Pasadena’s Jewish Community Observes Passover Starting Wednesday Evening

The eight-day celebration of Passover begins at sundown Wednesday, commemorating the time between the Exodus from Egypt on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nissan and the parting of the Red Sea seven days later to allow the fleeing Israelites to make their getaway.

Both the Chabad of Pasadena and the Pasadena Jewish  Temple & Center will hold celebrations to commemorate the passover. 

The eight-day holiday begins with the first Seder, or ritual feast, on the evening of Wednesday, April 5 and ends the evening of Thursday, April 13.

While Passover rituals vary in different parts of the world, Jews are traditionally not permitted to eat or possess any foods made with wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats.

“The message of Passover essentially is the message of liberation and freedom from tyranny, from pain, affliction, persecution,” Rabbi Chaim Hanoka from Chabad of Pasadena said.

Hanoka said a Seder will be held on April 5 and 6 at Chabad of Pasadena.

“The Seder is the process of recounting the story of the Jews leaving Egypt over 3,300 years ago,” said Hanoka. “It is complimented by various foods which are unique to the Seder, which are eaten. Each one’s symbolic in its own way.”

Symbolic food at the passover Seder include Matza, an unleavened flatbread, herbs and four cups of wine. 

“Each one of the foods is representative of something the Jews experienced while they were in Egypt as slaves,” said Hanoka.

The first Seder will be led by Hanoka while the second will be led by Rabbi David Harley, at Chabad of Pasadena.

Hanoka said over the past weeks they have distributed over a thousand matzah, an integral element of the Passover festival.

“We’ve given out probably north of a thousand. We also distributed matzah packages around San Gabriel Valley.”

“We’ve also been helping out Jewish families who are less fortunate and can’t afford the Passover items. So we are doing our best effort to help them out with whatever we can in terms of Passover food.”

To view the schedule of services at Chabad of Pasadena, visit: https://www.chabadpasadena.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/5469347/jewish/Pesach-at-Chabad.htm

Various services will also be held at Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center to commemorate Passover.

Among them are the Jr. Seder and the Super Seder which will be held on April 6.

Jr. Seder, a short, young family-friendly Seder will be at 5 p.m. The Super Seder will be held at 6 p.m.

Another Seder will be held on Thursday.

For more information about the services and upcoming Passover events of the Pasadena Jewish Temple visit:https://www.pjtc.net/