{"id":30978,"date":"2014-04-14T17:58:19","date_gmt":"2014-04-14T15:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/?p=30978"},"modified":"2014-04-14T17:58:19","modified_gmt":"2014-04-14T15:58:19","slug":"happy-passover-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/eclectic\/happy-passover-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Passover 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Happy<\/a>
Happy Passover 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To all of our Jewish Friends around the World…Here is wishing you a very Happy Passover 2014. May it be warm and joyous.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is known as the “holiday of freedom,” commemorating the Jewish Exodus from Egypt following\u00a0210 years of slavery<\/a>. Passover is regarded as the “birth” of the Jewish nation, and its lessons of struggle and identity continue to form the basis of Jewish consciousness 3,300 years after the event.<\/p>\n

Passover is an 8-day holiday (in Israel, seven days). The name derives from the fact that during the final plague \u2013 the slaying of the first born \u2013 God \u201cpassed over” the Jewish homes.<\/p>\n

\"Happy<\/a>
Happy Passover 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SEDER NIGHT\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 The holiday is marked by the celebration of an elaborate Seder on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night only). The Seder is designed to give each Jew the experience of “going from slavery unto freedom.” As recorded in the\u00a0Haggadah<\/a>, we tell the\u00a0Exodus story<\/a>and recount the\u00a0Ten Plagues<\/a>. We eat symbols of slavery and freedom, and the festive meal includes many delicious\u00a0recipes<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0foods<\/a>\u00a0that people look forward to all year (thinkmatzah balls!<\/a>). We recite the\u00a0Hallel<\/a>\u00a0prayer of praise, and end the Seder with the hope of\u00a0\u201cNext year in Jerusalem!\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

The Seder is a special tie of\u00a0family bonding<\/a>\u00a0and children are a particular focus of the night. They enjoy a variety of\u00a0Passover songs<\/a>\u00a0like the\u00a0Four Questions (Ma Nishatana), tell of the\u00a0<\/a>Four Sons<\/a>, sing the\u00a0\u201cDayenu\u201d<\/a>\u00a0song, try to “steal” theAfikoman<\/a>, and open the door for\u00a0Elijah the Prophet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Happy<\/a>
Happy Passover 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MATZAH\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 At the Seder, it is a special mitzvah to eat\u00a0matzah<\/a>, the Seder\u2019s mainsymbol<\/a>. Everyone should\u00a0try to eat<\/a>\u00a02\/3 of a\u00a0square matzah<\/a>\u00a0(or 1\/2 of a round matzah) within 4 minutes, while leaning to the left. The most common reason for eating matzah is that on the morning of the Exodus, the Jews were so rushed in getting out of Egypt that the bread didn\u2019t have time to rise. At the end of the festive meal, the special \u201cdessert\u201d is another piece of matzah, called theAfikoman<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FOUR CUPS\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 At the Seder, we drink four cups of wine \u2013 corresponding to the four expressions of freedom mentioned in the Torah (Exodus 6:6-7). Everyone should have their own cup, which holds minimally 98cc (3.3 oz). Try to drink the entire cup for each of the Four Cups (or at least drink a majority) within 4 minutes. And as an expression of freedom, we lean to the left and back while drinking the Four Cups.<\/p>\n

KARPAS\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Toward the beginning of the Seder, we eat karpas \u2013 a vegetable (e.g. celery, parsley, potato) dipped in saltwater, to commemorate the tears of hard labor.<\/p>\n

\"Happy<\/a>
Happy Passover 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BITTER HERBS\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Later in the Seder, we eat\u00a0Marror<\/a>, the bitter herbs. Though many have the custom of using horseradish, Romaine lettuce is also used. (\u201cRed horseradish\u201d in jars bought from the stores should not be used, since it\u2019s a mixture of mostly beets with some horseradish.) The Marror is dipped intoCharoset<\/a>, a bricks-and-mortar mixture of dates, wine, nuts and apples.<\/p>\n

Get Aish.com’s Free Email Updates.<\/a><\/p>\n

SEDER CHECKLIST\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Seder means “order” because there are so many\u00a0details to remember<\/a>. Your Seder table should include:<\/p>\n