Passover
First Seder, Saturday, March 27, 2021
Pesach, known as Passover in English, is a major Jewish spring festival, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The ritual observance of this holiday centers around a special home service called the seder (meaning "order") and a festive meal; the prohibition of chametz (leaven); and the eating of matzah (an unleavened bread). On the fifteenth day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, Jews gather with family and friends in the evening to read from a book called the haggadah, meaning "telling," which contains the order of prayers, rituals, readings, and songs for the Passover seder. Today, the holiday is a celebration of freedom and family.
For more information, click here
Wed, January 27 2021
14 Sh'vat 5781
Is Passover 7 or 8 days?
When does Pesach end? Why do some calendars say it ends after seven days and others after eight? The answer in most Reform Jewish communities is seven days, but the history is complicated.
The festival calendar in the Torah is clear: Pesach begins on the 15th of Nisan and lasts for seven days, and the first and seventh days are what we would now call yom tov. On the first night, there is a seder, with matzah, maror, and the retelling of the Exodus.
Back when the months of the Jewish calendar were determined by observations of the new crescent moon...more
Wed, January 27 2021 14 Sh'vat 5781