About Jewish Passover
Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year
by the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of
Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh
Ramses II.
Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With
special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the
focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means
order, and the passover story is read in order from a
book called a haggadah.
Fearing that Jews were becoming too strong, a Pharaoh
decreed that all male Jewish babies
were to be killed. Jocheved and Amran, a Jewish couple,
wanted to save their infant son - so they put him in
a basket that floated him down the river. The infant
was rescued by the Pharaoh's daughter and she raised
him as her own son. She named the baby Moses, which means
" take from the water."
When Moses grew up, he empathized
with the Jewish slaves and tried to get the Pharaoh
to free them. The Pharaoh refused - so there were 10 plagues
sent down to Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle
Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Slaying
of the Firstborn. The name Passover comes from the Plague
of Slaying the Firstborn. The Angel of Death passed over
the homes of the Jews who had put lambs blood on their
doors.
After the 10th plague, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jewish
slaves go. They gathered up their belongings quickly,
and didn't have time for their bread to rise, so they
had to bake it and take it the way it was. This is why
the Jewish people eat matzah during Passover.
As the
Jews were fleeing, Pharaoh changed his mind, and sent
his army after the people to bring them back. Moses
parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross, and as soon
as they were safely to the other side, the waters closed
on the soldiers, drowning them all. The Jewish people
were free.
Passover Games and Activities |
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