Passover or Pesach in Hebrew is a historical Jewish festival that is held every spring and is used to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites, their escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. At Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready there is a ritualistic, symbolic, and communal introspective festival (seven days in Israel), a strong, though essence-threatening, annual reminder of the motif of freedom, religion and identity. The centrepiece is the Seder, a ritual-filled dinner that is celebrated on the first two evenings, in which the history behind the exodus is recounted so its teachings will be transmitted to the generations to come.

The Seder, which is translated as order, has a particular order that is provided in the Haggadah, a special book that directs the evening. All the elements of the Seder table and the rituals which accompany it are highly symbolic:

Maror (Bitter Herbs): The emblem of outraged slavery.

Charoset (sweet paste): It was used to represent the mortar of the enslaved Israelites.

Karpas (vegetable, usually parsley): A dip of salt water symbolising the tears of slavery and spring.

Zeroa (roasted shank bone): The Passover sacrifice.

Beitzah (a roasted egg): A symbol of mourning and of life.

Matzah (unleavened bread): The bread of affliction and of haste, consumed to remember the rushing out of the Israelites out of Egypt.

Seder is very interactive and is aimed at involving all the participants of the age group. At Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready the most essential ones are the Four Questions, which are asked by the youngest person present, which leads to the narration of the story about the Exodus. The ancient narrative is also brought close and personal, with the participants drinking four cups of wine, tasting the food symbolic, and singing and discussing.

One of the Passover customs is the elimination of chametz; leavened products prepared with wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt. This is a commemoration of the exit of the Israelites that was so fast that their bread did not have time to rise. Days preceding the Passover, houses are properly cleaned in order to eliminate chametz. Instead, matzah, flat, unleavened bread, is consumed during the holiday, which is a concrete link to the experience of the ancestors.

However, in the end, Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley  Passover is not merely a historical memory; it is not an experience but rather a reality of the transition between slavery and freedom. It is the period when the family members can see each other, ask questions, and relate their own history to a tremendous historical event. The Seder plate rituals, matzah flavour, and Haggadah recitation make sure that the importance of being resilient, thankful to have freedom, and seeking justice make sure that an influential legacy is kept alive by every new generation.

For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.

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