Once in a while, we come across a guest Expert who has something impactful to contribute to the Savvy Auntie Community. Jewish Treats, a popular daily email and blog, has offered us a great guide to the basics of the story of Passover. This crash course should help Jewish Savvy Aunties, or aunts to Jewish nieces and nephews, brush up on Passover before the Seder:


On Passover, Jews commemorate the Exodus from Egyptian slavery. The following is a brief summary of the Passover story:

Jacob's family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, Jacob's son and the Viceroy to the Pharaoh, settled his family in the land of Goshen, apart from the Egyptians.

Joseph's contributions to Egyptian society and to his Pharaoh were forgotten after his death, and the new Pharaoh, feeling threatened by the success of the Israelites, enslaved them with cruel and bitter labor.

Alerted to a prophecy that the Israelites would be led to freedom by a boy yet to be born, Pharaoh ordered all newborn Jewish boys cast into the Nile. One mother, Yocheved, set her newborn son (Moses) adrift in the Nile in a basket, where he was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him.

Years later, Moses came upon an Egyptian beating an Israelite. Outraged, Moses slew the Egyptian, but then fled from Egypt, fearing that his action had been discovered. He took refuge in Midian with Jethro and married Jethro's daughter, Tziporah. While shepherding Jethro's sheep, Moses came upon a burning bush which was not consumed, from which he heard God's voice instructing him to go back and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Moses, joined by his older brother Aaron, went to Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh repeatedly said no - nine times. Each time he said no, another plague (blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts and darkness) struck Egypt. Finally, God struck all the Egyptian first born dead. After this tenth and final plague, Pharaoh finally said "yes" and the Jews hurriedly left Egypt, matzah in hand (as their bread didn’t have time to rise).

Pharaoh changed his mind and chased the Israelites, who were eventually trapped between the Egyptian army and the Sea of Reeds. But the Sea miraculously split and they crossed safely while the Egyptians drowned in the returning waters. Only Pharaoh survived.

The Israelites then continued their journey to Mount Sinai, where they received the Torah.

If you’d like great ideas about how to make Seder lots of fun for your nieces and nephews, check out great tips here!

Published: April 3, 2012