Jewish Museum Virtual Workshop

This week we have been learning about Judaism in Religious Education.

We have been learning about the story of Passover and the Passover festival.

We now understand why Jewish people celebrate Passover for eight days and the reason for each of the different foods eaten at the Passover meal. Each food represents a part of the story…

Bitter herbs, horseradish or lettuce is used to symbolise the bitterness of slavery. A vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, represents hope and redemption; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed when the Jewish people were forced to be slaves many years ago. A lamb shank bone symbolises the Passover sacrificial offering in the days of the Temple. Charoset, which is a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, is a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves. Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten as a reminder of when the Israelites left Egypt with unleavened dough. An egg is a symbol of new life. 

We were very lucky to enjoy a workshop with the Jewish Museum through Zoom. They told us the story of Passover in more detail and answered any questions that we had. We then enjoyed eating something salty, something bitter and something sweet so that we could experience some elements from the Passover meal. 

We learnt that when the Jewish people fled Egypt they came to the Red Sea. They knew they had to keep going as the Pharaoh’s men were not far behind them. With God’s help, Moses parted the sea so that the Jewish people could cross safely. It was then that their journey began to receive each of the ten commandments. The last commandment is kept by the use of a mezuzah. That is a little box containing a parchment with the Shema written on it which is fixed to the side of the front door of the house and sometimes on the door posts of the rooms in the house. Many Jews touch the mezuzah with their fingers when they go through the doorway. Doing this helps them to show their love and respect for God and reminds them of God’s laws.