Judaism - Passover

1. Passover is an important festival in the Jewish year.

2. Passover celebrates how the children of Israel left slavery behind them when they were led out of Egypt by Moses.

3. This took place over three thousand years ago.

4. The Israelites had been under the rule of the Pharaoh.

5. Moses warned him that terrible plagues would be sent if he did not let the Israelites go.

6. Ten plagues were sent, the final one being the death of each first born child.

7. God told Moses that the Israelites should mark their door posts with lamb’s blood.

8. This meant that God could pass over their houses and spare their children from the plague.

9. The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that their bread did not have time to rise.

10. Jewish people eat unleavened bread called matzah which is made without yeast.

11. The Passover festival lasts eight days, beginning with a special service called a Seder.

12. Before celebrations begin, the house must be cleaned.

13. The Seder is a happy, religious family celebration, during which Jews celebrate their freedom.

14. Seder means order and great care is taken to carry out the practices of the service in the correct order.

15. Often special plates and cutlery are used that are kept specifically for Passover.

16. The Haggadah is the prayer book used to tell the story of the escape from Egypt.

17. The Haggadah also contains songs, blessings and psalms and four questions.

18. Jewish families eat certain symbolic food.

19. Four questions are asked relating to the symbolic food:

(1) why unleavened bread is eaten

(2) why bitter herbs are eaten

(3) why food is dipped in salt water

(4) why the food is eaten in a reclining position

20. Unleavened bread shows how quickly the Israelites had to leave Egypt, the bitter herbs show the bitterness of slavery, the salt water

shows the tears the Jews shed as slaves and cushions are now placed on chairs to show comfort and freedom.

21. The Seder plate consists of a meat bone or chicken neck, a roasted egg, a green vegetable to dip in the salt water, bitter herbs made from

horseradish and charoset, a paste made from chopped apples, walnuts and wine.

22. During the Seder everyone should drink four cups of wine or grape juice.

23. Three matzahs are placed on the table.

24. The middle one is broken and a piece is hidden, which the children hunt for.