TRANSCRIPT:
Passover, or ' Pesach' in Hebrew, is an annual Jewish holiday.
It begins on the 15th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar - usually March or April - in the northern hemisphere, spring.
In Australia it lasts for 8 days.
SBS Hebrew Executive Producer, Mariel Olenski, says the origins of Passover lie in the Biblical story of how the Jewish people fled slavery in Egypt- also known as "The Exodus".
"The Israelites were enslaved by Pharoah in the land of Egypt, and were begging him to let them go. Pharoah was threatened by the Israelite's might and power, so wanted to keep them as slaves. And so essentially the Jews asked God for help and God sent them Moses. And with the help of God and Moses, they eventually liberated the Jews from the land of Egypt."
According to the Biblical story, 10 plagues were inflicted on Egypt by the God of Israel, to convince the Pharaoh to set the slaves free.
"You had locusts and lice and terrible storms, and it all culminated in the 10th plague, which was the most intense, which was the death of the firstborn of every Egyptian family. And in order to preclude themselves from this misery, the Jews had to rub lamb's blood on their doorposts. So then God would pass over their house."
One of the most significant parts of Passover is a ceremonial feast called a Seder which takes place on the first night or first two nights of the holiday.
Roni Cohavi is the Parramatta and District Synagogue Rabbi.
He says the Seder can take many forms.
"Usually it's a family celebration, when the family sits around the Pesach Seder table. These days we also have community Seders, where the community, or part of the community comes together. And we sit around the Seder table, and we read the Haggadah. The Haggadah is the story of Pesach, the story of the Exodus from Egypt."
Ms Olenski says traditionally there are six items on the Seder plate, each symbolising different parts of the Exodus story.
"The hard-boiled egg reminds us of the destruction of the Temple but also instils us with hope. It symbolises the circle of life... Maror is usually represented by horseradish. It symbolises the bitter struggle of slavery that the Jews had to endure."
Rabbi Cohavi says while Pesach is celebrated by all Jewish communities, there are differences in traditions and rituals across cultures.
"My father is Ashkenazi, Russian, Polish background, and my mother is Iraqi from Sephardi background, and the customs and traditions are completely different. The food is different. Although the context of the story is the same, but we celebrate it in different ways."
