Meaning, Story, and Traditions
Passover, or Pesach (פסח, “to pass over”), is one of the most important holidays in Judaism. It tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt which we read in the Book of Exodus in the Torah, when the Israelites were freed from slavery and began their journey toward freedom. For this reason, Pesach is also known as Chag HaCherut – the Holiday of Freedom.
Pesach is also tied to the agricultural roots of our people in the Land of Israel. Another name is Chag Ha’Aviv, the Springtime holiday, a time of renewal, as this is the season that it takes place in Israel at the time of the barley harvest. Our ancestors would bring an offering of the first barley crop to the Temple in Jerusalem on the second day of Passover, which also begins the period of counting the Omer, 50 days until the beginning of the wheat harvest.
Passover is both a historical remembrance and a living tradition that continues to shape Jewish identity today.
The Story of Passover
The story of Passover begins in ancient Egypt, where the Israelites were enslaved and forced into hard labor, building the cities of the pharaoh with bricks and mortar. Their lives were controlled by Pharaoh and his taskmasters, with no freedom or autonomy.
According to the Torah, God hears the cries of the Israelites and chooses Moses to lead the people out of Mitzrayim (מצרים),) the name for Egypt but also a word that can be understood as a place of constraint or narrowness.
After a series of appeals by Moses and his brother Aaron to Pharaoh to “let my people go”, Pharoah’s heart remains hardened. The demand for freedom culminates in the the Ten Plagues that God brings down on Egypt, and only then Pharaoh finally agrees to let the Israelites go. They leave in haste, without time for their bread to rise, which is why matzah (מצה, unleavened bread) becomes a central symbol of the holiday.
The name Pesach refers to the moment when the Israelites marked their homes and were “passed over” during the night of the final plague, the killing of the first born, and their first-born sons were saved. Shortly after, they leave Egypt together as a people.
This detail is central. The story of Passover is not about individuals escaping alone, but it commemorates the moment of becoming a People on a journey from oppression to freedom and to the Promised Land.
When Is Passover Celebrated?
Passover begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (ניסן). It begins in the evening, as days in the Jewish calendar begin at sundown.
It is observed for:
- Seven days in Israel and in most Progressive Jewish communities, according to the command in the Torah, as this is how many days the Torah commands aaccording to the days observed in the Torah“Seven days you shall eat matzot… You shall celebrate a sacred occasion on the first day, and a sacred occasion on the seventh day” (Exodus 12:15-16)
- Eight days in many Jewish communities in the diaspora, as a reminder of the uncertainty of the days of the holiday in ancient times when there was not yet a fixed calendar.
What Happens During the Passover Seder?
The central ritual of Passover is the Seder (סדר, “order”), a structured meal where the story of the Exodus is retold.
During the Seder, participants read from the Haggadah (הגדה, “telling”), which guides the evening through:
- Storytelling
- Questions and discussion
- Symbolic foods
- Songs and traditions
A key idea of the Seder is participation. It is designed to encourage conversation, especially through asking questions.
The hagaddah teaches that “In every generation, each person should see themselves as if they personally left Egypt”. This makes Passover not only about the past, but about personal and collective experience, to reflect on freedom in our lives today and to encourage us to feel empathy and take action for those who are not free today.
Key Passover Traditions and Symbols
Several practices help bring the meaning of Passover into everyday life during the holiday.
Avoiding Chametz (חמץ)
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Chametz refers to leavened food made from fermented grains, such as bread, pasta, and baked goods. The Ashkenazi tradition considers legumes and rice as chametz, whereas the Sephardic tradition does not. Before Passover, we clean out all of the chametz from our homes, and it is traditional to not eat any chametz during the entire holiday.
Eating Matzah (מצה)
Matzah, or unleavened bread, represents both the haste of leaving Egypt and the experience of slavery. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of Passover.
The Seder Plate
The Seder plate includes symbolic foods that represent different parts of the story, including bitterness, renewal, and resilience. It features prominently on our seder table and is referred to throughout the seder.
Why Passover Still Matters Today
The Passover seder is the most observed Jewish tradition in the world. Passover continues to be relevant because it raises a question that goes beyond history: what does freedom mean today?
The story of the Exodus from Egypt is about transformation, but also about responsibility. It invites reflection on how freedom is experienced, protected, and extended to others.
Passover also emphasizes kehilla (קהילה, community). We say in the hagadah, “All who are hungry, come and eat. Let all who are in need come and share our Pesach,” and open our homes and communities to family, friends, and even strangers. It also emphasizes the educational imperative of teaching our heritage from generation to generation (m’dor l’dor) through rituals like inviting the youngest to ask (at least) four questions, introducing the four children, and through shared storytelling, questions and conversation.
Across the world, Jewish communities observe Passover in different ways, shaped by their cultures and contexts. Despite these differences, the core remains the same: gathering, telling the story, and reflecting on its meaning in the present.
Passover is not only about leaving Egypt.
It is about what it means, in every generation, to move from oppression toward freedom, from the narrow places that limit us to the wide expanses of possibility and opportunity and to do so as a people.