Passover vacation niche grows to dozens of destinations

Widening definitions of what's considered kosher for Passover has some Jews of Eastern European descent serving rice, beans and corn at the Seder for the first time, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.

Tonight marks the beginning of Passover.

For Miriam Allenson, Passover is of course an occasion steeped in religious tradition, filled with ancient, solemn customs and abounding in time-honored holy symbols. The symbolism-rich seder meal generally kicks off the first of day of Passover, although some sects or congregations celebrate a seder on the first two evenings.

"When we began dating I could see he was a man with the most tender heart", she said of her husband, 60. As many as 100,000 people booked hotel rooms for this year's Passover, and the resulting revenue of nearly $70 million is double that of ten years ago.

Chabad of SCV is hosting their seder tonight at 7:45 p.m.at the Chabad location in Newhall. The event is open and free to all military, Department of the Army civilians and their Families. This year's themes are Traditional Seder, Freedom Seder, LGBTQA Seder, Music Seder, and Not Your Bubbe's Seder. At the Seder, all generations sit together and the children play a significant role. Tickets are $60 for adults and $30 for children, with no one being turned down for lack of funds. When the Jews were in Egypt, they were slaves for 400 years. "It expands what we can eat!' But she grew up in a Reformed background".

He had planned to host the meal for his church small group on the Sunday before Passover (April 17), but they've had to reschedule because of illness.

During that period of time Jews will not eat "leavened" bread but instead will eat Matzah, a hard flat wheat bread.

Each food item symbolizes part of the Passover story. "But this is opening us up to other avenues and viewpoints", he said.

Blazer explained along with the traditions of singing, reading the story of the exodus and the rituals of the meal, many Jewish families take the opportunity to focus on the larger social and political issues of the day. The service will again this year include a talk by David W. Wildermuth, Shippensburg University assistant professor of German, who will discuss "Anatomy of an Atrocity: German Soldiers and the Pacification" of Lida in the Holocaust's "First Hour". In fact the Torah teaches us, that even after witnessing numerous miracles of the exodus, 80% of the Jewish people did not want to leave Egypt, and died in the plaque of darkness.

Preparations for Passover go well beyond the tasks of living a kosher lifestyle, she says, and some older people whose family members live far away might find the tasks too physically daunting and book a hotel instead, she says.

"You know, I should make sure I don't get enslaved, but also that no one should be enslaved", Rabbi Swartz said.

"What is national freedom if not a people's inner freedom to cultivate its abilities along the beaten path of its history?".

Some synagogues, like the Chabad, have communal Seders to celebrate God's role in loosening the bonds of slavery for the Hebrews.

Source: Passover vacation niche grows to dozens of destinations