PASSOVER
INTRODUCTION Passover is a holiday that is mainly celebrated at home. As a major Jewish holiday, it can require more of us to celebrate than other holidays. It’s also an opportunity to host a
seder meal that reflects interfaith couples and families in all our diversity. We can choose or
create a Haggadah (holiday book) that speaks
to us and serve foods that reflect our family.
OR I GI N S OF P A S S OV E R Passover comes directly
The Hebrew name, Pesach,
commemorates the story of
to the sacrifice of a lamb
from slavery in Egypt.
the doors of the Hebrew
a hurry, they didn’t have
the Angel of Death—who was
That’s why matzah, a flat,
the 10th plague. The Angel was
the main symbols of the
households with lamb’s blood
from the Torah, and
means “passing over.” It refers
the ancient Hebrews’ Exodus
whose blood was put on
Because they had to leave in
households to guard against
time for their bread to rise.
killing all Egyptian firstborns in
cracker-like food, is one of
“passing over” the Israelite
holiday, and an important
on the doors, and sparing
food eaten during the week.
them.
It is also why some people
Passover takes place in March
“chametz” or leavened
eight days, depending on a
raising agent, like yeast—for
Jewish holidays, it starts at
choose not to eat any
or April and lasts seven or
bread—anything that uses a
family’s tradition. Like all
the duration of the holiday.
sundown. Themes of the
holiday include freedom,
springtime, recognizing the
sacrifices of our ancestors and passing our values on to the next generation. 18DOORS.ORG
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HOW DO WE PREP
LEARN In the days and even weeks leading up to Passover, some people clean out their houses thoroughly, like a religiously-inspired spring cleaning. Some people try to get rid of all their leavened foods, including bread, pasta, many cereals and even beer, and
some have a separate set of dishes used only on
Passover. Others may clean as a symbolic gesture and store their leavened foods out of sight during the holiday.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
The night before the first seder, there’s an old ritual some families enjoy to search the house for
leavened foods using a candle and a feather. Some people create a bread scavenger hunt with their
kids, which is the first of many parts of the holiday designed to keep children interested.
There’s also a short prayer that translates roughly as, “Even if I didn’t find all the leavened foods, by
saying these words, I’m nullifying their existence.”
The tradition understands that no matter how hard you try, no one’s perfect.
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TRADITIONS
INVITING GUESTS One reading at the beginning of the seder says, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.” It serves as both an encouragement to help feed those who are hungry in our communities and an invitation to fill your seder table with guests. Friends and relatives of all backgrounds and religions are welcome at seder tables.
PASSOVER
The particular story of liberation is a Jewish one, but its universal themes can foster cross-cultural conversations and provide
TAK E NOTE
opportunities to learn about our family and friends’ unique stories.
RITUAL ITEMS
As you may already be aware, the overlap that often occurs with
The seder table is full of ritual foods and ritual objects. A traditional
seder plate holds six special foods that are referenced throughout the
Passover and Easter can make
seder:
holiday meals (and other things! )
Karpas (a spring vegetable, often parsley or celery) Maror (bitter herbs, usually horseradish)
tricky for those keeping kosher for
A roasted hard-boiled egg
Passover (abstaining from
Another bitter vegetable (like romaine lettuce)
leavened foods). Look for tips and
Charoset (a mixture of fruit and nuts that symbolizes mortar)
advice about navigating this
A shank bone (though many vegetarians use a roasted beet)
holiday time at 18Doors.org
Some people also add an orange to symbolize all who feel
marginalized within the Jewish community. An artichoke has more recently been added for interfaith families. There are many other
modern additions that may be added to a seder plate to represent the uniqueness of their different families and experiences.
The table also has three matzot (plural of matzah) stacked on top of
Photo: Samantha Ferraro
each other, bowls of salt water, and a kiddush cup (wine glass) for
each person, plus a glass of wine for the prophet Elijah and a glass of water for the prophet Miriam.
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THE GOOD STUFF THE SEDER
The central part of the Passover celebration is the seder, a ritual meal typically held on the first and sometimes the second night of the holiday. “Seder” means order in Hebrew, and many follow the 15 steps of the seder consecutively. A “Haggadah” is a special book that takes participants through the steps of the seder, and there are many different versions: for families, for vegetarians, even for fans of certain movies or TV shows! There are also websites like Haggadot.com to design your own Haggadah. You can add artwork, prayers, poetry or songs to fit a seder theme and your family’s vibe. Some popular additions include AfricanAmerican spirituals, family immigration stories and lists of contemporary plagues to our society. The longest part of the seder is called “Maggid,” which means storytelling. It includes the story of the Exodus as well as the story of the ancient rabbis telling the story. (Many stories within a story! ) There are also four glasses of wine or grape juice blessed and drunk at specific points in the seder, and songs sung at the very end.
W H A T A R E T H E K I D S D OI N G? A major theme of the holiday is to teach the story of the Exodus to the next generation.
Arguably the most important thing you can do to engage them is to get a Haggadah that’s
meant for kids. At the beginning of the seder, the youngest child is invited to ask the Four
Questions, which starts with, “Why is this night different from all other nights? ”
Children are also intrigued by dipping fingers in wine or grape juice during the recitation of
the 10 plagues (toys, masks or finger puppets can make the plagues more fun and
interactive). A favorite kid-friendly activity comes after dinner with the search for the
Afikomen: a broken piece of matzah (whose
name comes from the Greek for dessert) which an adult hides during the seder. Children are
encouraged to search for it and then return it to the seder leader in exchange for a prize.
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8 Photo: Peace Love Light
LETS EAT
THE BIG MEAL Beyond the ritual foods on the seder plate, another seder step is shulchan orech, a festive meal. Any
dishes that feel festive and do not contain leavened products are appropriate to serve for dinner. Some popular choices in Ashkenazi families—those from Eastern Europe—may include matzah ball soup, gefilte fish (fish cakes), brisket and tzimmes (stewed fruit and vegetables).
Sephardi families—those with roots in Spain and the Middle East—may serve lamb, rice or legumes, and
often use lemons, leeks, artichokes and dates when cooking.
You can find lots of unique and multicultural
RITUALS
QUESTIONS WELCOME The seder ritual itself is designed to
spark curiosity (remember those Four
Questions? ). One sign of our freedom is the ability to ask questions. Any and all questions are encouraged at seders!
Passover recipes on 18Doors.org. If you’re observing
Some families keep candy on hand to
vegetables and proteins help carry the spirit of the
others may set up games or prompts to
the Passover diet beyond the seder, simple meals of holiday throughout the week without overloading on matzah.
reward kids for their questions, while
make sure everyone’s questions and opinions are voiced.
What is and is not kosher for Passover is always a
big question. We break it down on our website, but two good rules to follow: Don’t eat anything with
yeast that could rise and when in doubt, look for the kosher for Passover symbol on the label. 18DOORS.ORG
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