Passover - Jewish English Lexicon

Passover

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Pronunciations

Passover

(PASS-oh-vur)

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Definitions

n. A Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, on which it is traditional to hold a Passover seder and not eat chametz.

Example Sentences

"When you're reform, Passover ends a day early."
"Not only does our modern Seder wildly diverge from the Passover of old: during antiquity itself the holiday underwent radical changes[.]" (source)

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Languages of Origin

English

Etymology

According to Shemot, God instructed Moses to mark the doorways of the Israelites' homes with lamb's blood so that the Angel of Death would 'pass over' their families and spare their firstborn children.

Who Uses This

Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

Notes

The holiday starts on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan, and lasts 7 days in Israel and 8 days elsewhere.

Reform Jews are more likely to call the holiday Passover, while Conservative and Orthodox Jews are more likely to call the holiday Pesach.

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