Jewish families worldwide prepared to celebrate the week-long spring festival known as Pesach or Passover this past April 5-13. Biblically beginning on the 15 to the 21 of Nisan, Passover is known as an agricultural holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. Many families and congregations gather together to celebrate this great salvation in unity and togetherness. 

“Passover is an opportunity to see family that I haven’t seen in a really long time,” says sophomore Emmy Brounes. “We get to talk and catch up about things we did throughout the year; it’s really amazing.” 

An important celebratory ritual is a feast known as the seder. This form of festivity is so that the story of Passover can be retold to younger generations and that thanks can be regiven timelessly to God for redeeming the Jewish people. On a seder plate, there are five items, occasionally six depending upon denomination, that we perform this ritual seder with shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas), and a sweet paste called haroset.  Many seder plates also have room for a sixth food called harezert, which is another form of bitter herb. 

“Each of the foods represents different aspects of the Passover story,” explains Emery Head of the Jewish Life, Laura Sheinkopf  “We do this to pass on the story to younger generations and keep the holiday and its traditions alive.” 

To recognize Pesach here at The Emery/Weiner School, the students, and faculty alike got a total of five days off, three for the beginning of Passover and two for the end– due to them being high holidays. In addition to days off, Emery’s kitchen (SAGE Kitchen) redoes the layout of the kitchen and adjusts their cooking techniques so that the students and staff eat kosher for Passover. Sheinkopf explains that this is because EWS is a pluralistic school, so we do all these steps to ensure respect toward each individual’s observances. 

Passover is a time to celebrate with your loved ones and remember the steps God and your ancestors took for you to be here. While Emery does not necessarily teach the meaning behind Passover, the community observes the holiday to the best extent, which is a meaningful part of students’ and faculty’s Jewish identities.