Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of the Jewish holiday of Passover, also called Pesach.
Passover
The Latest
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Culture Why is this Haggadah different from all others? Hitler.
This particular Haggadah, different from all others, was bound to raise eyebrows — if not create a furor. We don’t know much about its origins, but here’s what we do: It was written by a Jew in Rabat, Morocco, sometime after the start of Operation Torch, the 1942 Allied invasion that spelled victory against the…
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News New CDC guidelines could make a family Passover possible
When Passover seders and the family gatherings that often accompany them were scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic last April, many assumed Jewish gatherings would be back in time for the High Holidays. Instead, coronavirus deaths continued to mount throughout 2020 and the pandemic continues, despite ongoing vaccination efforts. But new guidance from the Centers for…
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News After year of isolation, fully vaccinated grandparents head to in-person Passover seders
Ruth and Jerry Kirschner haven’t seen four of their grandchildren, ages 7 through 12, since January 2020. “This is the age when you want to see them,” Ruth said. “They’re young. They understand we can’t be with them, but they’re always like, ‘How much longer? How much longer?’” Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine, the Kirschners…
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Culture On Lou Reed’s birthday, remembering his epic Seder
Editor’s note: Lou Reed would have turned 79 on March 2, 2021. In honor of him and the upcoming holiday we have republished this piece, which first appeared in March of 2013, about the singer-songwriter’s historic “Downtown Seder.” Lou Reed is standing in front of a room full of Jews on Varick Street on a…
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News Scaled-down Passover resorts book up, but refunds are still an issue
A year ago, Bruce Backman was on track for a record year in the Passover travel business. Reservations were almost sold out and the phones were ringing off the hook. But that was before the coronavirus brought everything to a dead stop, said Backman, owner of pesachinthesoutheast.com. Some operators went bankrupt, others are still in…
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Culture Read Trump’s letter of resignation from the Manischewitz Frequent Buyers Circle
On Friday, former President Donald Trump, fresh from his preemptive resignation from SAG-AFTRA, did an end run on a campaign to oust him from the Manischewitz Frequent Buyers Circle by sending a letter of withdrawal — a bold move, given that his punch card was one purchase away from a free box of matzo. The…
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Community Why on this night do we sit when we could be dancing?
As I sat down for my family’s teleseder this year, the parallels between slavery and the physical confinement of quarantine were irresistible. We discussed how Pharaoh was or wasn’t like an oppressive pandemic, or how the virus is or isn’t like a plague. And while I appreciate those questions, I would also like to bring…
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The Schmooze Passover’s almost over, but it’s not too late to watch Jack Black slay ‘Chad Gadya’
The last two days of Passover are often the toughest of the holiday – you’re no longer riding the high of being with family (even virtually), and you’re so, so sick of the food. But under quarantine, the hours until the final sunset seem to drag on even slower than they usually do. Fear not:…
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Fast Forward The invitation said, ‘No Jews.’ The response from campus officials, at least, was real.
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Fast Forward Trump taps shock jock Sid Rosenberg and a Haredi newspaper publisher for Holocaust Memorial Council
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