When Matza Balls, Matza Brei and grape juice are the talk in town we know that Passover is approaching. Passover the Jewish holiday of freedom is a celebration of the famous Israelite exodus from slavery in Egypt as described in the book of Exodus in the Bible.
The story of the Exodus tells the journey of Mosses, growing up in the Egyptian Palace as he was adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter, to become the leader of the people of Israel and leading them out of Egyptian slavery to the promised land of Israel. The amazing story of the exodus have been depicted over the years in many Hollywood movies. The most famous ones are the “The Ten Commandments” directed by Cecil B. DeMille’s in 1923 and the Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks animation film “The prince of Egypt” released in 1998.
Although Passover dates shift due to the lunar Jewish calendar, the holiday is usually parallel to the Christian holiday of Easter.
In Europe, at this time of the year, one enjoys delicious egg shaped chocolate, you will find the children running around parks, gardens and town on a scavenger hunt. Others use their family time to go to the Easter mass and spend time at an Easter market.
In Israel, chocolate eggs are not on the Passover menu. During the week long holiday of Passover it is forbidden to eat any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has come into contact with water and allowed it to ferment. Instead of good bread and yummy pasta, Jews around the world eat Matzah, which is an unleavened flatbread. This humble food reminds us of the hasty departure of the Jews from ancient Egypt to the desert.
The Jews left in such a rush that the bread they took with them didn’t have the time to rise.
Homes around Israel do their annual spring clean, as the house should be cleaned from all the bread. More than that, it is the opportunity to donate to the needy, Meir Panim, a non-profit organization that provides meals for the poor, launched a campaign to donate food and products that are not consumed during Pessah to the needy so that the food is not wasted.
Through the years, Israeli food companies have developed many Passover alternatives to bread and other wheat products. In Israeli supermarkets you can find rice based pasta, corn based rolls and potato flour cupcakes. So although some foods are forbidden, food variety is not effect and it is well known in Israel that no one loses weight in Passover, everyone actually gains a kilo or two.
On the eve of the Passover holiday families come together for a festive dinner that is called the Seder in which the story of the exodus is told along with many traditional songs and some games for the children. This dinner, along with the one on Jewish New year’s, are considered the two most important events in the Jewish calendar and give families a chance to come together.
Most Israelis do not work during the Passover Holiday and schools are on a break. They thus use the nice weather and their free time to enjoy activities that they would not normally do. During passover , many museums across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are open and free of charge. Spring time is the ideal time to travel to Massada, or simply to spend the day on the beach or at the Dead Sea.
The Mission of Israel wishes you a great Easter holliday and Hag Pessach Sameach.