Passover
Opening Activity
In your Religion copies:
•Write the Heading “Passover”
•Write down the word “Freedom”
•Write down three choices that you have freely
made recently...for example...
-Did you choose what you wanted to have
for lunch?
-Did you choose who to talk to at break
time?
-Did you choose what to watch on TV?
•What does freedom mean to you?
Our Lesson Aims
• At the end of our lesson:
• You will be able to explain how the
festival of Passover reminds the
Jewish people of key events and
beliefs in their faith
• You will be able to explain the
symbolic foods on a Seder plate
Passover
• Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is one of
the most important festivals in the Jewish
year.
• Passover is an eight-day long celebration
and in 2012 on April 6th
• The feast reminds all Jews of their escape
from slavery over 3000 years ago when
they were led out of Egypt by Moses.
The Story of Passover
• Moses went to see Pharaoh many times.
Each time Pharaoh refused to release the
Israelites.
• Moses warned Pharaoh that God would
send terrible plagues on Egypt if
Pharaoh did not let them go.
The Ten Plagues
1. Blood
2. Frogs
4.Flies
3.Lice
6. Boils
7. Hail and fire
5.Blight of the livestock
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. The death of the first born
• The final plague was the death of the first born.
God told Moses that the Israelites should mark
their doorposts with lamb's blood so that God
could 'pass over' their houses and spare them
from this plague. This is why the festival is
called Passover.
• Eventually Pharaoh gave in and told Moses and
the Israelites to go at once. The Israelites took
their unleavened dough with them - they hadn't
had time to add the yeast - and lived on this for
the first few days of their Exodus.
• This is why, during Passover, Jewish people eat
unleavened bread called Matzo.
Matzo
• The Seder meal takes place at the
beginning of Passover.
• The items of food on the Seder plate are
symbolic of the Exodus story.
• The book of the story, the Haggadah, is
read by everyone at the table, usually led
by the father or grandfather.
• Everyone recalls the past and thinks
about what it means for Jews today.
A Roasted
Hardboiled Egg
symbolizes New Life
Green
vegetables are
a reminder that
Passover is a
spring festival,
which are
dipped into salt
water to
remember the
sweat and tears
shed in slavery.
Two types of bitter
vegetables remind
of the misery and
slavery.
Roasted Bone to
remember offerings
that would be
brought into the
Temple in Jerusalem.
Fruit and spices
are mixed with
red sweet wine.
This represents
freedom.
Our Lesson Aims
• At the end of our lesson:
• You will be able to explain how the
festival of Passover reminds the Jewish
people of key events and beliefs in their
faith 
• You will be able to explain the symbolic
foods on a Seder plate 