Passover 2011
Some might accuse me of blasphemy, but a few years ago I told my kids that if they didn’t stop bickering I was going to make slavery look like a walk in the park. That was just one occasion upon which my daughter proved that she shares a large portion of my DNA as she responded with, “you aren’t pharaoh.” I don’t remember my exact words but they were something along the lines of “it is time to go to bed.” It might not be quite as snappy as her comment, but it was late and we were just getting home from celebrating Passover at my parent’s house.
In many ways Passover (known in Hebrew as Pesach) is one of our most important Jewish holidays. One could even argue that it is one of the great connections among Jews. It is not a stretch to say that regardless of observance levels, at one time or another, most Jews have attended a Passover seder. The holiday itself is a celebration of the Hebrews escape from Egypt, where they had been enslaved for generations (in biblical times). Passover lasts for a week, beginning on the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar. On the first two nights there is a seder — a dinner during which we symbolically reenact the Exodus.
Passover is one of my favorite holidays. Some of my earliest and strongest memories are from the seders I attended as a child. I can see my great-grandfather sitting at the table next to me. He plays with me and smiles as I tell him something that was really important to the four year-old boy I was. Some years down the road I can picture my great-grandmother sitting at the end of the table next to me and my middle sister. She tells us that she is getting drunk from the grape juice. My sister and I giggle because we know that you don’t get drunk from grape juice.
There are a host of other relatives that are no longer with us tied into these memories, too. More grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles are all in attendance inside the vault inside my head. Sometimes I wonder if time has clouded those memories, but most of the time I just accept them to be as I see them.
There are a number of customs that are tied into Passover week that are supposed to be followed. The most widely known is the law to remove leavened (yeast) products, or chametz, from our homes. This commemorates the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt and that consequently the bread was not allowed to rise.
Some of the customs, like removing chametz, are practiced by all Jews. But there are other customs vary from sect to sect. For example, Ashkenazi Jews (usually described as having come from Eastern Europe and some of the surrounding areas), don’t eat rice during Passover. But Sephardic Jews ( from countries such as Spain, Portugal, Iran and the Middle East), will have rice as part of the Passover week.
Then there is the seder dinner itself. During the seder we read from a book called the Haggadah. It tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt and explains some of the practices and symbols of the Passover holiday. This is really where family traditions come alive. Some people like to act out the parts and or sing some of the traditional songs. If you have young children it is a great way to help keep them interested.
Another way we keep kids engaged is through the Afikomen. It is a half piece of Matzah (unleavened bread) that is hidden during the early part of the seder. Typically once the Afikomen is found by the kids it is held for ransom. In return for turning it in they receive a prize or reward. Sometimes they earn money or a small toy.
It is not hard to come up with a host of reasons why I love Passover. Traditions are important to me. As a father, I take great pleasure watching my children participate in things that I have been doing my entire life. Plus, it is punctuated by some of my favorite foods. We’ll have Matzah Ball soup, gefilte fish, Apple Matzah Kugel and beef brisket. And for breakfast there will be more than one meal where I treat my family to Matzah Brei.
But most of all I look forward to having time with the family and getting the opportunity to watch my children develop their own special memories of a special holiday.
image credit: http://flic.kr/p/3gsNZ7
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Joshua Wilner has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion.
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Tags: Passover traditions, Passover traditions celebration, Passover traditions history
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