Thursday, April 12, 2012

Passover 2012


Passover is a holiday that brings a lot of joy for me, it’s a night where we gather and see our friends and family, we get together on a beautiful night and share numerous traditions. I am proud to share the first and second night of Passover with a great group of people every year.
Passover commemorates the exodus from Egypt when Moses led the Israelites out of the land. The most significant observance during Passover is avoiding leavened bread, this reminds us of the fact that the Jews left Egypt in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise.  It’s also a symbol of removing pride from our souls.
 The Seder Plate
Bitter vegetable – a green vegetable, most often parsley.  We dip the parsley in salt water or vinegar in order to taste both the hope of new birth and the tears that the Israelite slaves shed over their condition.
Haroseth - This mix of fruits, wine or honey, and nuts symbolizes the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to construct buildings for Pharaoh.
Maror - This bitter herb allows us to taste the bitterness of slavery. Today, most Jews use horseradish as maror.
Lamb Shank - Symbolizes the lamb that Jews sacrificed as the special Passover offering when the Temple stood in Jerusalem.
Hard boiled egg - There are two interpretations of the symbolism of the hard boiled egg. One is that it is an ancient fertility symbol. The other is that it is a symbol of mourning for the loss of the two Temples, the first of which was destroyed by the Babylonians and the second of which was destroyed by the Romans.
The orange - Honors the role of women, gays and lesbians in Jewish life.

Unleavened bread - Matzah

1 comment:

  1. Yippeee for the blog :) I love learning about the meanings behind the Seder Dinner since I've always heard of it but never known the details :)

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