Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is the most celebrated holiday in the Jewish tradition. The eight-day holiday commemorates the exodus from Egypt, led by Moses, and the formation of a disparate group of Israelite slaves into a Jewish people with a collective identity. “Passover” references the pinnacle moment in the Passover story, when God issues the 10th, and most terrible, of a series of plagues against Egypt for Pharaoh’s failure to liberate the slaves. On this night, God warns the Israelites about this plague, the killing of the firstborn, instructing them to mark their doorposts to make Israelite homes distinguishable from Egyptian homes. And thus, God “passes over” the Jewish people, afflicting only the Egyptians. It is only after this final plague that Pharaoh is convinced to free the slaves.
Passover is commemorated through a ritual meal called a seder, through which the story of the Exodus is recounted through the reading of a special book, Haggadah. The seder is participatory, and includes symbolic foods, story telling, and songs. It also asks participants to remember the experience of slavery in order to actively prevent oppression in our contemporary world.
The themes of Passover have resonated deeply throughout history, particularly in America. The Pilgrims viewed themselves as the “New Hebrews” fleeing from oppressive Egypt (England). Later, many enslaved Africans drew parallels between their own oppression and that of the Jews of the Hebrew Bible. Familiar spirituals recount the toils of Moses and his people, and Underground Railroad “Conductor” Harriet Tubman was nicknamed Moses for her 19 daring raids on the South to free slaves.
Looking for good Passover themes/program ideas? TCI is happy to come to your school to help plan and facilitate seders or provide you with resources to help you facilitate programs of your own!
