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What is Pesach?

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What is Pesach?

Pesach is a festival celebrated in the springtime known as the Freedom Festival. It is celebrated from the 15th to 22nd Nissan on the Hebrew calendar.

The story behind Pesach

The story behind Pesach

  • The story of Pesach is found in the first 15 chapters of the Book of Exodus, the second of the five books of Torah.
    • Long ago the Jews were slaves in Egypt.
    • God punished the Egyptians with the Ten Plagues and the Jews were set free.
  • Pesach is celebrated as an eight-day festival in the UK.
  • Pesach teaches Jews about God’s love and saving power as well as being sensitive to those in society who are different and weak.
The Seder meal

The Seder meal

  • During Pesach Jews have a special meal during which they retell the story of slavery and freedom.
    • It is called a Seder meal.
    • Seder means 'order' in Hebrew.
  • Different props are used during the meal.
    • To recall the bitter and difficult times, food is dipped in saltwater recalling the tears of the slaves.
    • A bitter vegetable (often horseradish) is eaten as a reminder of the hard times of slavery.
    • Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten.
Food during Pesach

Food during Pesach

  • During Pesach, Jews are forbidden from eating bread and other leavened food.
  • There is lots of food that is often only eaten for this festival which makes it even more special.
    • Matzah is an example of these special foods.
Matzah

Matzah

  • Matzah symbolically represents two parts of the story.
  • At the beginning of the evening it represents the food of slavery.
    • It contains just two ingredients; flour and water.
  • However, after telling the story it represents the food that was eaten by the freed slaves.
    • They had to leave quickly and so couldn't wait for their bread to rise.
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1

Year 7

1.1

Origins of Abrahamic Faith

1.1.1Genesis1.1.2Noah & the Flood1.1.3The Importance of Noah1.1.4Abraham1.1.5The Covenant1.1.6Abraham's Sacrifice1.1.7Ibrahim's Sacrifice1.1.8Ibrahim & Hajar1.1.9Ibrahim & the Ka'aba1.1.10Isaac & Jacob1.1.11Moses & the Exodus1.1.12The Tabernacle1.1.13Leviticus & Sacrifice1.1.14Teachings in Leviticus1.1.15Jesus' Teachings1.1.16Jesus the Rebel1.1.17Jesus' Death & Resurrection1.1.18The Meaning of Jesus' Sacrifice1.1.19The Relationship Between Judaism & Christianity1.1.20The Ka'aba1.1.21The Prophet Muhammad
1.2

Judaism

1.2.1The Nature of God1.2.2Creation1.2.3What Do Jews Believe?1.2.4Moses1.2.5Abraham & Moses1.2.6Tenakh & Talmud1.2.7Rabbis & Rabbinic Literature1.2.8The Jewish Scriptures - The Written Law1.2.9The Jewish Scriptures - The Oral Law1.2.10The Tradition of Discussion & Debate1.2.11Orthodox Judaism1.2.12Reform Judaism1.2.13The Daily Practices of Orthodox & Reform Jews1.2.14Morality & Living a Good Life1.2.15Ethical Duties of Jews1.2.16Prayer & Acts of Worship1.2.17Written & Oral Jewish Law1.2.18Afterlife1.2.19The First Temple1.2.20The Tabernacle's Journey & End1.2.21Orthodox & Reform Synagogues1.2.22The Daily Service1.2.23What is Shabbat?1.2.24Traditional Rituals for Shabbat1.2.25What is Pesach?1.2.26What is Yom Kippur?1.2.27How Have Jews Been Persecuted?1.2.28The Persecution of the Jews Throughout History1.2.29The Black Death1.2.30Antisemitism in Nazi Germany1.2.31Antisemitism in Nazi Germany 21.2.32The Holocaust1.2.33Genocide1.2.34How the Holocaust has Impacted the Jewish Identity1.2.35Holocaust Memorial1.2.36Global Diversity of Jews1.2.37Jewish Practices1.2.38Jewish Celebrations & Rituals
1.3

Christianity

1.3.1The Nature of God1.3.2Creation1.3.3Roots in Judaism1.3.4Early Spread of the Faith1.3.5Roman Persecution1.3.6Morality & Living a Good Life1.3.7Afterlife1.3.8Prayer and Acts of Worship1.3.9Kinds of Prayer1.3.10The Nativity1.3.11Christian Beliefs about the Baby Jesus1.3.12Jesus' Ministry1.3.13The Sermon on the Mount1.3.14The Crucifixion1.3.15The Last Supper1.3.16The Resurrection1.3.17Christian Beliefs about the Resurrection1.3.18The Council of Nicaea1.3.19The Nicene Creed1.3.20Saint Augustine1.3.21Development of the Christian Church1.3.22Written Authority - The Bible1.3.23Interpretation of the Bible1.3.24Celebrations1.3.25Pilgrimage1.3.26Evangelism1.3.27Protestantism1.3.28The Reformation1.3.29Christianity Today1.3.30Faith Across the World1.3.31Evangelical Churches1.3.32The Future of Christianity
1.4

Disciplinary Knowledge

1.4.1Scripture and Religious Authority1.4.2Interpreting Data1.4.3Forms of Expression1.4.4Shaping and Being Shaped by Wider Society
2

Year 8

2.1

Islam

2.1.1Pre-Islamic Arabia2.1.2The Prophet Muhammad & The Qur'an2.1.3The Hijrah & The Conquest of Mecca2.1.4The Prophet Muhammad: The Final Sermon2.1.5The Sunni/Shia Split2.1.6Islamic Caliphates2.1.7The Five Pillars of Islam2.1.8Origins of Hajj2.1.9Hajj Rituals2.1.10Jihad2.1.11Islam Today
2.2

Hindu Dharma (Hinduism)

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2.3

Buddhism

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2.4

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2.5

Atheism

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2.6

Philosophy of Religion

2.6.1Who is God?2.6.2Theists, Atheists & Agnostics2.6.3Faith & Empiricism2.6.4The Design Argument2.6.5Is The Design Argument Convincing?2.6.6The Cosmological Argument2.6.7Criticisms of The Cosmological Argument2.6.8The Problem of Evil2.6.9Free Will Theodicy2.6.10Soul-Making Theodicy2.6.11Religious Experience2.6.12Types of Religious Experience2.6.13Criticisms of Religious Experience
2.7

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3

Year 9

3.1

Life & Death

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Extremism

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3.3

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4

Additional Concepts

4.1

Non-Religious People in the UK

4.1.1Statistics & Reasons4.1.2Main Tenets on Non-Religious People4.1.3Allegations Against Religious People
4.2

Believing in God Oustide of Religion

4.2.1Non-Religious Believers & New Age4.2.2Stay-At-Home Christians4.2.3Agnosticism

Practice questions on What is Pesach?

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  1. 1
    Over how many days is Pesach celebrated in the UK?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    What are the common elements of the Seder meal?Fill in the list
  3. 3
    What is the traditional meal eaten during Pesach called?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    What is the significance of Pesach in the religious context?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    How do Jews retell the story of slavery and freedom during Pesach?Multiple choice
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