Passover
Festival of freedom
Long ago, the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. God knew that the Jews
longed to be free. To help the Jews, He chose one of them, a man named
Moses. God appeared to Moses and told him that he was to lead his people
to freedom. God then told Moses what must be done.
Moses ordered his people to do as God had said. Each family was to mark
its doorway with the blood of a lamb. The people were to stay in their
houses. They were to gather their belongings together and be ready to
leave Egypt.
During the night, the Angel of Death visited every Egyptian home. And
in each home, the first-born child died. But the Jews were safe. The
Angel of Death saw the blood on their doorways and went by, or passed
over, their houses. This is how the Jewish feast called Passover got
its name.After this terrible night, the Egyptian king, or pharaoh, let the Jews
go. Afraid that the pharaoh might change his mind, the Jews left in a
hurry. They did not even have time to
bake their daily bread. They just wrapped up the dough and took it with
them.
When the Jews did stop to eat, they baked the dough over fires. But the
dough had no leaven, or yeast, in it. This kind of bread, which is like
a cracker, is called unleavened bread. And this is why Passover is also
known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Today, Passover begins with the Seder [(say]{.smallcaps} duhr), which is
both a religious service and a feast. The family prays and eats
traditional foods. One of these foods is matzah, which is an unleavened
bread. After the Seder, everyone sings happy folksongs.
Jews have celebrated Passover for more than three thousand years. This
freedom festival begins on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of
Nisan, which is in March or
At Passover, Jewish famHies gather for the Seder. On the table are
traditional foods and an extra glass of wine called Elijah ‘s cup. This
wine is poured in honor of the prophet Elijah.
April. It lasts for seven or eight days.
