We wish you and your dear ones a very Happy Passover - Pesach! We wish you much health and happiness.

We hope you will enjoy our Passover Newsletter, with History, Songs, Videos, typical food and stories of the Jewish Tradition.

We invite you to our sites with many ideas for gifts and jewels for yourself and for your loved ones. Hope you enjoy.

What are traditional Passover foods?

In addition to eating the foods represented on the seder plate (with the exception of lamb, which is not eaten) a Passover meal — that breaks up the two halves of the seder — is served.

The meal’s menu will differ depending on family tradition. Traditional dishes include matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, beef brisket, chicken and potatoes. Traditional Sephardic (Mediterranean and Spanish) Passover foods reflect a Mediterranean spin on the Passover dinner.

Why don’t Jews eat leavened bread during Passover?

Not featured during the meal are leavened foods made of grain known as “chametz.” Chametz is prohibited during Passover, so you won’t find any pasta, cookies, bread or cereal at the seder. (More traditional Jews will completely clean out any foods containing chametz from their home.)

This has to do with the story of Passover: After the killing of the first born, the Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go. But in their haste to leave Egypt, the Israelites could not let their bread rise and so they brought unleavened bread. This specific dietary requirement is spelled out in Exodus 12:14, “You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

To commemorate this, Jews do not eat leavened bread for eight days. While all Jews are required to abstain from chametz, Ashkenazi Jews are also prohibited from eating rice, corn or legumes – known as “kitniyot.” while Sephardic Jews eat kitniyot during Passover.

Any bread-like substance (cakes, dumplings, etc.) found at the seder will be made by combining matzoh meal, some sort of fat, and eggs to remain kosher for Passover.

The Story of Pessach

At the end of the biblical book of Genesis, Joseph brings his family to Egypt.

Over the following centuries, the descendants of Joseph's family (the Hebrews) become so numerous that when a new king comes to power he fears what might happen if the Hebrews decide to rise against the Egyptians. He decides that the best way to avoid this situation is to enslave them (Exodus 1). According to tradition,these enslaved Hebrews are the ancestors of modern day Jews.

Despite Pharaoh's attempt to subdue the Hebrews they continue to have many children. As their numbers grow, pharaoh comes up with another plan: he will send soldiers to kill all newborn male babies who were born to Hebrew mothers. This is where the story of Moses begins.

Moses

In order to save Moses from the grisly fate pharaoh has decreed, his mother and sister put him in a basket and set it afloat on the river. Their hope is that the basket will float to safety and whomever finds the baby will adopt him as their own. His sister, Miriam, follows along as the basket floats away. Eventually it is discovered by none other than pharaoh's daughter. She saves Moses and raises him as her own, so that a Hebrew child is raised as a prince of Egypt.

When Moses grows up he kills an Egyptian guard when he sees him beating a Hebrew slave. Then Moses flees for his life, heading into the desert. In the desert he joins the family of Jethro, a Midian priest, by marrying Jethro's daughter and having children with her. He becomes a shepherd for Jethro's flock and one day, while out tending the sheep, Moses meets God in the wilderness. The voice of God calls out to him from a burning bush and Moses answers: "Hineini!" ("Here I am!" in Hebrew.)

God tells Moses that he has been chosen to free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. Moses is not sure he can carry out this command. But God reassures Moses that he will have help in the form of God's aide and his brother, Aaron.

The Ten Plagues

Soon afterward, Moses returns to Egypt and demands that pharaoh release the Hebrews from bondage. Pharaoh refuses and as a result God sends ten plagues upon Egypt:

1. Blood - The waters of Egypt are turned to blood. All the fish die and water becomes unusable.

2. Frogs - Hordes of frogs swarm the land of Egypt.

3. Gnats or Lice - Masses of gnats or lice invade Egyptian homes and plague the Egyptian people.

4. Wild Animals - Wild animals invade Egyptian homes and lands, causing destruction and wrecking havoc.

5. Pestilence - Egyptian livestock is struck down with disease.

6. Boils - The Egyptian people are plagued by painful boils that cover their bodies.

7. Hail - Severe weather destroys Egyptian crops and beats down upon them.

8. Locusts - Locusts swarm Egypt and eat any remaining crops and food.

9. Darkness - Darkness covers the land of Egypt for three days.

10. Death of the Firstborn - The firstborn of every Egyptian family is killed. Even the firstborn of Egyptian animals die.

The tenth plague is where the Jewish holiday of Passover derives its name, because while the Angel of Death visited Egypt it "passed over" Hebrew homes, which had been marked with lambs blood on the doorposts.

The Exodus

Soon after they leave their homes pharaoh changes his mind and sends soldiers after the Hebrews, but when the former slaves reach the Sea of Reeds the waters part so that they can escape. When the soldiers try to follow them, the waters crash down upon them. According to Jewish legend, when the angels began rejoicing as the Hebrews escaped and the soldiers drowned God reprimanded them, saying: "My creatures are drowning, and you're singing songs!" This midrash (rabbinic story) teaches us that we should not rejoice in the sufferings of our enemies. (Telushkin, Joseph. "Jewish Literacy." pgs 35-36).

Once they have crossed the water, the Hebrews begin the next part of their journey as they search for the Promised Land. The story of Passover recounts how the Hebrews gained their freedom and became the ancestors of the Jewish people.

AVADIM HAYINU (WE WERE SLAVES, NOW WE ARE FREE)
Avadim hayinu, ha-yi-nu. Atah b'nei chorin, b'nei chorin.
Avadim, ha-a-yinu, Atah, Atah, b'nei chorin.
Avadim, ha-a-yinu, Atah, Atah, b'nei chorin, b'nei chorin.

V'HEE SHE'AMDAH (AS GOD HAS STOOD WITH US)
Ve'hee she'amdah, ve'hee she'amdah, la-avoteinu vela-nu (x2)
Shelo - echad - bil'vad, a'mad aleinu le'chaloteinu (x2)
Ela, she bechol dor va dor, omdim aleinu le'chaloteinu (x2)
Vehakadosh barooch hoo, matzileinu mi-yadam (x2)

DAYEINU (IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH!!)
Ilu hotsi - hotsiyanu, mimitzrayim hotsiyanu - velo asah bahem shvatim - Dayenu.
Chorus:
Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu, dayeinu! Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu!

HALLELUYAH
Halleluyah, Halleluyah, betsil'tselay shama.
Halleluyah, Halleluyah, betsil'tselay tru'ah.
Kol han'shamah, tehalel'yah; Halleluyah, Halleluyah.

ELIYAHU HANAVI
(ELIJAH THE PROPHET)
Eliyahu ha-na-vi. Eliyahu ha'tish'bi. Eliyahu ha-giladi.
Bim'heira-ah yavoh eleinu, im mashi-i-i-ach ben-david. (x2)

ADIR HU (HE IS GREAT)
Adir hoo, adir hoo, yivneh veito beka'rov.
Bim'heirah-ah, bim'heirah, be'yameinu beh'ka-a-roh-ov,
Eh-el b'nei, eh-el b'nei, bnei veit'cha beh'kah'ah-rov.

ECHAD - MI YODEIYA (WHO KNOWS ONE?)
Leader:

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