Dear All, First, let me apologize for not having postged tghis yesterday, aS I had said before the holiday that I would do.  I was simply swamped with getting my book proposal package out.

Now to Passover.  Or, really, Pesach -- PAY-zack, like the Paschal Lamb.  At the Last Supper, Jesus & his disciples were celebrating Pesach.

The English word, "Passover," refers to the 10th Plague that the L-rd inflicted upon the Egyptians by killing their first-borns.  The Israelites put a sign up on tehir front doors, & the L-rd passed over those homes & did not slaughter the Hebrew first-borns.

THe holiday lasts eight days.  The first 2 and the last 2 are like Sabbath (just a tad less important -- the weekly Sabbath is the holiest of all of our days), no work done.  The Seders are held on the evenigns before the 1st & 2nd days.  This year, the 1st Seder was on Sat, 4/19.  The 2nd was on Sun, 4/20.  The sacred days ended on Mon 4/21.  The days in-between are called just that in Hebrew.  The 7th & 8th days will be on Sat 4/26 and Sun 4/27.

The word "Seder" means order.  It refers to teh festival meal & the special prayerbook used --the Hagaddah.  Everyone is encouraged to stop the proceedings at any point to ask questions & inaugurate discussions.  The children are kept entertained by teh festiviites.  They are a vital part of hte Seder.  The youngest recites the "4 Questions," in the Hebrew chant if possible.  The door is left open for Elijah (who will herald the comign of Moshiach, teh Messiah) to sip from his special cup of wine that is filled to the brim.  There are special "kid-pleasing" songs sung at the end of the Seder to wake the baBes up.  (It's OK to fall asleep in someone's lap.) 

In preparation for Pesach, homemakers go crazy cleaning.  Every scrap of chametz -- leavened foods -- must be cleaned away.  Chametz consists of he following grains:  wheat, rye, spelt, barley, & oats OR any foodstuff that lacks Kosher certificaztion FOR THE HOLIDAY.  Favorite places for these to hide are in little boys' pockets -- chocolate stains, & in teh crevices of furniture. 

Everything in the kitchen -- dishes, etc. -- has to be either specially used & reserved for the holiday OR must be specially (re-) Kashered for Pesach.  Kashering is the same as making the kitchen Kosher. 

Jews from teh Middle East, Spain, & Portugal leave what-not-to-eat at chametz.  Ashkenazi Jews generally also avoid kitnivot.  Those foods are rice, corn, peas, soy, green beans, lentils & beans, mustard, poppy seeds, & sesame seeds.  However, vegetarians can opt into the Sephardic (Middle East, etc.) tradition lest all there is to eat as protein is cheese Kosher-for-Pesach, which is VERY expensive.  Personally, I've opted in.  Once opted as an adult, one is never allowed to change.

The chametz that is left in cupboards in teh house has 2 things happen to it.  (1)  The cupboards doors are tied with string or otherwise sealed off if teh food is under the bed, etc (as in my house).  (2)  One's Rabbi sells the chometz (rents it) to a non-Jew, & then gets it back at the end of the festival.

Prepared foods that are eaten on Passover have to be specially marked with a P, which stands for Passover.  The only required time to eat matzoh is at the Seders, but essentially ever yone eats it throughout the Festival.  Matzo meal & matzo pieces ("farfel") make it possible to make "kugels" (casseroles), & also cakes, & puddings.

Fire away with your questions!  I could go on & on for pages ....  Yours in Him, Deb

 Deb, my Grand-daughter was invited to Seder with her school friend. I ask her what they did and she said, prayed a lot, had wine but not the kids(special drink for kids), and she understood about the Elijah.

My question...I realized that I am not sure what Matzo is made from....Babs

Dear Babs, I'm so glad that your grand-daughter had the opportunity to attend a traditional Seder.  She was probably served grape juice.

Matzo is made of wheat & water, baked for only 18 minutes or less.  (The 18 minutes is from start to finish -- from mixign the water into the wheat, on.)  In thsi way, the cracker does not rise (no leavening).  There is special, very expensive, Passover matzos called "shrumah" (watched) -- Rabbis stand over the bakers & watch every step closely.  Many people use the shrumah matzos for the Seder. 

There are special egg matzos & specuial whole wheat matzos availble for Passover (just cannot use them at the Seder).  Year-round, there are many types available, including Mediteranian with sun-dried tomatoes &, I think, basil.

Love in Him, Deb