Passover (Pesach) begins this Monday evening and will last for 8 days. Of all the Jewish holidays, it is the one most commonly observed, even by otherwise non-observant Jews. According to the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), more than 80% of Jews have attended a Passover seder (a ritual feast), which occurs on each of the first 2 nights. Like its cousin Easter, Passover is a time to bring together family and friends to commemorate a sacred event – in this case, the Exodus of Egyptian Jews after generations of slavery under Pharoah. It is also a time to feel symbolically freed from whatever enslaves us. In addition, it is the first of the three yearly festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (Sukkot and Shavuot being the other two). For those of our readers who will be hosting or participating in a seder, we wish you Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays)!
