorates Yetziat Mitzrayim - the Exodus of the Bnei Yisrael - Israelites from Egyptian bondage. The holiday is traditionally celebrated for eight days; Israeli and liberal Jews observe the festival for seven days. The story of the Exodus is found in the Torah in the first half of the Book of Shemot - Exodus. Pesach marks the emergence of Israel as a nation and as a people who accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai as the guiding basis for Jewish life. Until this event God had only made covenants with individuals. This time the covenant was made between God and Am Yisrael, the entire Jewish people. The holiday is known by four names, each reflecting a different aspect of the festival:

• Chag HaPesach, the Festival of Passover, is linked with the account of the tenth plague, the killing of the first born Egyptian sons, when God passed over the homes of the Israelites.

• Chag HaMatzot, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, reflects the centrality of matzah in the observance of the holiday.

• Chag HaAviv, the Spring Festival, reflects the seasonal significance.

• Z’man Cherutenu, the Season of Our Freedom, marks the attainment of freedom from bondage by the ancient Israelites.

Preparation

Preparation for Passover in our homes tends to be very involved. Dishes used throughout the year are often put away, and special Pesach dishes take their place. Regular food supplies are discarded or locked away, and matzah replaces the bread we normally eat. Concerned over the economic strain Passover imposed, the Rabbis established an annual fundraising campaign, known as Maot Chitim, whose sole purpose is to help Jews celebrate Passover. This mitzvah has been taken very seriously throughout Jewish history and in Jewish communities around the world.

On the last night before Pesach begins, a house search for leavened products, called Bedikat Chametz, takes place. Every family member is given a lighted candle to carry around the house. (Perhaps a flashlight for the younger set!) And the search begins. Families have strategically placed ten pieces of chametz in easy-to-remember locations, and as chametz is found, it is swept with a feather onto a wooden spoon and into a paper bag to be burned or disposed of the next morning. The formula for this ritual is found in the Hagaddah (literally, “the telling”), our guide to the Seder

Celebration Suggestions for Family

In preparing the home for Passover, parents can involve children in whatever degree of housecleaning is comfortable by making it fun. In order for each family to participate as fully as possible in the Seder rituals, many wonderful musical compilations have been recorded. Playing Pesach music in the car or while you are cleaning at home helps to familiarize the whole family with traditional and contemporary music for this festival. Additional preparation activities involving children include:

• Creating individualized pillows for each guest.

• Making a Seder plate.

• Reading stories of Elijah the Prophet and Miriam, Moshe’s sister.

• Decorate a wine cup for each to be used during the Seder.

• Choosing and arranging flowers for the seder table.

• Arranging the charoset in the shape of a pyramid or bricks.

• Asking children to prepare a presentation related to a part of the seder.

During the Seder, we use the Hagaddah to guide us through the rituals and ceremonies observed. Hagaddah literally means, “the telling.” The Hagaddah is a masterpiece of pedagogy containing many different learning techniques. It employs the Socratic method of questions and answers, storytelling, show and tell, song, play, food, suspense, and pathos. The Rabbis composed the Hagaddah. Some of its parts quote the Torah; others were written some two thousand years ago, and still other parts date to the Middle Ages. Here are some suggestions to enliven the Hagaddah and your family’s Seder:

• Add a fifth question to the Four Questions. What else do you want to know about? Some families include a fifth question for those children whose voices were silenced before their time.

• Rewrite one or more sections of the Hagaddah to reflect your family’s values and interests.

• Use props during the reading of the Ten Plagues:

Blood – red food coloring or kosher for Passover catsup

Frogs – plastic toy frogs

Lice – tiny plastic bugs, or rub on Calamine lotion

Wild Beasts – plastic toy animals

Boils – round Band-Aids or small, round, red office supply labels

Hail – ping pong balls, marshmallows, or cotton balls

Locusts – plastic toy grasshoppers

Darkness – everyone put on sunglasses

• Read the story of the Exodus creatively. Have children act out the story. There are many wonderful retellings of the story for children of all ages.

• Dress up, or invite a child to dress up, as Eliyahu HaNavi, Elijah the Prophet. Ask another child to open the door. How would Elijah greet your seder guests? What wisdom might he impart?

• Add contemporary verses to traditional songs, such as Dayenu or Chad Gadya to address current concerns.

• Invite your guests to prepare a short drash or talk, on a Pesach theme.

Wishing you all a Chag Pesach Sameach, a very happy and healthy Passover holiday from PJA.

Sweet Spaghetti

Squash Kugel with Apples and Raisins

Makes 9 servings carascravings.com

Passover comes with amazing food traditions that have been around since the beginning of time. This is a sweet kugel that is light enough to enjoy with any meal or on its own as a breakfast or snack. Gluten-free and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/3 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8x8” baking dish with cooking spray, or lightly grease with melted coconut oil. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Add spaghetti squash and toss to coat. Mix in apples and raisins. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and set. Cool before slicing.

Calendar Passover Starts:

Monday, April 22 - 15 Nissan Light candles at sundown

Passover Ends:

Tuesday, April 30 - 22 Nissan Holiday ends at sundown

Question & Answer

Question:

I am always puzzled by the beginning of the Haggadah, where we declare, “All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy come and celebrate Passover.” Being that this is said while sitting at the dinner table, the only people hearing it are those who are already there.

What is the point of making grand invitations when the truly needy can’t hear it?

Answer:

That invitation is not intended for outsiders. We are inviting ourselves and the people around us to really be present at the Seder. While we may be sitting at the table, our minds can be miles away. We may miss out on the most powerful spiritual journey - the Seder.

Each one of us is hungry, and we are all needy. We have a soul that hungers for nourishment and inspiration, and we all feel a profound need for our inner self to be freely expressed. Our soul yearns to love, to give, to contribute to the world and to connect to God. Our soul is sometimes trapped, surrounded by obstacles to its being free - scars from the past that cripple us; fears that prevent us from opening our hearts; bad habits that waste our time and divert our energy; toxic relationships that we have become dependent on; negative attitudes that darken our vision; egotism and complacency that stunt our growth.

We are stuck in our own inner Egypt, with these internal slave-masters holding us back from becoming who we are supposed to be. Like Pharaoh of old, our ego doesn’t want to let us go. Even as we sit down to the Seder to read the story of the Israelite Exodus from slavery, we are still slaves.

At the beginning of the Seder we invite ourselves to really come to the Seder and experience freedom. Don’t let yourself be enslaved to your Egypt any longer. “Whoever is hungry, come and eat. Whoever is needy, come and celebrate Passover.” If you hunger for inspiration, come and absorb the Haggadah’s message of liberty. Enter into the Passover experience with your entire being. Read the story of the Exodus, taste the Matzah, the food of faith, and drink in the wine of freedom.

The Seder night is more than just a commemoration of miracles of the past; it is a personal experience, the exodus of the soul. The same spiritual energies that brought about the miracles long ago are reawakened. Freedom is in the air. On Passover long ago we left Egypt; this Passover we can free ourselves from our own slavery.

We can rush through the Haggadah to get to the main course. Then our souls remain trapped. Rather let’s take our time, allowing the eternal story of freedom to sink in and become a part of us. Let yourself go - free your soul.