Passover is one of the most important holy days. The name of the holiday in Hebrew means “to pass over.” This refers to an event recorded in the Torah when the final curse of ten was visited upon the Land of Egypt. When the pharaoh refused to release the Jewish people from slavery, Egypt was visited by ten plagues. In the last plague, the Angel of Death passed over the homes of Jews but took the firstborn of the families of the Egyptians. That’s where the name of the holiday comes from.

On the first night of Passover in 2025 the members of the Panevėžys (Ponevezh) Jewish Community and friends gathered at the holiday table to celebrate together with the traditional seder, the ceremonial holiday meal. The ceremony began with the traditional Hebrew prayer Kadesh intoned by Community board member Katerina Krasnočiarova. There were readings from the Haggadah, the story of the Jewish exodus from Egyptian slavery.

Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman greeted the assembly with the start of the holiday. The traditional four cups of wine were consumed, four being the number of promises God has given to the Jewish nation. The fifth cup remained untouched, intended for the prophet Elijah. Candles were also lit and prayers uttered and sung, the holiday spirit complemented with song and dance.

It has become part of the traditional celebration of Passover in Pnevezh to receive holiday greetings from Jewish friends and colleagues, but also from other municipal organizations. Fainia Kukliansky, chairwoman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, sent Passover greetings which were read out, among other greetings. Romalda Šerpelienė, the chairwoman of the Rožynas community, participated in the seder and delivered very heart-felt greetings. She wished that friendship and tolerance between the communities would continue to grow, and that Passover, as the holiday of freedom and liberation, would become a source of joy for everyone and serve to unite us all.