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Get ready to cleanse your homes and hearts, as we approach Erev Pesach in Israel on April 22! Ancient traditions come alive on this day as we prepare to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago. The spirit of this day prompts households across the country to rid themselves of chometz - leavened food items - symbolizing a release from the shackles of the past and a step towards spiritual freedom. On the eve of this sacred day, there's palpable excitement as families come together in a joyful flurry of cleaning, cooking, and preparing for the Pesach Seder. It's a day rich with history and wrapped in joyful expectancy, as we gear up to retell our collective story of liberation. So let's roll up our sleeves, and embrace the spirit of Erev Pesach!
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>13th Century BC</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Exodus from Egypt</div><div class='timeline-text'>Historical event where the Israelites were led out of slavery in Egypt by Moses, which Pesach (Passover) commemorates.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>445 BC</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Ezra Reads the Law</div><div class='timeline-text'>Ezra the Scribe read the Book of the Law aloud, solidifying Jewish traditions, including the celebration of Pesach.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>70 AD</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Destruction of the Second Temple</div><div class='timeline-text'>The significance of home rituals like Erev Pesach rose with the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>15th Century</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Codification of Seder Rituals</div><div class='timeline-text'>Rabbi Yosef Caro’s Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) codified the Pesach Seder rituals, reinforcing traditions that define Erev Pesach.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1882-1903</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>First Aliyah</div><div class='timeline-text'>The first wave of Jewish immigration to what is now Israel, influenced how Erev Pesach and other Jewish holidays are celebrated in Israel.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1947</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Establishment of Israel</div><div class='timeline-text'>The establishment of the State of Israel in 1947 brought together Jews from diverse cultural backgrounds, integrating varied traditions in Erev Pesach and other celebrations.</div></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Participate in the cleaning and ridding of chometz</h3><p class='facts-text'>One of the central practices leading up to Erev Pesach is the removal of chometz, or leavened foods, from the home. This practice signifies not only a physical but also a spiritual cleansing. Turn this into a family event, cleaning, and organizing together.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Prepare a Seder plate together</h3><p class='facts-text'>The Seder plate is one of the most symbolic components of Pesach. Take some time to gather all the specific ingredients together and explain their importance – shank bone, egg, bitter herbs, charoset paste, karpas vegetable, and the remaining bitter herbs.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Retell the Exodus story</h3><p class='facts-text'>The retelling of the Exodus story is the highlight of the Seder meal. Involve everyone in your family by assigning different portions of the tale for them to tell. Make it fun by adding creative storytelling techniques like props or costumes.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Bake matzah bread together</h3><p class='facts-text'>Matzah bread is an essential part of the Erev Pesach tradition. Make it at home for a fun and educational activity. It can be a fantastic opportunity to teach the younger generation about the importance of this tradition.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Host a pre-Pesach feast</h3><p class='facts-text'>On Erev Pesach, host a feast with all the leavened foods left in your home that need to be consumed. Share this meal with family, friends, or even the less fortunate in your community, spreading joy ahead of Pesach.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It's a Time for Spiritual Cleansing</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Erev Pesach prompts us to cleanse our hearts in preparation for the festival, symbolizing a release from the shackles of the past and a step towards spiritual liberation. The removal of chometz, or leavened foods, is not only a physical cleansing of our households but also a spiritual one.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It Brings Families Together</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The day is full of activities that bring families together, such as the joyful flurry of cleaning, cooking, and preparing for the Pesach Seder. It isn't just about the tasks but also about the quality time family members spend together, reinforcing ties and strengthening relationships.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Rich with History and Tradition</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Erev Pesach is a day steeped in ancient traditions dating back 3,000 years. The symbolic Seder plate, the retelling of the Exodus story, the baking of matzah bread - each element carries a significant historical and cultural weight that makes the day distinctive and rich.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The search for chometz is a tradition with generations of history</h3><p class='facts-content'>On the evening before Erev Pesach, families throughout Israel engage in the Bedikat Chametz, an age-old tradition involving a ceremonial search for leavened bread with a candle, a feather and a spoon.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Customary food has symbolic meaning tied to the Israelites’ journey</h3><p class='facts-content'>Many culinary traditions that we observe today, like avoiding leavened bread and consuming matzah, are deeply symbolic and have been passed down through generations as a way to commemorate the Israelites' hasty departure from Egypt.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The Four Questions probe into the essence of Pesach</h3><p class='facts-content'>During the Seder meal on Erev Pesach, it is traditional for the youngest member of the family to ask four questions (Ma Nishtana) about why the night differs from all other nights. This tradition sparks meaningful discussion about the significance of Pesach.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Erev Pesach has an element of charity</h3><p class='facts-content'>It's traditional to sell and donate leavened items that can't be consumed or discarded before Erev Pesach to the less fortunate, bridging a link between household cleansing and the spirit of charity.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Fast of the firstborn is observed on Erev Pesach</h3><p class='facts-content'>Erev Pesach also coincides with Taanit Bechorot, or the Fast of the Firstborn, a tradition dating back centuries where the firstborn sons of a family fast to commemorate the miracle by which they were saved during the final plague in Egypt.</p></div></div>
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