Passover, one of the ancient Jewish holidays, is associated with the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, with the liberation from slavery. It is this event that connects the acquisition of their Land by the Jews and the creation of Israel as an independent state.
So, from sunset on April 12 until nightfall on April 19, Jews gather every evening with friends and family around a set table to go through all 15 stages of the "exodus from Egypt" together.
Passover was celebrated in every region of our large community with many traditions: holding a seder (celebratory dinner), where families and friends gathered for a joint prayer and meal.
The holiday was accompanied by songs, readings of the Haggadah, and interesting stories.
Throughout the week, various events were held in each region of our community to further immerse ourselves in traditions, pleasant childhood memories, and stories about family traditions of celebration.
The main tradition of this holiday is the organization and holding of evening dinner meetings called Seders. Translated from Hebrew, the word "seder" literally means "order", meaning that all upcoming holiday dinners must take place in a certain order established by the Torah.
The events of Passover each year during the Seder take Jews back to the times in Egypt of Pharaoh Ramses II the Great, during whose reign the Jews were slaves of the Egyptians and dared to make a choice towards freedom. This story is known to the general public as the "Exodus from Slavery" under the guise of Moshe (Moses).
These events, in chronological order, are called "Maggid" and tell the story of the life of Moses, his emergence as one of the first Jewish leaders, the 10 plagues of Egypt, and culminate in the night when Pharaoh released the Jews to embark on a multi-year journey to their land.
It is according to such traditions that several seders were held at the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation Hesed Besht.
In the Kamianets-Podilskyi regional office, in addition to the traditional Seder, we held a unique culinary master class “Lace Matzah”, where participants immersed themselves in an atmosphere of creativity and traditions. We started with interesting facts about matzah, followed by a fun quiz about matzah and the Seder, as well as an informative video about baking matzah in Israel. And then the sweetest thing: we painted matzah with chocolate, creating lace patterns that resemble mandalas. Then the participants were treated to Jewish kozinaki and received their recipe, as well as a recipe for matzah bagels. The event combined cooking, history and art therapy, leaving behind a sea of emotions and inspiration.
The Izyaslav Museum implemented a cultural project “PESACH: Traditions of the Jewish Holiday”
Museum employees, with the assistance of the Izyaslav City Jewish Community, prepared a recreation of the traditional holy Seder for Passover. During the presentation of the thematic presentation, the head of the museum, Viktor KUCHERUK, spoke about the origins of the holiday celebration and the traditions of holding Passover. The presentation of the obligatory dishes of the holiday Seder aroused particular interest among the project participants. During the event, its participants had the opportunity to taste traditional matzah, which was kindly provided by the local Jewish community.
In addition, the speaker of the event spoke about some traditional Jewish dances.
Concluding the meeting, the museum director noted that traditionally, at the end of the Passover celebration, all participants together uttered the traditional phrase: “Next year - in Jerusalem,” which symbolizes hope for a bright future.
The representative office in the city of Lutsk also had its own atmosphere: four glasses of wine in honor of the four promises of liberation, and we remembered the ten Egyptian plagues, which became a symbol of the struggle for freedom. What an atmospheric dinner it was, full of conversations, laughter and deep meanings! We read the Haggadah, shared thoughts and enjoyed traditional dishes. Matzah, maror, charoset… every taste reminded us of the history of our people and the importance of freedom.
Children occupy a special place in the celebration of Passover in every community, because it was for them that we read the Haggadah, asked questions, and brought the story to life. Modern approaches make this holiday even more exciting: with illustrations, simple explanations, and even fairy-tale characters. Some families acted out scenes from the Haggadah, turning it into a mini-performance. This helps children better understand the essence of the story and feel its significance. Cartoons are an introduction through visual images, because modern animation offers many images about Passover. And quizzes are a good addition and a pleasant pastime.
At the Rivne representative office, we listened to a story about the tradition from Lev Katsaran from Mariupol, tried matzah dishes, and exchanged recipes.
This holiday once again reminded us of the value of freedom, community, and mutual support!
The creative works of our volunteers were also presented at the exhibition of paintings and art products - "The Intertwining of the Stories of Israel and Ukraine"; a Jewish kaleidoscope of songs was presented by our Vocal Studio. The evening in a friendly circle turned out to be warm and cozy.
On everyone's lips is a wish for peace...
The warmth of Passover for the lonely: volunteers organized a meeting with refreshments.
For the holiday of Passover, a volunteer group held a special meeting for lonely people, seeking to give them warm communication, support, and a piece of the festive atmosphere. The initiative brought together people who lack family comfort, but who were able to feel part of a larger community.
In the Ternopil representative office, in a cozy, friendly atmosphere, they talked about the meaning of freedom, how important the unity of generations, common memory, and spiritual renewal are.
The Passover holiday in each region was celebrated with respect for traditions, with hope for peace and freedom.
May there always be room for goodness, warmth, light, and love in your life. We wish you more joyful moments and sincere smiles!
