All about Passover (Pesach)

Passover, also known as Pesach, is a special holiday celebrated by Jewish people to remember how they were freed from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. The story of Passover begins with a man named Moses, who asked the Pharaoh of Egypt to let the Jewish people go, but the Pharaoh refused.

As a result, God sent ten plagues to Egypt, including frogs, locusts, and darkness. The final plague was the most terrible - the Angel of Death came and took the firstborn children of the Egyptians. To protect the Jewish children, they were told to mark their doors with lamb's blood so the Angel of Death would pass over their houses.

After this, the Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Jewish people leave Egypt. They left in a hurry, not even waiting for their bread to rise, which is why Jewish people eat unleavened bread called matzah during Passover.

During Passover, Jewish families gather for a special meal called a Seder, where they retell the story of their ancestors' freedom and eat symbolic foods like bitter herbs and a sweet mixture called charoset. Passover is a time for Jewish people to be thankful for their freedom and to remember their history.

  1. Why is Passover celebrated by Jewish people?
  2. What did the Jewish people do to protect their children during the final plague in Egypt?
  3. Why do Jewish people eat unleavened bread during Passover?
  4. How do Jewish families celebrate Passover?
  5. Why is Passover considered an important time for Jewish people?

Symbols and Traditions

Passover, also known as Pesach, is a special holiday celebrated by Jewish people around the world. It is a time to remember and celebrate the story of how the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt long ago.

During Passover, families gather together to have a special meal called a Seder. At the Seder, they eat symbolic foods like matzah (unleavened bread) to remember the Jewish people's journey out of Egypt when they did not have time for their bread to rise. They also drink four cups of wine or grape juice to symbolize freedom and joy.

One important tradition during Passover is to remove all chametz (leavened foods) from the home before the holiday begins. This symbolizes leaving behind anything that makes us feel trapped, just like the Jewish people left behind slavery in Egypt.

Another important symbol of Passover is the Seder plate, which holds different foods that have special meanings, like bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and a roasted egg to symbolize new beginnings.

Overall, Passover is a time for families to come together, remember their history, and celebrate freedom and hope for the future.

  1. What is the significance of matzah during the Passover Seder?
  2. Why do families remove chametz from their homes before Passover?
  3. What does the Seder plate symbolize during the Passover meal?
  4. How does the Passover Seder help Jewish families remember their history?
  5. Discuss the importance of the symbolism of freedom in the Passover traditions.

My Family and Passover (Pesach)

Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm 8 years old. I live in Ireland, where my family and I celebrate a special holiday called Passover, also known as Pesach. Passover is a holiday celebrated by Jewish people around the world to remember and celebrate the story of how the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt long ago.

  1. During Passover, families gather together to have a special meal called a Seder. They eat symbolic foods like matzah (unleavened bread) to remember the Jewish people's journey out of Egypt when they did not have time for their bread to rise.
  2. At the Seder, we drink four cups of wine or grape juice to symbolize freedom and joy.
  3. One important tradition is removing all chametz (leavened foods) from the home before the holiday begins. This symbolizes leaving behind anything that makes us feel trapped, just like the Jewish people left behind slavery in Egypt.
  4. The Seder plate holds different foods with special meanings, like bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and a roasted egg to symbolize new beginnings.
  5. Passover is a time for families to come together, remember their history, and celebrate freedom and hope for the future.

Comparing Passover (Pesach) to another Festival

After learning all about Passover (Pesach), is there another festival that you celebrate or that you know that is similar in any way? Make a project comparing the similarities and differences between this festival and Passover (Pesach)and think about what symbols and traditions that are part of it. Think about the story of the festival, if it has one, where it is mainly celebrated - whether it is one country or all over the world. You can produce the project using any medium whether it's paper or on a laptop.

Slideshow - Passover (Pesach)
A full set of teaching plans for Passover (Pesach)teaching.