Explore Passover
what is passover?
Passover 2024 begins at sundown on Monday, April 22
More widely observed than any other Jewish holiday, Passover celebrates the emancipation of the Israelites from 400 years of Egyptian slavery and serves as an annual reminder of our responsibility to work for freedom for all people, everywhere.
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a holiday that is primarily celebrated in the home with family and friends. The first two nights of the holiday center around a festive meal that includes a dramatic retelling of the story from the Book of Exodus.
For 7-8 days (depending on one’s location and tradition) leavened foods are removed from homes and diets to commemorate that the Israelites fled Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise.
Ways to observe the holiday:
- Time for Spring Cleaning: For many, preparing for Passover includes a thorough cleaning of the home to remove all chametz – anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water. Some also consider rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes to be chametz. Ask your kids to be “chametz detectives” and offer a prize if they find anything you missed!
- Host or Attend a Seder: Seder means “order” in Hebrew. The Seder is no ordinary holiday meal. There is a set of tasks to completed and information to be covered in a specific order. The text of the Passover Seder is a written book called the Haggadah. Some families use very traditional Haggadah, some use a more contemporary version, and some choose to create their own Haggadah to meet the needs of the guests at their table – young and old. Many families have one Seder on the first night and then do it all over again on the second night.
- Ask Questions: The Seder begins with asking questions and in some families continues as a free form discussion where no questions are off-limits. The Four Questions are traditionally read by the youngest person at the table. If your children will be asked to recite the Four Questions at a seder, you can find videos online and practice singing with them in the weeks leading up to Passover.
- Eat Matzah: The grain product we eat during Passover in place of chametz is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. It represents the bread that Israelites made as they fled Egypt.
Want to learn more about the holidays or how your family can connect with the JCC?
Explore PJ Library Milwaukee for young families raising Jewish or multi-faith children.
Contact Rachel Pressman to get connected to additional resources.
