What is Passover? Canton Chai Center Rabbi Mendy Horowitz Explains

The holiday of Passover is also known as the Festival of Liberation or a Freedom Festival.

It is the celebration of the departure from slavery to freedom and commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

This year, Passover begins on Monday, March 25 and ends on Tuesday, April 2. A major mitzvots of this holiday is to eat only unleavened bread, which signifies the Israelites fleeing with their bread, which had not yet risen.

The meaning of mitzvot is doing a good deed from religious duty.

Patch spoke with Rabbi Mendy Horowitz from the Canton Chai Center, located at 580 Washington St. in Canton:

Patch: What is Passover?

Rabbi Horowitz: The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom that our ancestors gained.

Patch: Can you tell us about Seder?

Rabbi Horowitz: The Seder, the meal, is where we recount the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt and recall their suffering and persecution. The Seder service begins with the recitation of kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. This is done over a cup of wine, the first of the four cups we will drink (while reclining) at the Seder.

During the Seder each person takes a turn reading from the Haggadah (a narrative of the Exodus) and drink four cups of wine, each cup representing four expressions of freedom or deliverance in connection with our liberation from Egypt.

Patch: Why do you eat Matzah during Passover?

Rabbi Horowitz: The slaves left Egypt in such a haste that there was no time to wait for the dough to rise. So we eat matzah, unleavened bread. Matzah is a very simple food of flour and water.

Patch: What are the Four Questions and who recites them?

Rabbi Horowitz: Much of the ceremony is based on the commandment in the Bible that says, "And thou shalt tell thy son" so it is important to have the children feel involved in the Seder. The youngest person at the table recites the 4 Questions and it makes that child feel very special.

Patch: Can you tell us about the Seder plate?

Rabbi Horowitz: The Seder plate is placed in the center of the table and contains a hard boiled egg (which represents an ancient fertility symbol or the symbol of mourning for the loss of the two Temples); Charest, which is a mixture of wine, crushed nuts, apples and spices (This represents the mortar the Israelites were forced to use while they built structures for their Egyptian taskmasters); Bitter Herbs, horseradish is often used, which reminds us of the harshness of servitude; Bitter Vegetable which represents the bitterness of slavery; the Shank Bone of a lamb reminds us of the tenth plague in Egypt, when all firstborn Egyptians were killed; Vegetable or Karpas, we dip the vegetable in to the salt water which represents the tears our ancestors shed during their years of enslavement.

Patch: Children look for the Afikomen? Can you tell us about the Afikomen?

Rabbi Horowitz: There are three pieces of matzah used during the Seder. The leader will take the middle piece and break it in two. The larger of the two pieces will be placed in a napkin and later hidden for the children to go and find at the end of the meal. Once the Afikomen is found, each guest receives a piece so that the matzah is the last food item eaten at the Seder.

The practice of hiding the Afikomen was instituted to make the Seder more entertaining and exciting for children who can become restless during the long ritual meal.

Bagel Recipe During Passover

Since you can't eat regular bagels during Passover, you can make Passover bagels. Here's how:

What you'll need: 1 cup water, 1/2 cup peanut oil, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cups Matzah Meal and 4 Beaten eggs.

Bring the water, peanut oil, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove it from the heat and sir in the matzah meal and beaten eggs. Form into balls and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cook at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes depending on your oven.

For more information on Passover and upcoming holidays you can contact: Canton Chai Center@yahoo.com or (781) 821-2227.