Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-03-28
Passover Feast
"Opens Sunday
Services to be Held in
Synagog at 9:45 a.
IN. and 8 p. m.

over, known in the synagog, as
Pesach. falls on Sunday, April
l, and services in its observance
will ba held at the synagog oil
Washington street at 9:l5 a.
M, and s p. M, and will be con-
Quoted by B. We'll.
1t is one of the institutions of
Judaism which has gained wide
acceptance and io .3ous approval
and is observed for a period of
seven days by the more liberal,
and eight by those more rituals
tically inclined. The first and
last days, however, have spe-
cial ritual observance in connee-
tion with Temple service, the
keynote. of which is liberty and
redemption from bondage. I
During the PassoYfr week al,
Jewish families do .w8thout leaveti
in any form using instead a
large, flat. wafer-shaped bread
called Matzoth, as "a more ritual
isticaliy Inclined. TIE FIRST re
minder' OF. the hasty exodus Of
their fathers from the land of
oppression, Egypt. S'7a
On this historical event, the
Feast of Unleavened Bread, a.
the Passover became in later
periods was built up. Originally
an agricultural festival, it was
later transformed into festival
symbolic of liberty and redemp-
ton, when the Hebrews, who
were slaves unto Pharaoh, were
ed forth by the outstretchec
hand of providence from the
thraldom of their bondage.
Throughout the Passover cele-
bration there echoes the note o.
gratefulness. for the many mira
cleS that were wrought in behal
of Israel, not only in the remote
day of Egyptian sojourn, but
even unto the present hour. Is
rael is reminded of the moment
Gus time when his ancestors were
delivered from the yoke of the
Egyptian and brought out from
bondage into freedom, from
night of physical and spiritual
darkness into the light of his own
self-realization as a free and re
sponsible being.
The Passover feast is keyed tc
this dominant thought of liberty
and redemption from bigotry, ig-
norance and oppression, The OBJ
servers of this feast recall thai
no matter how brutally the ty
rant may Cypress the sons o
Israel, the cry of their persecu.
ton will be heard in the heave,
ly heights. Safety is vouehafec
and they will be led into THEN
heritage as the priests of God,
law of justice
A festival of such significan
spiritual potentialities has in
course of time evolved an elabor.
ate minutiae of ceremonial OBJ.
servance, especially in regard t.
the prohibition of leaven. But
at no time. not even in the dark
est days of medievalism, was tn
synagog or the home burdcnc
by these observances. On the
contrary, home and synagog re
sound with song and thanksgiv.
ing. Young and old participate
in the symbolism of the feast anC
welcome the advent of Passover
The most conspicuou, of these
ritualistic observances is the ST
der night observed on the eve
of the first day of Passover. For
this ceremony there is a tradi-
tional ritual, called the "Hagga-
dah," which contains richly adorn-
ed tales Of the deliverance and q
number of rabbinical reflections
on the Providential plans of Ii
berty unfolded in the exodus.
There are likewise many songs
of great antiquity, and the fes-
tival board, about which gathel
all members of the family, is set
with specially prepared dishes.
each symbolic of the stages of the
Passover feast and the exodus.
The festival of Pesach was used
by the Synagog as a means OF
consecrating the Jewish home to
God, the Redeemer and Pro-
tector of Israel who witnessed the
overthrow of so many proud and
powerful nations, and who has
ever been a valiant Champion of
Liberty to those chatting under
the chains of tyranny.
Coming as it does in the spring
tide of the year Passover fills
each creature with Joy and hope.
1t forevisions an era when H.
berty will be the common heri-
tage of all humanity. The mod
ern Jew utilizes this Feast as an
assurance, that with the awak-
ening of social justice and re-
in orr pororo+;o,,