Happy Passover!

The Weinberg Residence will be holding 2 Seder meals, on March 30th and March 31st and we would like to invite you to join us in observing Passover. Please rsvp by phone #604-267-4756 or by email: rlvovski@weinbergresidence.com

Passover is a very important Jewish holiday

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is an eight-day holiday celebrating the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery and exile in Egypt in 1300 BCE and is one of the most significant observances on the Jewish calendar. The holiday begins at nightfall on March 30 and ends on Saturday, April 7 at sundown.

On the first and second night of Passover, a Seder (say’-dehr) is held in Jewish homes. The Seder is an ancient ceremony which retells the story of the birth of the Jewish nation through rituals and symbolic foods.

At the Seder, the story of Moses leading the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt is read in the Haggadah, with singing and discussion involving everyone at the table.

The first two and last two days of the holiday are holy days and are observed with all the same rules as Shabbat.

During the entire holiday no bread or bread products (crackers, cake, etc.) will be consumed in the communal areas of the home. (At the time of the Exodus, the Jews left Egypt in a hurry and therefore had little time to allow yeast to rise in order to make bread).   Instead, during the eight days, Jews eat matzah, a thin, dry type of cracker made from only flour and water. All the “chometz” (leavened bread products) are stored separately and the kitchens will be using an entirely new set of plates, pots, and pans and cooking items.

Passover is a celebration not just of specific historical events, but of freedom itself. It is also the time of spring renewal, and the perpetual renewal of life. Happy Passover!