Jews the world over will celebrate the Feast of Passover beginning this evening at sundown when gathered around the Seder festive board, they go through the traditional ritual of the Haggadah. Matzoh will replace bread and in the homes of the orthodox, special dishes, pots and pans will be used for the duration of the week. The holiday, which lasts eight days, is one of the most important in Jewish life because of its historic background.
Known as the Feast of Emancipation, the holiday celebrates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, an event that occurred some 3000 years ago and is described in Exodus, the Second Book of Moses.
In popular mind, Passover, is observed primarily by the eating of unleavened bread, matzoh. Called the “bread of affliction,” the matzoh recalls the haste with which the exodus of the Jews from Egypt was carried through, the dough of the travelers not having the time to leaven.
Most Jewish homes observe Seder this evening while some, the more orthodox, also have a Seder the second evening. In the course of the feast, the story of the exodus is told. The service is conducted by the father of the house who is asked four “kashes” or questions by his youngest son as to why this evening differs from all others. The eating of the bitter herbs, the cup of wine that is set aside for the coming of Elijah, the hiding of the matzoh (Afikomen), and the lamb bone that is symbolic of the Lord “passing over” the homes of Israelites and sparing their first-born are all familiar to anyone who has ever attended a Seder.
Though various groups of Jews celebrate Passover in different ways, the service is universally observed throughout the world and in a manner essentially the same.
In New York temples and synagogues will hold services this evening, tomorrow morning and in the case of the orthodox temples, Thursday evening and Friday morning.
All of the constituent affiliates of Federation will have special Passover Seders. On Ellis Island, HIAS will care in the traditional manner for immigrants being held there and throughout the city charitable institutions will observe the holidays. Many of the temples and other organizations will hold group Seders on the second evening.
Bernard Semel, honorary secretary of the Jewish Education Association, announced yesterday that special services for children will be held in hundreds of “children’s synagogues.”
The Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) is keeping open house at its headquarters, 425 Lafayette street, for Jewish immigrants waiting to be contacted by their relatives and who are meanwhile in the care of the society, and for Jewish unemployed and homeless. Preparations have been made to serve 2,000 meals daily during the eight days of the festival.
At 9:15 o’clock this evening, over Station WMCA, Dr. Stephen S. Wise, rabbi of the Free Synagogue and president of the American Jewish Congress, will broadcast “The Passover Hope.”
Leave has been granted by the government to all men of Jewish faith in the army and navy. A number of them, not cared for in private homes, will attend Y. M. H. A. Seders as guests of the Jewish Welfare Board.
Special Passover sermons have been announced by many of the city’s rabbis.
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