Citymeals on Wheels is ready to deliver kosher care packages for the Jewish holiday of Passover to those who might otherwise miss out. The deliveries can mean a lot to those receiving them. NBC New York’s Gus Rosendale reports.
Spring is here, even if it doesn't feel like it, which means Passover is just around the corner.
It's one of the most important Jewish holidays of the year. Passover, or "Pesach" in Hebrew, is eight-days long (or seven in Israel) and is celebrated by Jews around the world to mark freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt.
During the first two nights, a traditional Seder meal is hosted.
Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREIt's also customary during the eight days of Passover to avoid eating leavened grain, including foods that contain traces of wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt. Instead, matzah, or unleavened bread, is consumed.
Learn more about Passover below.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox with NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP When is Passover in 2025?
This year, Passover begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, April 20.
Holidays
From gift guides to local events, we're here to help you celebrate in style
While the date in the United States changes each year, the holiday always falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan through the 22nd. Passover lasts for seven days in Israel.
What is the meaning of Passover?
According to the Book of Exodus in the Torah, the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt and subject to intense labor by Pharoah. God found out and sent Moses to Pharoah to free the Jews. Moses asked Pharoah to let his people go, but Pharoah vehemently denied his request, causing God to send down plagues.
For the last of the 10 plagues, God asked the Jews to offer a lamb or goat and smear its blood on their doorposts as a way to show that their house was Jewish. Then God went through all the houses and killed the first-born son of every Egyptian house, purposely passing over the Jewish homes.
In Hebrew, Passover is called Pesach, meaning "to pass over.”
This last plague did Pharoah in. He decided to set the Israelites free. Since they wanted to leave before Pharoah changed his mind, they didn’t have time to wait for their bread to rise, which is why Jewish people eat unleavened rather than leavened bread during the Passover holiday.
From there, the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years before going to Mount Sinai.
