Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a major Jewish spring festival, celebrating freedom and family as we remember the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The main observances of this holiday center around a special home service called the Seder (meaning “order”), which includes a festive meal; the prohibition on eating chametz (food made with leavened grains, including wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt); and the eating of matzah (an unleavened bread made specially for Passover).
The Book of Exodus tells that Jews were enslaved in ancient Egypt. God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush and commanded him to confront Pharaoh. God then inflicted a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, which are remembered during the Seder on each year. The name passover came to represent the way God excluded the Jews from its plagues during this portion of history.
During the Seder, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called the Haggadah. Four cups of wine are consumed at various stages in the narrative. The Haggadah divides the night’s procedure into 15 parts according to tradition. This involves remembering the story of our freedom, singing, and enjoying traditional food surrounded by our family.
Passover is celebrated for seven days in our community. Every year we organise Community Passover Seder and support our members in ordering Matzah and other Kosher for Passover products.