Theresa Villiers Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet has issued the following Passover message:
“I would like to send my best wishes for Passover to all my Jewish constituents. Happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!"
“During this joyous festival I hope that everyone celebrating will have the chance to enjoy their Seder meal with friends and family.”
"It is a great source of pride to me to represent a constituency which is home to a sizeable Jewish community. I know that Passover is a special time of the year and I welcome the opportunity it provides to celebrate the hugely positive contribution that Jewish people and Jewish culture make to our borough here in Barnet and to the UK as a whole."
The word Passover is derived from 'pesach' in Hebrew which means to 'jump over,' or 'skip over.' It refers to the Biblical tenth plague, during which the angel of death skipped over the homes of the Jewish people in Egypt and spared them from the destruction which killed the first born male children of Egyptians. Passover also celebrates Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom, according to the story told in the Book of Exodus.
The festival of Passover is traditionally observed by a special meal, or Seder, on the first night of the festival during which a number of symbolic foods are eaten.
Starting on the evening of Wednesday 5th April, Passover lasts eight days from the 15th day of Nisan, the first month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar.
