\n<\/strong>(Happy Passover!)<\/strong><\/p>\n
When Passover begins at sundown this coming Saturday, Jewish people around the world will celebrate by retelling the biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt \u2014 including the 10 plagues that God inflicted on the Ancient Egyptians.\u00a0 The Passover story recounts how God sends a series of ten plagues to pressure Pharoah after he refuses Moses\u2019 entreaties to free the enslaved Israelites. Each time, Pharaoh promises to liberate the Israelites, but reverses his decision when the plague is lifted \u2014 until the last one.\u00a0 The plagues are water turning into blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the killing of firstborn children.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 The holiday commemorates the Israelites\u2019\u00a0Exodus\u00a0from Egypt, and their transition from\u00a0slavery\u00a0to freedom.<\/p>\n Passover is the central story of the Torah (a religious text of the first five books of the Old Testament) and reflects many poignant themes in Jewish history including; foreign oppression and the longing for freedom; the sense that Jews are a protected and resilient people who will survive any adversity; and the contrast between living outside of Israel (the diaspora) and living in the Jewish homeland. Those themes, and their contemporary resonance, are a large part of the Passover holiday.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 The main ritual of Passover is the\u00a0Seder, a feast which occurs on the first one or two nights of the holiday (observances vary).\u00a0 This meal is accompanied by the re-telling of the Exodus through stories, \u00a0song and the consumption of traditional foods, including\u00a0matzoh and\u00a0bitter herbs. In northern regions, bitter herbs are usually represented by horseradish.\u00a0 Another important part of the Seder is charoset, a paste-like mixture of fruits, nuts and sweet wine or honey.\u00a0 This condiment is symbolic of the mortar used by the Israelite slaves when they laid bricks for Pharaoh’s monuments. The word\u00a0charoset\u00a0is derived from cheres<\/em>, the Hebrew word for clay.[3]<\/a>\u00a0 The Seder\u2019s rituals and other readings are outlined in the\u00a0text known as the Haggadah, though celebrations may vary widely throughout cultures, regions and even families.[4]<\/a>\u00a0 The video below describes some of the common traditions of the Passover Seder.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Hand](\"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/files\/2021\/03\/Plague-of-Locusts-219x300.jpg\")
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Page from Old Testament Bible manuscript
hand painted watercolor
Northern Italian, c. 1650
Herbert Kraft Collection – MSS029
Courtesy of Archives and Special Collections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n