Welcoming Elijah by Lesléa Newman

Author:Lesléa Newman [Newman, Lesléa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Published: 2019-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Inside, the boy sprang up from his seat.

Outside, the kitten scampered up the walk.

A square of lamplight spilled onto the porch.

A beam of moonlight shone into the hall.

Inside, the boy looked outside.

Outside, the kitten looked inside.

“Elijah?”

“Meow!”

And that’s how Elijah

found a home.

Author’s Note

Passover, also known as the Festival of Freedom, is an eight-day

Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the enslaved

Israelites from Egypt in approximately 1225 B.C.E. Passover occurs

in the spring, beginning on the fifteenth day of the Jewish month

of Nisan, which always falls on the night of the full moon.

The Israelites were not always enslaved in Egypt. They lived there

peacefully for many years until a pharaoh who hated the Jews

came into power and forced them into slavery.

According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was ordered by God to

lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But the pharaoh would not let

them go. After ten plagues befell the Egyptians (blood, frogs,

vermin, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and

the slaying of the firstborn), the pharaoh decided to let the

Israelites leave.

Fearful that the pharaoh would change his mind, the Israelites fled

in such a hurry that they did not even wait for their bread to rise.

This is why during the eight days of Passover, Jewish families do

not eat any bread or other foods made with leavening. Instead, we

eat matzo (unleavened bread).

It is traditional for Jewish families to hold a special service at

home called a Seder on the first two nights of Passover. “Seder”

means order, and there are many steps to the Seder that take

place in a particular order. Each person at the Seder takes turns

reading from a book called a Haggadah, which serves as a guide

to the Seder and tells the story of the Israelites’ exodus from

Egypt. During the evening, a festive meal is served.

After the festive meal is eaten and dessert, which includes the

afikomen, is served, it is traditional to open the door for Elijah

the Prophet. It is said that Elijah, who ascended to heaven in

a fiery chariot, will return to earth to announce the coming of

the Messiah and a time of peace. Each year we eagerly await

Elijah and his hopeful message.

In many homes, it is customary for the children to open the

door for Elijah. When I was growing up, Passover was my

favorite holiday, and I especially loved to open the door for

Elijah. I stood on the doorstep, feeling the cool night air on my

face and gazing out into the darkness. I never caught a glimpse

of Elijah, yet each year when I returned to the table, his cup

was no longer full. Had Elijah actually come or had one of the

grown-ups taken a few sips from his cup? It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that we all do what we can to help bring

about a time of peace.

SOME TRADITIONAL RITUALS OF THE PASSOVER SEDER

• lighting candles

• drinking four cups of grape juice

or wine

• placing a cup filled with grape

juice or wine on the table for

Elijah the Prophet

• washing hands

• dipping spring greens into

salt water

• eating matzo (unleavened bread)

• breaking the afikomen (the middle

matzo) in two

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