As Jewish people around the world prepare for Passover, Bonny Hazelwood from the UoR Chaplaincy writer shares their personal take on tradition, self-denial, and what freedom really means today.
This Saturday at sunset, millions of Jewish people around the world will sit down to begin Passover, one of the most significant holidays in Judaism. Passover (or פסח, Pesach in Hebrew) commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt.
Why No Bread?
Led by the prophet Moses, they defied the oppressive Pharaoh and left, in such haste that it is said their bread didn’t have time to rise. That’s the reason why for eight days, myself and many others will be abstaining from eating anything containing wheat, oats, barley, spelt and rye – collectively called chametz (חמץ). More traditional Jews will also not be eating corn, rice or beans, as they could be mistaken for chametz. This can be quite a challenge for we British people, who are used to a wheat-heavy diet of sandwiches, doughnuts and (if you’re posh) overnight porridge oats.
The Seder: A Feast Full of Meaning
Passover has a positive focus on food as well, with the first two nights each being a time for a dinner party called a seder (literally “order”). During the meal the story of the exodus from Egypt is retold, interpreted and chewed over, with the help of a booklet called a haggadah. There are about 3,000 different haggadot in circulation, from the po-faced traditional retelling to more radical types, which feature commentaries looking at the story through a contemporary lens. How, for example, might the exodus story have parallels to the plight of refugees today?
Symbols on the Plate
There’s also the seder plate, a centrepiece at the dinner table where symbolic foodstuffs are displayed, and eventually consumed as part of the ritual. There’s karpas, a green herb dipped in salt water, which represents the tears of our ancestors – but also the new shoots of springtime. Another prominent symbol is a hardboiled egg, a throwback to a sacrifice that was offered every holiday at the holy Temple in Jerusalem. The egg’s shape also represents the cycle of life, and hope for new beginnings. There’s room for contemporary additions here too: Progressive seders often include an orange on the seder plate, which symbolises the LGBTQ+ community – the seeds are spat out as a rejection of bigotry. While at a Passover seder, attendees read and discuss liberation, but also touch, smell and taste it.
My Personal Passover Journey
I’m quite new to celebrating Passover. Admittedly, sometimes “celebrate” doesn’t feel like the right word to use! Eight days without cakes, pizza or even a bowl of Cheerios? Oy vey, as Jews are famed for saying. But this time of self-denial, which nicely coincides with Easter for Christians and Ramadan and Eid for Muslims, is good for putting things in perspective. Many of us are fortunate that for all the other weeks of each year, we don’t have to check ingredient lists on food for things that could harm us. We can use this time to build empathy for those of us for whom everyday life is a few steps harder. I also like to reflect on the liberation theme more broadly; what have I been liberated from in the past, and is there anything I’m seeking to liberate myself from today?
Whether you’re hosting a gargantuan seder, haunting the free-from aisle on your own, or somewhere in between, I wish all who celebrate a Chag Pesach Semeach. And for those who do something else, I hope the holiday period is restful and peaceful for you!