Tag Archives: passover

Passover 101

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Those who are not Jewish might have some difficulty trying to understand what Passover is. It seemed like a good idea to put together a quick “Passover 101” that people can easily share with confused (but well meaning) friends and neighbors. Instead of explaining it over and over again, you can simply send them the link to this simplified description. Passover is an eight-day festival that is celebrated in early spring. It begins on the 15th and ends on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. The coinciding secular dates will not be the same every year. There … Continue reading →

Making the Most of the Sacrament

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Sometimes you have an epiphany about something you should have grasped long ago. This past Sunday was one of those days for me. After a long week, I was drained and ready for some spiritual recharging. As I sat in Sacrament meeting and thought about the week, I found a deeper understanding of the sacrament than I have in a long while. The sacrament is all about starting over. I have a whole new week to begin on. I have a clean slate. And all those things that weighed me down over the week were lightened as I began to … Continue reading →

Easter and Marriage

Easter means different things to different people. As I’ve read a couple of other blogs I see some of those different traditions in families come out. To some people it means Easter bunnies and Easter egg hunts. To others it means church. Sometimes there is a combining of the two. In our marriage and those of our son and daughter and their spouses, it means church,remembering the first Easter and what Easter is all about – the death and resurrection of Jesus. One couple I know who are still on their L plates in their marriage has started a tradition … Continue reading →

Passover Vacations

Passover begins April 19th, but not everyone who celebrates the Jewish holiday will be doing so at home. According to my pal from high school who is now a chef at one of Hawaii’s top hotels, many people who observe Passover will be celebrating in paradise. Including the rabbi who will be overseeing food preparation done by my friend in the hotel’s kitchen. But it’s not just Hawaii’s five-star resorts that will be offering Passover seders for guests who plan their vacations to coincide with the holiday. A number of hotels and cruise lines the world over are also preparing … Continue reading →

Jesus, Our Passover Lamb

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In Exodus chapter 12 the children of Israel were told to take a lamb for their household. Verse 5 says, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year…” The Israelites were instructed on how and when to kill it. They were to use the blood around the door frame of the home. In verse 13 the LORD tells us, “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you … Continue reading →

The Passion of the Christ

Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ was by far the most impacting movie my husband and I have ever seen. After watching it in the theater, we walked out speechless. All either of us could say once we did speak was, “Whoa…” Just like anything else, much of the impact wore off after time and we decided to buy the DVD to watch on occasion when we needed a fresh reminder of what Jesus did for us. This movie, by my assessment was biblically accurate. It covered the last hours of Christ’s life prior to His crucifixion. It … Continue reading →

A Chabad Seder

This year was my husband’s and mine first Passover Seder away from our family. We just moved from the east coast to the Phoenix Arizona area and although I thought I was going to be skipping Seder this year, my husband made other plans. Chabad is very strong in the state of Arizona so my husband found the chapter in a nearby town and gave them a call. We celebrated both nights of Seder with Chabad and it was very nice. We also figured it was time to venture out and begin meeting other people. This worked out well as … Continue reading →

Kosher for Passover-from Matzoh Ball Soup to Peanuts

Passover is a time to up the ante on keeping kosher, no matter where you are holding. Even those who do not keep kosher throughout the year can be seen putting away bread and pasta for a week and eating only matzah. Perhaps one reason for this is that Passover is a time for family, and it is during Passover that we reconnect with the traditions of our ancestors. Therefore, most Jews have some interest in what makes food kosher for Passover. Basically, food is kosher for Passover if it doesn’t contain any products, such as yeast, that can make … Continue reading →

Chametz and Cleaning

Chametz means “leavening agents.” Any food or drink which contains wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or any other forms of leaving agents cannot be eaten on Passover. Some examples of Chametz are: Breakfast Cereals Crackers Pasta Beer Vinegar The searching for Chametz ritual is done the night before Passover begins. Each corner, room, and even your car should be checked for Chametz. Furniture and couch cushions should also be included in the cleaning. Another tradition many Jews will do is change over their entire kitchen to Kosher for Passover. This means taking all the dishware, silverware, glasses, and all cookware … Continue reading →

The Four Questions – Mah Nish-Tanah

During the Passover Seder, the youngest family member asks the four questions. Most children learn how to sing them in Hebrew but also learn what the meaning is and the answers to them. Why is this night different from all other nights? – Overall question Mah nish-tanah ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-lay-loht, mi-kol ha-lay-loht? 1) On all other nights, we may eat chametz and matzah. Why on this night do we only eat matzah? She-b’khol ha-lay-loht anu okh-lin cha-meytz u-mat-zah, cha-meytz u-mat-zah. Ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh, ha-lahy-lah ha-zeh, koo-loh mat-zah. 2) On all other nights, we eat many vegetables. Why on this night … Continue reading →