Time for a ‘Matzah moment’
A local rabbi will provide virtual snippets of information related to Passover The Jewish holiday begins at sundown on Friday It commemorates the Hebrews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus.
Rabbi Vered Harris said she will send what she called “Matzah Moments” virtually to her congregation members at Temple B’nai Israel. The virtual clips are named after matzah, flat unleavened bread that resembles a cracker The food item, featured in the Passover Seder, is a symbol that Hebrew slaves fleeing Egypt had no time to allow their dough to rise. There was no time to tarry, as the story goes.
Harris said the temple will not host a community Passover Seder this year. She said the temple has provided Passover Seder tips and other related information on its website.
Here are five key facts about Passover. • Passover is a holiday celebrating freedom.
• The Passover Seder is an important part of the holiday. It is an interactive sacred meal in which each part of the meal symbolizes a part of the Passover story.
• A Haggadah is a compilation of prayers, Bible passages, hymns and rabbinic literature that is read during the ceremonial Seder meal.
• Traditionally, Passover Seders are held in family homes on the first night of Passover. Community Seders, which are more of a modern-day phenomenon — are typically held on the second night of the holiday.
• Passover Seders on the second night of the holiday often follow different themes. In 2021, Emmanuel Synagogue and the Jewish collegiate organization Hillel at the University of Oklahoma, held a virtual Seder with a Stars Wars theme. Rabbi Abby Jacobson, Emmanuel Synagogue’s spiritual leader, said the Star Wars story served as a fitting backdrop for the Seder because of the beloved movie franchise’s age-old themes of good versus evil and people rebelling against an oppressive enemy.