Celebrate Passover in IsraelBy Madelyn Miller Now is a good time to begin your plans for the holiday that symbolizes freedom. Celebrated every year and never forgotten, the Jewish holiday, Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) refers to the exodus of the Israelites from the land of Egypt during Biblical times. First enslaved by the Egyptians and then threatened with having all Israelite males under a year killed, the Israelites escaped in an age-old tale of the parting of the Red Sea. This celebration of the exodus is an event of freedom, one that continues to hold true, even today. It is an event that is celebrated by Jews around the world.
Matzoh. You can take it with youWhen the time came for the Israelites to leave Egypt, the Israelites left in such a haste, not even waiting for the bread to rise. As part of present-day Passover, the Jews do not eat anything made with flour throughout the seven-day celebration, instead choosing to eat matzoh, or hard crackers.  But what makes this celebration even grander is the gathering of an entire country to celebrate this particular holiday, among others. Imagine traveling from one end of the country to another to see most everyone participating in the preparations for the holiday, much like we do. But Israel celebrates both its religion and its freedom. Passover also symbolizes the beginning of spring and the beginning of the spring grain harvest.
Goodbye ChametzThe process for celebrating Passover is a detailed, so just imagine an entire country doing it together! Before the actual festival begins, the whole house is cleaned with special care given to removing all items made of flour. During Passover, a separate set of pots and pans is used. In some places, the members of a community gather to wash all the pots and pans together for prepare kosher meals. On the eve of Passover, a search is made for any left-behind chametz, or leavened, items using a candle as a light, a feather as a broom and a wooden spoon as a dustpan. The next morning, all chametz found is gathered or burned. In some communities, the last-found chametz is sold to a non-Jew, only to be returned after the celebration of Passover. The SederThe Passover Seder in Israel is conducted on the first night of Passover. The Haggaddah (or the story of Passover) is read during the first seder meal served on seder plates. In a country already rich in history and culture, agriculture is just as much a part of the holidays. During the seder meal, foods prepared and eaten each have symbolic meaning to present-day Jewish life. *Charoset, a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, wine and cinnamon signify the mortar used by the Israelites during their days of slavery to make bricks for the Egyptian pyramids. *Zeroa, or roasted bone, represent the Paschal Lamb sacrificed by Israeli ancestors. *Roasted egg, beitzah, represents two things: the sacrifice of everyone in the Jerusalem Temple on each holiday and the destruction of the Temple. *Bitter herbs (maror) reminds the Jewish people of slavery and parsley symbolizes the upcoming spring and hope for the future. *Parsley in salt represents tears shed by the enslaved Israelites. The days in between the two celebrations, the people use electricity, drive their cars, even to go to work. But many others choose to spend their free days at fairs and festivals held throughout Israel, also celebrating the harvest and history of Israel. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TO ISRAEL FOR PASSOVER,
THERE ARE OTHER GOOD TIMES TO VISIT  Tourism to Israel has dropped as has tourism dropped to so many other places. Israel, though, is of particular interest because it's a spiritual journey for so many people of different faiths.
But there is so much more to do in Israel. There is golf, tennis, riding horses in Caesarea, Eilat and Jerusalem. Even water sports for divers, scuba divers, and swimmers alike in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. For those not wanting to get wet, you can enjoy the underwater observatory in Eilat. One can also take in the music of the Israeli Philharmonic, museums and spa treatments at the Dead Sea. Israel has called so many to its lands for so many years. And it continues to do so even today. But much of what we keep hearing stops people from making the trip. There is hope, and time, for people to show their support for Israel in the coming months. Last summer alone, in a show of solidarity to Israel, 6,000 French Jews spent their summer vacations throughout Israel, bypassing spas and resorts throughout Europe and abroad. Share a Broadway moment with others and prove that anything they can do, you can do better. Have one of the best vacations of your life in Israel! For more information, please visit www.goisrael.com to learn how you can share in an incredible Passover celebration and visit Israel. Photos Courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism Other Passover Articles | 