{"id":1775,"date":"2019-06-10T22:56:46","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T05:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marvista.com\/Yukiko\/?p=1775"},"modified":"2019-06-18T22:38:21","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T05:38:21","slug":"1775","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvista.com\/Yukiko\/en\/archives\/1775","title":{"rendered":"The biggest Jewish ceremony at home is the “Passover” Seder."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The biggest Jewish ceremony at home is the Passover Seder\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As I wrote before, my husband is Jewish.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, in his family, only his niece is orthodox.\u00a0 She keeps a Kosher home for her family.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Others in my husband’s family are not orthodox, but still, they celebrate various ceremonies during the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We visited the husband’s sister’s house to celebrate the Jewish holiday called\u00a0“Passover”<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This eight-day holiday of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from 15th through the 22nd<\/span><\/p>\n

of the Hebrew\u00a0<\/span>the month of Nissan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This year it started on April 19th and lasted until April 27th.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The holiday occurs at different dates every year because the Hebrew calendar is based on the moon, <\/span><\/p>\n

while the common calendar is based on the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The dinner table setting for Passover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Jewish people celebrate this ceremony on both the first night and the second night of the eight days of Passover.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The dinner and the ceremony are called “Seder”.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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This Seder has many meanings and is very important for Jewish people.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When did Passover start?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Actually, I did not know why the celebration happens and when did it start?<\/span><\/p>\n

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This ceremony is based on the<\/span> Old Testament<\/strong><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Moses was chosen by God, and then he saved Jewish people<\/span> from slavery in Egypt.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The meaning of the holiday is to remember this history.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And this word\u00a0“Pass Over” <\/span><\/strong>comes from the Old Testament.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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When I was an elementary student, I watched an old movie\u00a0“Ten Commandments”\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The movie”Ten Commandments”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Probably, if you watched this movie, then you remember that God told Moses to send a message to <\/span><\/p>\n

the king to<\/span> release\u00a0<\/span>Jewish people from slavery and make them free.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, the king refused God’s command.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Then, God became mad and sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying<\/span><\/p>\n

everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

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God visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn sons.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Moses marked each Jewish family’s house’s door in a way that God could recognize, so he would know <\/span><\/p>\n

which are the Jewish families. <\/span><\/p>\n

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So the sons of the Jewish families survived.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The plague of death passed over them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The word Passover<\/strong><\/span> comes from this story.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to celebrate Passover?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The first night and the second night of Passover is celebrated with ceremonial dinner called a “Seder”.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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These ceremonial dinners are performed using a book called “Haggadah”.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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This book, among other things, describes in detail the story of the Exodus from Egypt.<\/span><\/p>\n

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And also it has an important meaning for the enlightenment of Jewish children about how Jewish people<\/span><\/p>\n

survived from Egypt and were freed from slavery<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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This is the Haggadah which describes how Jewish people survived the Exodus from Egypt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This Haggadah is written in English and Hebrew as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Written in English and Hebrew.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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For the beginning, the mother lights candles and says a blessing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Candles lit by the mother brings warmth and peace in the family.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mother lights candles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Then the father starts the ceremony and he leads everybody in reading the Haggadah.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The complete ceremony includes drinking red wine or grape juice at four different times.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The purpose of the ceremony is to remember the Jewish ancestors who had a terrible time as slaves in Egypt for a long time and then finally\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>were saved by God.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The first\u00a0cup:<\/span><\/strong> Salvation from harsh labor<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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The second cup:<\/strong> <\/span>Salvation from servitude (slavery).<\/span><\/p>\n

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The third cup:<\/strong><\/span> The splitting of the sea, after which Jewish felt completely redeemed without<\/span><\/p>\n

fear of the Egyptians recapturing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The fourth cup:<\/strong> <\/span>Becoming a nation at Sinai.<\/span><\/p>\n

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These are written in the old testament and Jewish people drink 4 cups of wine or grape juice to thank God for deliverance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The ceremony continues by reading the story and singing songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the interesting parts is that the youngest child should ask four questions which start with<\/span><\/p>\n

this one:\u00a0“What makes this night different from all others nights?”<\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This is the page of four questions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The father answers each question to teach about what happened in the past, and what the Jewish ancestors<\/span><\/p>\n

did and<\/span> how wonderful it was for the children to become free.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When I traveled to Israel last summer, I felt that how the Jewish family is great and they have a strong <\/span><\/p>\n

relationship with respecting their ancestors and teaching their great history to their children.<\/span><\/p>\n

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About food for Passover\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, dinner starts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It takes a long time before we eat dinner so everyone was getting so hungry\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Well, before introducing the food, I want to explain about the ceremonial dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is called\u00a0a<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Seder Plate<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Seder Plate is a special plate which is set in the middle of the table to remember the period of slavery.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This is an example of the Seder Plate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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There are five items on the plate as above,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u30fbMaro’r<\/strong><\/span>\uff1a<\/strong><\/span>To represent the bitterness of slavery. (Horseradish\uff09<\/span><\/p>\n

\u30fbHaroset:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Symbolizing the mortar used to build the pyramid of the Pharaohs. (A paste of fruit and nuts)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u30fbKarpas<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\uff1a<\/span><\/strong>Symbolizing the slaves’ tears.<\/span><\/span>\uff08Parsley and salt water.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u30fbZeroah:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Symbolizing the ancient Passover sacrifice.<\/span>\uff08A lamb’s shankbone\uff09<\/span><\/p>\n

\u30fbBeitzah:\u00a0<\/strong>Symbolizing the temple sacrifice and continuing cycle life.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\uff08A roasted egg\uff09<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
An explanation of Seder Plate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Dip the parsley in salt water and eat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The first time I saw parsley and bone, it felt weird for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why a bone on the plate?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why dip parsley in salt water?<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, now I understand the meaning and symbolism, and I am appreciating the Jewish people’s history.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Well, during Passover, Jews cannot eat any bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Because when Jewish people escaped from Egypt, they were such a hurry that there was no time to<\/span><\/p>\n

wait for the dough to rise.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Therefore, they ate Matzah, unleavened bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This is Matzah.<\/p>\n

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The taste like a big thin cracker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Break matzah into pieces and eat.<\/p>\n

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Like this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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During Passover, Jews cannot keep bread, cake, nor biscuits, which are leavened things, in the house. <\/span><\/p>\n

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So in a family which has children, the parents let them find bread like a game.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Actually, my husband’s niece sent some pictures that kids were finding bread in their house.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I felt Judaism cherishes the relationship of family very much.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This habit has another aspect.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bread will rise as part of the process to make it.<\/span> It symbolizes pride.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So observant Jews do not keep any leavened things in the house, which helps get rid of bad luck or evil spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is like a Japanese tradition called “Oosoji”\u00a0 which means clean the house at the end of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The other special food for Passover which is a mix matzo meal and shortening to make a ball (dumpling), <\/span><\/p>\n

and served with chicken soup.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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It is called “Matzo Ball”<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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This is Matzo Ball which is traditionally eaten during Passover.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The matzo ball is made from matzo meal which refined from matzo, mixed with water (or cider) and eggs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Then, you make some small balls and put in a chicken stock soup.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The tase is smooth and simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is easy to cook.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you are interested in this food, please check this video.<\/span><\/p>\n