Charlie and Blue Celebrate Passover

This is the both the name of the ancient language used by Jews for prayer and study, and the everyday language used in the modern state of Israel.

In the Bible, the Jewish people are often called ‘Hebrews’ after the language they spoke. So Moses, for example, led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt.

Judaism, the religion of the Jews, traces its roots back to Abraham and its laws back to Moses. It is a worldwide religion with around 15 million followers.

The vast majority of Jews live in Israel and the United States of America. Many of the words here are Hebrew in origin, though some variations come from Jewish communities who lived throughout central and eastern Europe.

This means “lawful” or “pure” and refers to foods that Jews are allowed to eat.

Jews may not eat pork or shellfish as they are named as unclean in the Bible. They also have to ensure that animals are slaughtered in the right way so that meat is fit for eating (kosher), and that meat and milk products are not mixed.

Pesach is one of three pilgrimage festivals mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. This one is where Jews remember how Moses led the Jewish people (then called Hebrews or Israelites) out of slavery in Egypt. This is called ‘The Exodus’. It is celebrated each Spring.

When the Israelites left Egypt they did not have time to wait for bread dough to rise, so the event is remembered when Jews today eat matzo (flat, unleavened bread) at the Pesach meal.

This is a meal eaten at home during Pesach, at which the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a book called a Haggadah which sets out the right order and special blessings for the meal.

Traditionally, Jewish families get together at Pesach to share the Seder meal, which includes different types of food that symbolise aspects of the Exodus story.