Pesach in Poland

• Different rabbis from the United States and Israel travel all the way to Warsaw to conduct the Pesach services. Delicacies such as gefilte fish, tsimmes, chicken soup with kneydlakhs, brisket, macaroons, kugels, kreplach, and compotes are some of the numerous Polish dishes that are prepared during Pesach festival. The Hasidic Jews residing in Gora Kalwaria have a unique way of observing the Pesach festival. All the families reenact the journey of the Jews crossing the Red Sea every year during Pesach festival in their living rooms.
• The seventh day of Pesach is commemorated with an unusual ritual. They pour water on the floor of their homes and enact the crossing over exactly as written in Hebrew scripture. They put on coats and tell the names of the towns where they live and regions they would be passing by in the coming year. The Hasidic Jews from all across Europe, Israel and North America gather in Lezajsk, a small town in southeastern Poland to mark the Passover celebrations. They visit the tomb of Rabbi Elimelech, 18th century spiritual leader, and conduct an event comprising of prayers and services to mark his death.
• Apart from its great historical significance for the Jewish community, this festival is widely known for its ritual celebrative feasting. The festival pays careful attention to the kind of delicacies served as the Hebrew scripture explaining the story of Exodus objects to serving leaven bread during the fest. Devotes are required to consume only unleavened bread called as Matzo or Matzah during the Pesach festival. The most popular feasting, the Seder meal, is observed particularly on first and second of the Pesach festival night. The Seder menu and plate contain many symbolic foods related to the Pesach festival. The feasting on the Seder meal symbolizes togetherness, celebration, joy and merriment. Friends and family members gather for festive supper meal to mark the beginning of the weeklong Pesach festival. Parents and elders narrate the story of exodus to children over the Seder meal. They also recite ancient hymns, songs to their younger ones. Elders read holy book “hagaddah” which means telling that covers songs, rituals, readings and the order of prayers for Pesach festival.