Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over the course of a week each spring. It commemorates the Exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. It is celebrated around family dinner tables and at communal banquets, where the dramatic story of liberation from slavery is retold.
“Passover is the most observed Jewish holiday in America,” said Rabbi Motti Seligson, director of public relations for Chabad-Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish movement. “It’s not a synagogue holiday, although there are services in synagogues. The main parts of Passover are observed at home.”
This year, as in recent years, the celebrations occur amid a sober backdrop. There are anxieties over the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, widespread antisemitism marked by recent synagogue attacks, divisions within the Jewish community over Israeli policies and the raw aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war.
Passover is a time for reuniting and remembering
Passover — known as Pesach in Hebrew — begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 1. By tradition, it will be celebrated for seven days in Israel. In the rest of the world, some observe it for seven days, others for eight.
Observant Jews avoid various grains known as chametz, a reminder of how the biblical Israelites ate unleavened bread when they fled Egypt, with no time for dough to rise. Matzo — a crisp, unleavened bread — is OK to eat. Most breads, pastas, cereals, cakes and cookies are off-limits.
For many Jews, Passover is a time to reunite with family. They recount the Exodus from Egypt at a meal called the Seder. Participants use a Haggadah — a program for the Seder’s readings and rituals. Many families customize the Haggadah with supplemental songs and readings on a particular theme, or written by the participants themselves.
The Seder table is set with wine and various symbolic foods. For example, bitter herbs represent the experience of slavery; greens represent the coming of spring; and a shank bone represents the sacrifice made in biblical times.
Seders involve the active participation of children. They search for an afikomen — a hidden piece of matzo. The youngest child present asks ritual questions such as, “Why is this night different from any other night?”
Seder commemorations in wartime
Passover this year comes as war intensifies in the Middle East, with the United States and Israel heavily bombarding Iran and its proxies, which have struck back with attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
Antisemitism remains a concern with increasingly prominent voices on the right and left denouncing the U.S.-Israeli alliance, sometimes in language condemning not just Zionism but Jewish religious beliefs. An Anti-Defamation League report says colleges and universities have improved protections for Jewish students but also cited a persistence in anti-Jewish attitudes. Synagogues in Mississippi and Michigan were targeted by an arsonist and a gunman, respectively, in recent months. A Hanukkah celebration in Australia came under deadly attack in December.
Celebrations at home and in community
While traditionally a home celebration, many congregations also hold larger Seders so that participants — especially those with few family connections or who are unable to prepare the meal — can have a place to celebrate with others.
Many Jewish community, cultural and campus centers host Passover gatherings. Some participants go to both communal and home Seders on different nights.
Some hotels are offering Seders in kosher settings at travel destinations. Chabad plans to host thousands of people at communal Seders in Thailand, Nepal and other countries popular with travelers.
Regardless of the setting, the Seder ritual aims to involve participants directly in the biblical story. “Tradition teaches us that in every generation, we ought to look upon ourselves as if we personally had gone out of Egypt,” says one version of the Haggadah. “Therefore, it is our duty to thank the One who performed all the miracles for generations past and present.”
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