What is Passover?
Passover (Pesach) is the weeklong festival commemorating the Israelites' Exodus from slavery in Egypt to freedom. It begins on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan and centers on the Seder — a guided festive meal on the first night (two nights outside Israel) where families retell the Exodus story from a book called the Haggadah, eat matzah (unleavened bread), and avoid all leavened food (chametz) for the week. It is the foundational Jewish story of redemption and freedom.
What happens at the Seder?
The Seder is a structured, fifteen-step experience built around telling the story so each generation experiences it as their own:
- Matzah — unleavened bread, recalling the hurried departure from Egypt.
- Maror — bitter herbs, recalling the bitterness of slavery.
- Four cups of wine, the four questions (asked by the youngest), and the retelling from the Haggadah. The goal is experiential learning — not just hearing history, but tasting and reliving it.
Why no leavened bread for a week?
Removing chametz (leaven) recalls that the Israelites left Egypt so quickly their bread had no time to rise. The week of eating matzah turns a daily act — eating — into an ongoing reminder of the journey from slavery to freedom.
In short: Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt; the Seder retells the story with the Haggadah, matzah, and symbolic foods, and the week is kept free of leaven.
Prepare for the Seder with Derekh Learning
Derekh prepares short daily lessons — perfect for arriving at the Seder ready to lead and discuss. Start learning or read what Shavuot is.
