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Passover Facts & Worksheets

Passover, also known as Pesach, is a much celebrated eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

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Passover, also known as Pesach, is a much celebrated eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. The story of Passover is chronicled in the book of Exodus, when God set ten plagues upon Egypt when it refused to free thousands of enslaved Israelites.

See the fact file below for more information on Passover or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Passover worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY AND BIBLICAL SIGNIFICANCE

  • In Hebrew, Pesach means “to pass over.” As written in the Old Testament book of Exodus, God sent Moses to Egypt to relay a message to the pharaoh about liberating all enslaved Israelites. Pharaoh refused and God sent ten plagues to Egypt including the death of all first-born males. On midnight of 15 Nisan 1313 B.C.E., all firstborn sons died. God spared all Israelites when the angel of death passed over their houses, which were marked with lamb blood.
  • The ten plagues in Egypt included the following: water in the Nile river turned to blood, a plague of frogs, dust turned to lice, swarms of flies, death of livestock, a plague of boils, hail and fire, a plague of locusts, three-day darkness, and the death of firstborn sons.
  • After the death of pharaoh’s firstborn, he chased enslaved Israelites out of Egypt. Thousands of Israelites traveled to Mt. Sinai, crossed the Red Sea, and became known as God’s chosen people.

TRADITIONS AND OBSERVANCES

  • Passover begins on the 15th night of Nisan, on the 7th month in the Jewish calendar, which falls around March or April on the Gregorian calendar.
  • Prior to the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in the 1st century, Passover was observed through the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. On the first night. The sacrificial lamb is roasted and eaten.
  • Passover is also referred to as Chag HaMatzot, or Festival of the Unleavened Bread, Chag Ha Herut, or Festival of Freedom, and Chag Ha Aviv, or Festival of Spring.
  • The eight-day observance was rooted in the Babylonian times when the calendar was based on the phases of the moon.
  • Weeks before Passover, Jewish houses are cleaned of chametz, or leavened grain like wheat, barley, oats, rye and other leavening agents. Thus, they are not allowed to eat cake, bread, cereal, pasta, cookies, and drink alcoholic beverages.
  • On two seder nights, instead of chametz, Jews eat matzah or unleavened bread. It signifies the bread that Israelites brought when they fled Egypt.
  • Seder is a traditional dinner full of commandments during Passover. This family feast is done with eating matzah, maror or bitter herbs signifying the slavery of the Israelites, drinking of four cups of wine or grape juice, and recitation of Haggadah or the story of Exodus.
  • Some Jewish families keep special silverware for Passover.
  • A traditional Passover seder plate may consist of maror (usually horseradish), chazeret (the second bitter herb, usually romaine lettuce), charoset (a mixture of chopped apples, cinnamon, walnuts and red wine), karpas (parsley dipped in salt water), z’roa (a lamb shank), beitzah (hard-boiled egg), and matzah or the bread of affliction.
  • Aside from family members, an empty seat and wine cup should be reserved for the prophet Elijah.
  • At the end of the meal, the seder leader will hide an afikomen (half a matzah) for children to seek out.
  • The final day of Passover marks the arrival of the Israelites to the Red Sea. According to the Bible, this was the time when Moses parted the Red Sea to help the Israelites get across. Today, Jewish women and little girls light candles to commemorate the event.
  • The world’s largest seder is held annually in Kathmandu, Nepal, with over 2,000 attendees.

Passover Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Passover across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Passover worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Passover, also known as Pesach, which is a much celebrated eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. The story of Passover is chronicled in the book of Exodus, when God set ten plagues upon Egypt when it refused to free thousands of enslaved Israelites.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Passover Facts
  • Ten Plagues of Egypt
  • Passover Traditions
  • Seder Plate
  • Jewish Festivals
  • The Book of Exodus
  • Pass Over
  • Events in the Old Testament
  • Jewish Pictionary
  • Passover Festival Guide
  • Happy Passover!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about Passover?

Passover celebrates when the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt. It is one of the most widely celebrated holidays.

What happens during Passover?

The seder is a religious service and meal eaten on the first or sometimes the second night of Passover by families. The Haggadah, a central book, prescribes the order in which those celebrating will eat, pray, drink wine, sing songs, and tell stories.

What are the Passover rules?

During Passover, some grains are not allowed. These grains are wheat, barley, spelled, oats and rye. People can only eat unleavened grains during this holiday. Unleavened bread is allowed.

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Link will appear as Passover Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 26, 2024

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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