Happy Passover. Chag Pesach Sameach!

Despite prohibitions on gathering, Jewish people all over the world are currently observing the holiday of Passover privately in their own homes. Passover is one of the most important holidays for Jewish people, as it commemorates the emancipation of Jewish slaves from bondage in Egypt. Over the course of a long ceremonial meal called a seder, meaning ‘order’ in Hebrew, Jewish people tell the story of Moses leading the slaves to the promised land of Israel. There are two seder rituals that take place during the first two days of the week long holiday. The seder includes several songs, prayers, and many traditional foods, including unleavened bread called matzoh.

This year, Passover feels very different than other years because Jews are unable to get together with friends, family and congregations to observe the holiday as they typically would. However, the story of Exodus may find more resonance than usual in this moment, as a major feature of the Passover story are the 10 plagues that afflict the Egyptians. As societies struggle to overcome a plague of our own, perhaps this story can be interpreted in new ways that can help endow the COVID crisis with meaning.

If you know any Jewish people observing Passover and you would like to acknowledge this important holiday with a gift, we at Green & Green recommend keeping it simple! There are many special food rules that apply during the holiday, so we encourage sending flowers or special Passover wine (just make sure it is “kosher for passover”).

To all our Jewish friends, we wish you a Happy Passover. Chag Pesach Sameach!